Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Saunf or Sonf

One teaspoon of the ground seed weighs 2 grams and counts for 7 calories. Fennel rates 1.05 grams of carbohydrates, 0.32 grams of proteins, 0.31 grams of fibre and 0.3 of fat, with no cholesterol. It has 3IU of vitamin A, 0.008 milligrams of vitamin B₁, 0.007 milligrams of vitamin B₂, 0.121 milligrams of niacin, 2 milligrams of sodium, 10 milligrams of potassium, a high 24 milligrams of calcium, 0.37 milligrams of iron, 8 milligrams of magnesium and 0.07 of zinc.

The Greeks used fennel for slimming and some herbalists still recommend it for weight loss. The Romans ate it as a vegetable, and as finocchio the plant is still very popular in Italian cuisine. It tastes a little like celery after cooking.