How many calories does sugar have?

A level teaspoon of granulated white sugar has 16 calories, none of which comes from fat. Nutritionally, a teaspoon of sugar has 4.2 grams of carbohydrates, which is 1 percent of the recommended daily allowance for a person to ingest.

Granulated sugar derives from either sugar cane or sugar beets. Processors extract the juice from either of the sources, which then becomes crystallized and becomes white sugar. Sugar cane grows best in tropical climates, such as in the Caribbean, while sugar beets grow best in more temperate climates, such as the United States and Europe. Because the crystallized juice forms sucrose, there is no noticeable difference in taste between the two sugar sources.