Parsley

Food · Vegetable · Food, Typed Supps

The herb pushed to the side of your plate is quietly loaded with vitamin C and vitamin A.

Stage by stage

Intake (Leaf broken open): Chewing releases the vitamin C and carotenoids held inside the leaf’s cells.
Stomach (Mixed with stomach contents): The plant material is broken down further alongside the rest of the meal.
Small intestine (Vitamin C and vitamin A absorbed): Vitamin C is absorbed directly; carotenoids need dietary fat to absorb well.
Bloodstream & tissues (Used for immunity and vision): Vitamin C supports immune cells and collagen; absorbed carotenoids convert to vitamin A as needed.

Timing

With a meal that includes some fat, so the vitamin A/carotenoid content absorbs well.

Time to effect

A day or two: Blood vitamin C levels respond quickly to increased intake.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

Not scored: the satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings, and nobody eats a 240 kcal serving of this. The question does not apply rather than the answer being unknown.

Environmental footprint

0.5 kg CO2e and 108 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Other vegetables" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Pricey — roughly £25 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 35.9
Protein: 3.9g
Carbohydrate: 1.1g
of which sugars: 1g
Fat: 0.7g
of which saturated: 0g
Fibre: 5g
Sodium: 150mg

Food vs. supplement

A large handful of chopped parsley approaches a day’s vitamin C, but the tablespoon most people actually use delivers only a small top-up rather than a meaningful dose.

Kitchen tip

Add parsley fresh, at the end of cooking rather than during — heat and prolonged storage break down its vitamin C.

Common myth

"Parsley is just a garnish with no real nutritional value." In reality: Weight for weight, parsley has more vitamin C than most citrus fruit. It’s the tiny serving size — a spoonful, not a bowlful — that keeps it from being a significant source in most people’s diets.