How many calories are in a bowl of soup, porridge or dumplings
A 300 g bowl of borscht is about 195 kcal, and a 250 g plate of pelmeni about 620 kcal, using reference values per 100 g.
Calorie counting
The practical half: where the numbers come from, how accurate they are, and what they can and cannot tell you.
Honey, syrup and oil in a spoon: measure and count
Do not automatically record a tablespoon as 15 g of food.
Milk, kefir and yogurt: converting millilitres to grams
Use the units in the nutrition table when counting milk, kefir and yogurt: grams for values per 100 g, millilitres for values per 100 ml.
Nuts and seeds: count a handful, spoonful or mixed portion
Calculate the calories in a handful of nuts from its weight and the values on that particular pack.
Raf coffee calories in 200, 300 and 400 ml cups
A 300 ml raf has no single calorie value: the café recipe determines it.
Doshirak calories per pack and prepared serving
A 90 g chicken-flavor Doshirak tray contains 414 kcal according to the manufacturer.
Subjoy rolls and salads calories: macros from the chain’s data
The Chicken Teriyaki roll is 410 kcal, the same salad 207, the 15 cm sandwich 382.
Vkusno — i tochka calories: macros for burgers, fries and desserts
Double Cheeseburger is 441 kcal, Grand 514, Big Special 756, Double Big Special 1,042.
The alcohol calorie calculator: grams of ethanol and a standard drink of 8, 10 or 14 g
The alcohol calorie calculator shows two numbers: the energy in what you drank and the grams of pure ethanol.
The FoodGPT raw vs cooked weight calculator: how it works and where it goes wrong
The calculator converts the weight of raw food into cooked weight and back, and counts calories from the raw food: cooking changes the weight, not the calories.
The FoodGPT calorie calculator: how it works and where it goes wrong
The calorie calculator works out basal metabolism with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, multiplies it by an activity factor from 1.
Bone-in chicken, watermelon with rind, nuts in the shell: log only what you ate
Log the weight of what you ate, not what was on the plate.
Calories in one apple, banana or orange: weight with and without the peel
A medium banana without the peel (118 g) has about 105 calories, a medium apple (182 g) about 95, and an orange without the peel (131 g) about 62.
Salmon, chicken or shrimp poke: how to count the whole bowl
Count poke by adding the ingredients in the whole bowl: the base, fish or meat, vegetables, toppings and sauce.
Smoothie calories: count the glass and its add-ins
Count a smoothie from its ingredients and the portion you drink.
Big Special: check calories and macros for the whole order
Use the nutrition card for the exact Big Special burger you select, then count the full order separately: fries, drink, sauce and extras.
How many calories are in borscht: beef, pork, lean, with sour cream
FoodGPT’s reference card lists borscht at 65 kcal per 100 g, so a 300 g bowl contains about 195 kcal.
Carbohydrates for long-distance events: how many grams per hour and what to eat during a marathon
The joint position stand of ACSM, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Dietitians of Canada recommends 30–60 g of carbohydrates per hour for exercise lasting 1 to 2.
Calories in fast food: how to choose your order at Russian chains
The calorie content of a fast food order is determined less by the chosen dish and more by portion size, drink, and sauces: the same dish may have two values in the chain’s nutritional table that differ by nearly twofold.
Net carbs: how to calculate and where the method fails
Net carbs are total carbohydrates listed on the label minus fiber and, for some manufacturers, sugar alcohols.
How many calories are in an egg: boiled, fried, omelette, white and yolk
A large egg without its shell weighs about 50 g and has 72 kcal.
How many calories are in oatmeal: with water, with milk and with toppings
A bowl of oatmeal made with water from 50 g of oats is about 190 kcal, and with 3.
How many calories are in pizza: a slice, a whole pizza, thin and thick crust
A slice of a 35 cm pizza weighs about 110 g and gives roughly 285–315 kcal, and a whole pizza gives 2,270–2,520 kcal.
How many calories are in syrniki: fried, baked, with different tvorog
The FoodGPT reference card lists syrniki at 218 kcal per 100 g, so a 50 g syrnik is about 110 kcal.
How many calories are in plov: with lamb, pork and chicken
The FoodGPT reference card lists plov at 188 kcal per 100 g, so a 300 g portion is about 565 kcal.
How many calories are in varenye: classic, five-minute and lower-sugar
The FoodGPT reference card lists varenye, the Russian whole-fruit preserve, at 271 kcal and 65 g of sugar per 100 g.
How many calories are in salo: salted, streaky, pork belly
Salo has about 800 kcal per 100 g: the FoodGPT reference card for salted salo lists 816 kcal, and the USDA record for raw pork back fat lists 812.
How many calories are in kholodets: pork, beef or chicken
The FoodGPT reference card lists kholodets at 110 kcal per 100 g, so a 150 g slice has about 165 kcal.
Sushi and roll calories: what is in a set and which rolls are lighter
A piece of a roll or nigiri weighs 20–35 g.
Pie calories: how to count the dough, the filling and your slice
The FoodGPT reference puts a 100 g fried pirozhok (a Russian hand pie) at about 260 kcal, and a baked one at roughly a third less.
How many calories are in blini: made with milk, water or kefir
The FoodGPT reference card lists blini made with milk at 232 kcal per 100 g, so a 50 g blin has about 116 kcal.
How many grams are in a scoop of protein powder?
There is no single gram weight for a scoop of protein powder.
How much does a spoonful of instant coffee weigh?
NESCAFÉ lists 1.
How much does a tablespoon of hummus weigh?
A tablespoon of plain hummus weighs 15 g in the USDA reference entry.
How much does a tablespoon of grated Parmesan weigh?
A tablespoon of grated Parmesan weighs 5 g in the USDA reference entry.
How much do a cup and handful of blueberries weigh?
A USDA table lists one cup of fresh blueberries at 148 g and 85 kcal.
How much does a spoonful of cottage cheese curds weigh?
There is no dependable single weight for a tablespoon of cottage cheese curds.
How much desiccated coconut is in a spoon or cup?
King Arthur Baking lists 85 g for one cup of fine, unsweetened desiccated coconut.
How much baking powder is in a teaspoon, tablespoon, or packet?
A level teaspoon of baking powder weighs about 4 g in King Arthur Baking’s chart.
How much does a spoon of potato starch weigh?
Bob’s Red Mill labels one tablespoon of potato starch as 12 g and 40 kcal.
How many grams of cocoa powder are in a spoon?
USDA lists 5.
Homemade cutlet calories: count meat, breading, and oil
There is no single calorie value for a homemade cutlet.
Soup calories: what broth, sautéed vegetables, cream and bowl size change
A soup name does not have one calorie count.
Mashed potato calories: what milk, butter and cream add
Mashed potatoes do not have one calorie value.
Pasta and sauce: why the calories vary so much
Two plates containing the same amount of pasta can have different calorie totals: tomatoes contribute mostly water, while oil, cream, cheese, and fatty pork provide more energy per gram.
Sauce calories: mayo, ketchup, cheese, garlic, and teriyaki by the spoonful
A tablespoon of sauce can add 20 kcal or 90 kcal to a meal.
Air fryer calories: how much oil does it save?
An air fryer saves exactly the calories in the oil you did not add.
How much does a mango weigh: flesh, pit, and serving
USDA lists one mango without refuse as 336 g and a cup of pieces as 165 g.
Rice paper: sheet weight and how to log spring rolls
Log rice paper by the dry sheet.
How to count mushrooms: one mushroom, a cup, raw and fried
Mushrooms contain little energy on their own, which is why the larger tracking error often comes from the method rather than the mushrooms.
How to log one meal: photo, barcode, or recipe
One meal is rarely a single item.
Food diary from meal photos: a low-friction way to log meals
A photo does not turn a home-cooked meal into an exact recipe.
How many carbs do you need per day?
For an illustrative 2,000-calorie diet, the European reference range of 45–60% of energy works out to about 225–300 g of carbohydrates per day.
Protein coffee, or proffee: how much protein and how many calories
Proffee is not a separate product or a standard recipe, but coffee with a protein source.
Calories at the cinema: how to count popcorn, nachos, and drinks
It is easy to log a cinema snack as “popcorn,” but that says almost nothing about the serving.
How to count calories in a shared order
A shared order cannot fairly be divided by the number of people: one person had two pizza slices and lemonade, another had rolls and fries, and a third tasted a little of everything.
Barbecue and picnic: how to count your plate, bread, sauces, and seconds
At a picnic, calories are usually lost not in the barbecue itself but around it: a piece of lavash, sauce from a shared bowl, a drink, and a few more pieces by the grill.
How to count calories at someone else’s home when you do not know the recipe or weight
When you are visiting, you do not need to ask your hosts how many grams of oil they used or weigh every meatball.
Subway calories: sandwich macros from the official data
Subway publishes nutrition information for its full menu in a separate document.
Menus in Thailand: what to order and where calories hide
Thai food has a reputation for being light, and that is half true: vegetables, fish, and rice form its base.
Menus in Georgia: what to order and how many calories it contains
Georgian menus are deceptive: half the items look like salads and appetizers but are closer to a main course in calories because of nuts and oil.
Menus in Turkey: what dish names mean and what determines calories
Turkish menus are difficult not because of the language, but because of their structure: the same meat under four names differs by cooking method, and the calorie gap between them is greater than the gap between meat and fish.
Menus abroad: how to choose a dish when nothing makes sense
An unfamiliar menu raises three different questions that are usually confused: what is this dish, is it safe for me, and how many calories does it contain? Translation answers only the first, and not always.
Food diary for a nutritionist: what they will ask for and how to keep one
The first thing a nutritionist or dietitian asks for at the start of working together is a food diary for several days.
Where to find the most protein per calorie
A food being "high in protein" and a food "providing a lot of protein per calorie" are not the same thing.
Business trips: where calorie counting breaks down
It is not discipline that breaks down during a trip, but the very possibility of counting: there are no scales, no familiar dishes, and no control over where and when you eat.
A week in the food diary: how to read your own numbers
After a week, your diary contains seven numbers, and the first instinct is to compare each one to a target.
Vegetarian and vegan diets: what to prioritize in your tracking
Calories in a plant-based diet are calculated exactly the same way as in any other.
Workplace cafeteria: how to count when the server dishes it out
None of the tricks that work at home apply in a cafeteria: there are no scales, the ingredients are unknown, and portion size is decided by someone with a ladle.
The communal pot: how to calculate your portion
A recipe gives you the calorie content of the entire pot, but you only eat one bowl.
Holiday table: where do the calories in Olivier and herring under a fur coat come from
Olivier salad does not have one correct number: one cook's version may have twice as many calories as another's, despite using the same ingredients.
Shawarma, burgers, and rolls: what makes up the calorie content of street food
Arguing about which is higher in calories—shawarma or a burger—is pointless: the variation within each name is greater than the difference between them.
Why the body gets fewer calories than the label says
No one actually measured the number on the package: it was calculated by multiplying proteins, fats, and carbohydrates by factors over a century old.
How many calories does frying add
The cooking method adds more calories to a dish than any choice between "healthy" and "unhealthy" foods.
Raw or cooked weight: how to count grains, pasta, and meat
"100 g of buckwheat" can mean 346 kcal or 92, depending on the state of the grain.
Macro ratio: where percentages come from and what to change first
Proportions like "30/30/40" look like an optimal formula someone has discovered.
Bread units: how to count them and who needs them today
A bread unit is a measure of carbohydrates designed to convert food into an insulin dose.
Buffet and all-inclusive: how to count when there are no portions
At a buffet, calorie counting can only be approximate, and that is normal.
Calorie content of coffee shop drinks: where the difference hides
In a coffee shop, calories are often hidden in the cup rather than in the food next to it.
Business lunch: how many calories it has and how to choose the composition
A business lunch is convenient for the very reason it is inconvenient for tracking: the composition is set, the choice is limited to two or three options, and everything is served at once.
Restaurant menu: how to add a dish and its nutritional value to your food diary with a single checkmark
Lunch at a cafe is usually where a food diary falls apart.
How to determine the calorie content of a dish if it is not listed on the menu
Menus often list only the name and price.
Why the tracker shows a deficit but weight remains the same
The app has shown a deficit for four weeks, but the scale hasn't moved.
How to start tracking calories and macros: what happens in the first week
The first week of tracking rarely ends with numbers you can trust.
BJU counter: how to use it when the dish composition is unknown
A calorie counter answers one question, a BJU counter answers four.
Calorie calculator: what formulas are inside and why numbers differ
Two calculators using the same height, weight, age, and gender can provide numbers that differ by two or three hundred kilocalories.
Calorie counter: what it actually counts
A calorie counter does not measure calories.
1200, 1500, and 2000 kcal: how much food is that in grams
The daily calorie allowance is an abstraction until you see it in grams.
Chicken or turkey: which to choose for protein and calories
Boiled chicken breast has about 165 kcal and 31 g of protein per 100 g, while turkey breast has about 145 kcal and 30 g of protein.
kcal, cal, and kJ: how to convert and why there are two numbers on the package
One kilocalorie equals 4.
Buckwheat or rice: which is higher in calories and how do they really differ
In their cooked form, both grains provide about a hundred kilocalories per 100 grams: buckwheat is approximately 110, white rice is approximately 120.
How many calories are in a kilogram of fat and why the "7700" rule does not work
The rule is simple and therefore persistent: there are approximately 7700 kilocalories in a kilogram of fat, which means a deficit of 500 kcal per day results in half a kilogram per week and twenty-six kilograms per year.
How much protein do you need per day
There are two opposing figures regarding protein: the official recommendation of about 0.
How to count calories in a restaurant and with food delivery when there is no recipe
A home-cooked meal can be calculated by its ingredients, and packaged food can be checked on the label.
Calories and macros on the label: why the numbers don't match reality
The same buckwheat in three different apps gives three different calorie counts, and the package shows a fourth.
Negative calorie foods: is celery really more expensive to digest than it is worth?
Celery is the food people name when they want an example of negative calories: eat it and you end the day lower than you started, because digesting it supposedly costs more than it delivers.
How to count calories in homemade food
Processed foods are counted by the label, and restaurant meals by a reference guide.
How to determine portion size without a scale
Portion weight is the most inaccurate variable in any calculation, including analysis by photo.
What is KBZHU
KBZHU represents four numbers that describe food: caloric content and the three macronutrients that make it up.
Daily calorie intake
There is no universal norm: it depends on weight, height, age, sex, and activity level.
From reading to doing. All of it starts in one place — knowing what is on the plate. Photograph it and the calories and macros appear on their own.
Other sections: Nutrition · Weight loss · Health · Technology · Ingredients and additives · Allergies · Shopping · Biohacking · Recipes · All articles
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.