How Many Teaspoons in a Milligram?

Divide the milligrams by what one level teaspoon of the ingredient weighs, in milligrams. For water, the divisor above works. A teaspoon of granulated sugar weighs about 4,167 milligrams by USDA figures, so 1,000 mg of sugar is 1,000 ÷ 4,167 = 0.24 teaspoon, about a quarter spoon.

Milligrams are awkward to picture, so it often helps to switch to grams first. 1,000 mg equals 1 g, and the milligrams to grams page handles any amount before you move on to spoons.

For the reverse, from spoons to milligrams, use teaspoons to milligrams.

A metric teaspoon, used in British and Australian recipes, holds 5 ml, a little more than the US teaspoon's 4.93 ml. Filled with water, it weighs 5,000 milligrams.

The gap carries over to every ingredient. A metric teaspoon of granulated sugar holds about 4,227 milligrams, slightly more than the US spoon does. When a recipe comes from the UK or Australia, its teaspoons are the metric kind, so use the metric figures for it.

A teaspoon measures volume, and milligrams measure weight, so the answer depends on what fills the spoon. A level teaspoon of active dry yeast weighs about 4,000 milligrams, while a teaspoon of powdered sugar (icing sugar) weighs about 2,500 and one of all-purpose flour about 2,604.

At this scale, how you fill the spoon matters as much as the math. The figures here are for level spoons, so sweep off any heap with a knife before you use them.

No. This converter is for cooking ingredients, and a dose printed in milligrams cannot be turned into kitchen spoons with a food density. Follow the label or ask a pharmacist, and use the measuring device that comes with the product.

The same goes for nutrient figures on a food label. Milligrams listed for a nutrient, such as sodium, measure that nutrient alone and not the food it sits in, so they do not convert to teaspoons of the food.