Celery Facts for Kids

A Picture of an Celery in a Bowl
  • Name: Celery
  • Type of Food: Vegetable
  • Produced From: Apium graveolens
  • Total Calories: 6 (one medium stalk, 40 grams)
  • Total Fat: None (one 8.25″ cucumber, 301 grams)
  • Total Protein: None (one 8.25″ cucumber, 301 grams)
  • Total Carbohydrates: 1 gram (one medium stalk, 40 grams)

23 Celery Facts for Kids

  1. Celery is a leaf stalk vegetable consumed by humans.
  2. Celery has been grown and eaten by humans since antiquity.
  3. Celery is harvested from a plant know scientifically as Apium graveolens var. graveolens and its variants.
  4. Celery was first scientifically described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in his book Species Plantarum, Volume One.
  5. Celery’s wild ancestor is native to the Middle East and the Mediterranean region.
  6. Italians began using celery as food in the 16th century and it quickly became an important ingredient in European dishes.
  7. Prior to the 16th century, celery wasn’t used for a food, instead it was used for medicinal purposes.
  8. Celery can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled baked or fried.
  9. Celery stalks are eaten raw, baked, fried or boiled and celery leaves are used to add color or flavor to food dishes.
  10. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains 6 calories.
  11. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains no fat.
  12. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains no cholesterol.
  13. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains 32 milligrams of sodium.
  14. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains 1 gram of carbohydrates.
  15. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains 1 gram of dietary fiber.
  16. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains 1 gram of sugar.
  17. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains 16 milligrams of calcium.
  18. One medium stalk of celery (40 grams) contains 103 milligrams of potassium.
  19. In Ancient Greece, winners of athletic games would be given celery as a reward.
  20. It’s believed that celery was introduced to North America in 1856 by George Taylor.
  21. A common myth is celery is a net-negative calorie food, which means it takes more energy to digest celery than gained from digesting it. However, it’s been proven that as little as 40 grams of celery has 6 calories.
  22. A community in Ohio that was founded by celery farmers is called Celeryville.
  23. According to the Guinness World Records, the world record for the tallest celery plant is 9 feet. This record was set in 1998 by Joan Priednieks in the United Kingdom.

Additional Resources on Celery

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