Calorie Density Chart

Nutrition

Written by

Simon Deane

Published on

6 April 2023
calculating calorie density

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Below is a calorie density chart showing the calorie density of 60 common foods. This chart gives the number of calories per 100g (or 3.5 oz) of food.

Food TypeCalories per 100g (3.5 oz)
Lettuce – iceberg14
Celery14
Cucumber15
Tomatoes19
Red peppers21
Mushrooms – white22
Cauliflower25
Kale28
Strawberries32
Melon – Cantaloupe34
Broccoli34
Onion40
Carrots41
Butternut squash45
Orange47
Apple52
Blueberries57
Yoghurt, Greek, non-fat59
Grapes67
Potatoes70
Oats – cooked in water71
Tofu76
Sweet potatoes86
Sweetcorn86
Bananas90
Tomato ketchup – Heinz102
Beef (lean) 5% fat124
kidney beans (cooked)127
Tuna (canned)128
white rice (cooked)130
Green lentils (cooked)143
Egg whole – hardboiled155
Pasta (cooked)155
Chicken (breast) grilled165
chickpeas (cooked)180
Salmon208
BK Whopper UK212
Pizza – Goodfella’s thin base pepperoni251
Bread – white266
Beef (rib eye, fat trimmed, grilled )271
Mozzerela cheese280
Lamb – USDA294
Raisins299
French fries (McDonalds)323
Wholemeal flour340
White flour364
Oats – uncooked379
Table sugar387
Cheddar cheese402
Chocolate chip cookies488
Flaxseed (linseed)534
Crisps (potato chips)540
Bacon541
Cashew nuts553
Almonds576
Sunflower seeeds581
Peanut butter588
Mayonnaise – Heinz644
Butter717
Oil880
Calorie Density Chart showing calories per 100g

Please note that the calories provided in this chart are based on several sources such as the USDA and popular providers of the nutrition breakdown of foods such as Nutritionix. In some cases there was a divergence in calories between different sources and I tried to choose the data that was less of an outlier in each case. In any case, the calories provided on nutritional labels are not an exact measure of the calories the person receives from the particular food and should be used more as an approximate guideline.

How to calculate caloric density?

Caloric density is measured by expressing the number of calories for a given weight of food. It is useful as a comparison tool between different foods. The key is to keep the weight standard so different foods can be compared for how many calories they contain for the same wieght of a particular food.

Calorie Density Points

  • Fruits and vegetables tend to be the lowest calorie density foods
  • The calorie density of meats is related to how much fat they contain – fatty meats are more calorie dense than lean meats
  • Cooking in water reduces the calorie density of many dry starchy foods – foods such as rice, pasta and porridge oats absorb water when they are cooked so the cooked versions are less calorie dense than the uncooked versions
  • The calorie density of foods can be related to what they are prepared with – for instance, potatoes are quite low on the calory density spectrum, but fried in oil as french fries (chips), or cooked in oil as potato chips (crisps), they are on the higher end of the calorie density spectrum.

To learn more about calorie density and how it may be applied in a weight loss/management strategy you can also check out the following article