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Alfalfa

Alfalfa is a legume used as tender sprouts or leaves, with sprouts commonly added fresh or lightly cooked to salads and sandwiches.

Alfalfa — illustrative ingredient image

About Alfalfa

Alfalfa is a legume grown as forage and also used as a human food, most often as tender sprouts or leaves. The plant has small leaves and purple flowers; its fresh edible growth is green and mild, with a delicate, slightly grassy flavour. The broad name can refer to the whole plant, so it does not specify whether a food product is leaf, seed, or sprout.

In cooking, fresh alfalfa sprouts are commonly added uncooked or lightly cooked to salads, sandwiches, and other foods; dried leaf may be sold as an herb or powder. These forms differ in texture and use: sprouts are crisp and moist, while dried leaf is concentrated and fibrous or powdery. Seed intended for sprouting is a separate form from the mature plant.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where alfalfa appears

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Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for alfalfa

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Alfalfa

English

Lucerne

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Alfalfa nutrition & diet

Alfalfa nutritional value

Reference: Alfalfa sprouts

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
32kcal
Protein
4.0g
Carbs
0.9g
Fat
0.7g

Official national food-composition reference. The displayed food form is part of the estimate; cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

The broad name does not identify the edible form. Fresh sprouts, dried leaf, and seed differ substantially in water content and processing, so comparisons should use the same form.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Swedish Food Agency Food Database, 2026-07-01 — 376 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .