Use the Food Calorie Calculator
Find calories per serving or per 100 g with this food calorie calculator. Adjust portions to match what’s on your plate.
Start your calorie lookup
Advanced: Custom nutrition per 100g
Meal builder (optional)
Add items to build a quick meal and see totals.
Values are estimates based on common references. Actual nutrition varies by brand and preparation. For packaged foods, prefer the nutrition label.
How to Use Food Calorie Calculator
Step 1: Search a food
Type a food name (e.g., chicken, rice) and select it from the list.
Step 2: Pick portion mode
Choose By weight (grams/ounces) or By serving (servings × grams per serving).
Step 3: Set your portion
Use the quick chips or the +/- controls to match what is on your plate.
Step 4: Optional: edit nutrition
Open Advanced to enter per‑100g values from your label if they differ.
Step 5: Add to meal (optional)
Press Add to Meal to total several foods and view combined calories and macros.
Key Features
- Per-100g and per-serving
- Portion presets
- Unit conversions
- Favorites
Understanding Results
Formula
The calculator scales nutrition linearly from a per‑100 g basis. If calories per 100 g = C, protein = P, carbs = K, and fat = F, then for a portion with weight W grams the results are: calories = C × (W/100), protein = P × (W/100), carbs = K × (W/100), and fat = F × (W/100). When serving mode is used, W = servings × grams‑per‑serving. For custom entries you can lock calories to macros using the standard Atwater factors: 4 kcal/g for protein, 4 kcal/g for carbohydrates, and 9 kcal/g for fat.
Reference Ranges & Interpretation
Energy density (kcal per 100 g) helps compare foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables often sit around 30–80 kcal/100 g, cooked grains and starches around 70–150 kcal/100 g, lean proteins around 100–200 kcal/100 g, and oils and nut butters 500–900+ kcal/100 g. Higher energy density foods pack more calories into small portions; lower energy density foods allow larger volumes for fewer calories.
Assumptions & Limitations
Values are estimates and can vary by brand, variety, and preparation. Labels round calories and macros, so macro‑derived calories may differ slightly from printed calories. Alcohol and fiber handling also vary. For packaged foods, prefer the exact numbers on your label. For professional needs, consult authoritative databases such as USDA FoodData Central. This tool provides calculations for planning and learning and is not medical advice.
Complete Guide: Food Calorie Calculator
Use the food calorie calculator to find calories for any food by weight or serving size, with portion presets. Adjust per meal easily, accurately, and clearly.
On this page
What is a food calorie calculator?
A food calorie calculator estimates how many calories are in the portion of food you plan to eat, not just per 100 grams on a label. It lets you enter weight in grams or ounces or use servings, then translates that into calories and macronutrients. Our tool focuses on a simple, mobile‑first experience: pick a food, choose by weight or serving, adjust the portion, and see clear results instantly. You can also toggle a meal builder to add multiple items and view totals for the whole plate.
For many people, the most useful part is the ability to compare “per 100 g” values to “per serving” values. Nutrition panels often report per serving, and restaurants often list per portion. Real meals rarely match the serving on the label. With this calculator, you can match the food on your plate instead of guessing.
How to use the tool
Start by typing a food name (for example “chicken”, “rice”, “apple”). Tap the food you want. Use the mode switch to decide whether you want to calculate by weight or by servings. In weight mode, enter grams or toggle ounces. In serving mode, enter the number of servings and grams per serving. You can use the quick chips (25g, 50g, 100g, etc.) for one‑tap presets. When you’re done, hit “Add to Meal” to build a meal total.
Many foods vary by brand and preparation. If your label doesn’t match, expand “Advanced: Custom nutrition per 100g” and enter the numbers that appear on your package. Keep the “Auto‑calculate calories from macros” switch on if the label doesn’t list calories; the calculator will estimate calories using the standard 4/4/9 Atwater factors.
Per 100g vs per serving
“Per 100 g” is a universal reference that makes foods comparable. It tells you the calories and macros for the same amount of food across items. “Per serving” is practical because it matches how people eat, but serving sizes vary across brands. One peanut‑butter serving might be 32 g while another brand calls it 30 g. Our calculator shows both: use “per 100 g” for comparisons; use “per serving” to mirror what’s on your plate.
If you only know the serving size, switch to serving mode and enter the grams per serving (from your label) and the number of servings you plan to eat. If you only know weight, use weight mode and enter grams. Either way, the output includes total calories plus protein, carbs, and fat for your exact portion.
Macros and the 4/4/9 factors
Calories come from macronutrients. The classic Atwater system assigns approximate energy values: protein ≈ 4 kcal per gram, carbohydrates ≈ 4 kcal per gram, and fat ≈ 9 kcal per gram (alcohol ≈ 7 kcal per gram). Food labels sometimes round values and may treat fiber differently, so the sum of macro calories may not exactly equal the printed calories. Our results show both the label‑based calories and the macro‑based estimate so you can see any small mismatch. This difference is normal and not a cause for concern.
For custom entries, you can lock calories to macros and the calculator computes calories automatically from your protein, carb, and fat numbers. If your label gives total calories explicitly, just switch off the lock and enter the calories exactly as shown.
Energy density: why it matters
Energy density is calories per 100 g. Foods with lower energy density (for example fruits, vegetables, broth‑based soups) usually allow larger volumes for fewer calories. Higher energy density foods (for example oils, nut butters, cheeses) pack a lot of calories into small volumes. Neither is good or bad on its own—context and goals matter. If you want to feel fuller on fewer calories, lean protein and high‑water vegetables are often helpful. If you need to fit calories into a smaller volume (for example, during a busy workday or to support weight gain), higher energy density foods can help.
Portion sizing on real plates
You do not need a scale for every meal. A few quick visual anchors go a long way: a closed fist is roughly a cup; a thumb is close to a tablespoon; a palm is a typical protein portion for many people; a standard slice of bread is about 30–45 g. Once you estimate a portion and see the nutrition, you can adjust your plate next time. The goal is not perfect math. It’s building a habit of estimating with enough accuracy to make consistent choices.
To get closer without a scale, check the package for grams per serving and compare your portion. Our serving mode makes that comparison easy: just change the number of servings until it matches what you ate.
Building a balanced meal
The meal builder helps you add several items—say chicken, rice, and broccoli—and see the totals for the whole plate. Many people find that eating enough protein while keeping overall calories steady is the single most helpful lever. With the builder, try nudging protein up or swapping small amounts of higher energy density food for lower density options. Incremental changes add up.
If you’re exploring daily calorie targets, these related tools can help you plan beyond a single plate:Calorie Calculator,TDEE Calculator,Calorie Deficit Calculator,Macro Calculator, andRecipe Calorie Calculator.
Accuracy and limitations
Nutrition numbers vary by variety, ripeness, brand, and cooking method. Packaged foods can differ across countries, and restaurants may change recipes without notice. Our built‑in foods reflect typical values per 100 g. When possible, prefer the actual label on your package and enter custom values. If you need comprehensive data for research or a professional setting, consult authoritative databases such asUSDA FoodData Central.
Remember that calculators are tools for planning and learning, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition or specific nutrition needs, discuss your plan with a qualified professional.
Examples and quick checks
Here are a few quick examples to show how the calculator helps you match real portions.
• Chicken & rice bowl: 120 g cooked chicken breast (~198 kcal), 200 g cooked white rice (~260 kcal), 100 g steamed broccoli (~34 kcal). Total ≈ 492 kcal, ~35 g protein, ~64 g carbs, ~6 g fat. Use weight mode and add each item to the meal builder to see the combined totals.
• Peanut‑butter toast: 1 slice white bread (40 g ≈ 106 kcal) with 1 serving peanut butter (32 g ≈ 188 kcal). Total ≈ 294 kcal. To adjust, try half a serving of peanut butter or swap to a lower density bread.
• Greek yogurt & berries: 170 g nonfat Greek yogurt (~100 kcal) with 100 g blueberries (~57 kcal). Total ≈ 157 kcal with ~17 g protein. Quick, filling, and flexible.
Next steps and related tools
If you want to turn one plate into a weekly plan, estimate your maintenance calories with theMaintenance Calorie Calculator and compare it to your goals using theCalorie Deficit Calculator. To balance protein, carbs, and fat across the day, try theMacro Calculator or our focused tools forProtein,Carbs, andFat. If you’re primarily tracking activity, check calories burned using the Walking Calorie Calculator orRunning Calorie Calculator.
If you cook at home, theRecipe Calorie Calculator lets you enter multiple ingredients and servings to derive per‑portion calories. For a deeper look at nutrition beyond calories, try theFood Nutrition Calculator as a complement to this tool.
A note on labels and rounding
Labels are allowed to round. A food might list 0 g fat while actually containing 0.4 g per serving. Calories can also be rounded to the nearest 5 or 10. This is why your macro‑based calories can differ from the printed calories. The discrepancy is usually small and expected. Your trend over time—habits and totals across days—matters far more than single‑meal precision.
References
- USDA FoodData Central — comprehensive database for nutrient profiles.
- Atwater system and energy balance — background on caloric values of macronutrients.
Written by Marko Šinko
Lead Developer
Computer scientist specializing in data processing and validation, ensuring every health calculator delivers accurate, research-based results.
View full profileFrequently Asked Questions
What is the Food Calorie Calculator?
The Food Calorie Calculator estimates calories and macros for the exact portion you eat. Enter grams or servings and get instant totals for calories, protein, carbs, and fat.
How accurate is this food calorie calculator?
Results are estimates based on typical per‑100 g values and the standard 4/4/9 factors. Labels round values and foods vary by brand and preparation, so small differences are expected.
Can I enter numbers from my nutrition label?
Yes. Expand Advanced and enter calories and macros per 100 g from your package. Keep “Auto‑calculate calories from macros” on if your label omits calories.
What if I only know servings, not grams?
Use serving mode. Enter how many servings you ate and the grams per serving from the label. The calculator converts that to total grams automatically.
Do you store my data?
No. For privacy, the calculator works in your browser. You can optionally save favorites or a meal list to your device storage only.
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