Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

Celery

Department of Defense fact sheet containing nutritional Information for celery.

Product Description

Good-quality celery should have even-colored, unblemished and smoothed-skinned stalks. Contrary to popular belief, light green stalks taste better than those that are dark green.

Peak Growing Season

Celery is grown all year in California; however, the peak season is October through December.

Uses

Celery sticks are ideal in sack lunches, on trays, or in salad bars. They are great for dipping in sauces such as ranch dressing, hummus, or peanut butter.

Preparation

None

Storage

Celery should be stored at 32–35 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 90–95 percent.

Best If Used By

Typical shelf life is 14–28 days when stored at 45–48 degrees Fahrenheit, but monitor the celery often for quality.

Nutrition Facts

Legend: kcal = kilocalorie; g = gram; mg = milligram; RAE = retinol activity equivalent; IU = international unit

Six four-inch celery sticks (1/2 cup serving) provides:

Calories 8
Protein .35 g
Carbohydrate 1.50 g
Fat 0.09 g
Saturated Fat 0.021 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Iron 0.10 mg
Vitamin C 1.6 mg
Vitamin A 11 RAE
Calcium 20 mg
Sodium 40 mg
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g

Sources of Information

Questions:   Food Distribution Program | FoodDistribution@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Thursday, October 02, 2025
Related Content
  • DoD Fact Sheets
    Department of Defense (DoD) fresh fruits and vegetables fact sheets.
Recently Posted in Nutrition
  • 2026–27 FFVP Grant Recipient Announcement (added 31-Jul-2026)
    On July 30, 2026, the CDE NSD awarded and posted the FFVP first allocation grant recipients and funding allocations for School Year 2026–27 on the CDE FFVP Funding Results web page. The FFVP first allocation is July 1, 2026–September 30, 2026.
  • Local School Wellness Policy Final Rule--Revised (added 29-Jul-2026)
    Management Bulletin SNP-03-2026: The Local School Wellness Policy Final Rule (Revised) provides additional information explaining the requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's local school wellness policy requirements.
  • Competitive Food and Beverages Definition of Sold (added 29-Jul-2026)
    Management Bulletin SNP-28-2014, AB 626 (Skinner), EC 49430(f): Competitive foods and beverages: implementing the definition sold.
  • Farm to Summer Celebration Week 2026: Post-Survey (added 17-Jul-2026)
    The California Department of Education (CDE) recognizes SMP operators who complete the three key elements during the F2Summer Celebration Week: 1) Taste, 2) Teach, and 3) Connect.
  • Powering Up with Plant-based Menus and Marketing (added 16-Jul-2026)
    The School Nutrition Programs Powering Up with Plant-based Menus and Marketing online training.