Achar (pickle): calories, benefits and how much is safe
One teaspoon of oil-based achar (mango, mixed or mirch) has about 8 to 14 calories and 0.4 to 0.6 g of salt; a tablespoon has about 25 to 40 calories and up to 1.8 g of salt. Achar adds taste to roti, daal and sabzi, but its spices are too small in amount to work as medicine. For most healthy adults, 1 teaspoon a day is fine. People with high blood pressure, kidney disease or acidity should eat very little or none.
Calories in achar
| Type of achar | 1 teaspoon (5 g) | 1 tablespoon (15 g) | Salt in 1 teaspoon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aam ka achar (mango, in oil) | 8-14 kcal | 25-40 kcal | 0.4-0.6 g |
| Mixed achar (in oil) | 8-14 kcal | 25-40 kcal | 0.4-0.6 g |
| Hari mirch / lehsan achar (in oil) | 8-14 kcal | 25-40 kcal | 0.4-0.6 g |
| Meetha nimbu achar (lemon, with sugar) | 7-10 kcal | 20-30 kcal | 0.3-0.5 g |
| Gajar-shaljam / vinegar or kanji pickle (no oil) | 1-2 kcal | 3-6 kcal | 0.2-0.4 g |
These are ranges, because every brand and every ghar ka achar is made differently. Most of the calories in mango, mixed and mirch achar come from the oil (mustard or other cooking oil), and the more oil you scoop out of the jar, the higher the count: 1 extra teaspoon of oil adds about 40 kcal. Sweet lemon achar gets its calories from sugar. Vinegar and kanji pickles such as gajar-shaljam have almost no calories but still contain salt.
For a packed achar, read the label: look at "energy" and "sodium" per 100 g. To turn sodium into salt, multiply by 2.5 (2,000 mg sodium = 5 g salt). For comparison, one chapati has about 100 to 120 kcal; see calories in roti and other Pakistani foods.
How much salt is in achar
Salt is what keeps achar from spoiling, so most pickles carry about 8 to 12 g of salt per 100 g. That means:
- 1 teaspoon: about 0.4 to 0.6 g salt, roughly a tenth of the daily limit.
- 1 tablespoon: about 1.2 to 1.8 g salt, a quarter to a third of the daily limit.
- WHO limit for adults: less than 5 g of salt a day (about 1 level teaspoon), counting the salt already in roti, salan, nimko and bread.
Most Pakistani adults already eat more salt than this from cooking alone, so a large serving of achar every meal adds up quickly.
Achar benefits: what is true
| Claim | What we know |
|---|---|
| Makes simple meals tastier | True. A little achar can make plain daal, sabzi or khichdi easier to eat, which helps people who eat little, such as the elderly or those recovering from illness |
| Good for digestion (probiotic) | Only for pickles fermented in brine or kanji, which may contain live lactic acid bacteria. Most oil and vinegar pickles from shops are not probiotic |
| Haldi, methi and kalonji in achar are healing | These spices are healthy in cooking, but a spoon of achar holds far too little to have a proven medical effect |
| Lemon or amla achar gives vitamin C | Some vitamin C is lost in curing and storage. Fresh lemon, amrood or kinnow are a much better source |
| Achar helps weight loss | No evidence |
Side effects of eating too much achar
- Blood pressure: high salt raises blood pressure, the main cause of stroke and heart attack. See the high blood pressure diet.
- Kidneys and swelling: salt makes the body hold water; with kidney disease or heart failure this worsens swelling and breathlessness. See the kidney patient diet.
- Acidity: oil, chilli and sour flavours can trigger heartburn. See the acidity and GERD diet.
- Stomach cancer risk: the World Cancer Research Fund says a diet high in salt-preserved foods probably raises stomach cancer risk. This is about large amounts eaten often over years, not a spoon now and then.
- Extra calories: scooping oil from the jar onto every roti adds 100 or more kcal a day without you noticing.
How much achar is safe per day
| Who | Suggested amount |
|---|---|
| Healthy adult | Up to 1 teaspoon a day, with a meal |
| Weight loss | 1 teaspoon, with the oil drained |
| Diabetes | 1 teaspoon of oil achar; avoid meetha achar and murabba |
| High blood pressure | Best avoided; at most a small taste now and then |
| Kidney disease, heart failure, low-salt diet | Avoid unless your doctor or dietitian allows it |
| Children | A small taste only; their salt limit is lower than adults' |
Tips to eat achar in a healthier way
- Drain the oil: lift the pieces with a fork and let the oil drip back into the jar.
- Pick the piece, not the masala: most of the salt sits in the masala and brine.
- Cut salt elsewhere: on an achar day, add less salt to the salan or raita.
- Pair it with fibre: eat it with daal, sabzi and salad, not with only paratha.
- Use a clean, dry spoon and keep the jar closed. If you see white fuzzy mould, a bad smell or froth in an oil pickle, throw it away; do not just remove the top layer.
Want help fitting the foods you love into a diet for weight, sugar or blood pressure? Our dietitians build plans around your real meals; see online diet consultation.
See a doctor first if
- You have high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure
- Your doctor has told you to follow a low-salt diet
- Achar gives you burning, gastric pain or ulcer symptoms
- You have swelling in your feet or face, especially in pregnancy
Common questions
How many calories are in 1 spoon of achar?
About 8 to 14 kcal in 1 teaspoon (5 g) of an oil-based mango or mixed achar, and about 25 to 40 kcal in 1 tablespoon. The oil from the jar adds more: every extra teaspoon of oil is about 40 kcal. Vinegar and kanji pickles without oil have only a few calories.
Is achar good for health?
In small amounts, achar is fine for most healthy people. It adds taste, which can help you enjoy daal and sabzi, but it is not a health food. Its main problem is salt: one tablespoon can hold 1.2 to 1.8 g of salt, which is a quarter to a third of the WHO daily limit of 5 g.
What are the benefits of achar?
Achar makes simple meals tastier, and its spices (haldi, methi dana, kalonji, saunf, rai) are useful in cooking. Pickles fermented in brine or kanji may contain live lactic acid bacteria. But the amount of spice in a spoon of achar is too small to have a proven medical effect, and most oil or vinegar pickles from shops are not probiotic.
Can I eat achar while losing weight?
Yes, 1 teaspoon with a meal fits in a weight-loss diet. Drain the extra oil before you serve it. Salty food can also make you hold water for a day or two, so the scale may go up even though you have not gained fat.
Can diabetic patients eat achar?
Oil-based achar has almost no sugar, so 1 teaspoon with a meal does not raise blood sugar much. Avoid meetha achar, chutneys and murabba, which are made with sugar or gur. Many people with diabetes also have high blood pressure, so keep the amount small.
Is achar bad for blood pressure and kidneys?
It can be. Achar is one of the saltiest foods in a Pakistani kitchen, and high salt raises blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure, or your doctor has put you on a low-salt diet, skip achar or keep it to a rare small taste.
Does achar cause acidity?
In some people, yes. Oil, chilli and sour flavours can trigger heartburn and gastric pain, especially on an empty stomach or late at night. If achar gives you burning, cut it out for 2 to 3 weeks and see if the symptoms improve.
Can I eat achar in pregnancy?
Small amounts are fine for most pregnant women, and many crave sour food. Keep it to a teaspoon, more so if you have swelling or high blood pressure, and only eat pickle from a clean jar with no mould.
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Sources
- WHO. Salt reduction (fact sheet): adults under 5 g of salt a day
- NHS. Salt: the facts
- World Cancer Research Fund. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and stomach cancer (salt-preserved foods)
- Marco ML et al. Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond. Curr Opin Biotechnol, 2017
- USDA FoodData Central. Oil, vegetable (9 kcal per g)