When you’re planning your meals, there are all sorts of things you need to think about. Food groups, portion sizes, nutrients, variety, flavour. One thing that can be hard to lose track of is calories. Now, there’s no need to count every single calorie you consume, but it can be useful to have a good idea of your typical energy intake.
To help you know how many calories you are eating, we’ve compiled a chart detailing the calorie content of various foods.
Jump To:FruitsVegetablesGrains and PulsesMeatFishDairy and EggsCarbohydratesCooking OilsSoft BeveragesAlcoholic BeveragesFruits
| Fruit Calories Chart | Kcal per 100g |
| Apple | 43 |
| Apricot | 31 |
| Avocado | 171 |
| Banana | 81 |
| Blackberries | 21 |
| Cherries | 63 |
| Clementines | 41 |
| Coconut (fresh) | 351 |
| Cranberries | 15 |
| Cucumber | 14 |
| Dates (dried) | 235 |
| Figs (fresh) | 43 |
| Grapefruit | 34 |
| Kiwi | 32 |
| Lemon | 19 |
| Lime | 9 |
| Lychee | 58 |
| Mango | 48 |
Vegetables
| Vegetable calories chart: | Kcal per 100g |
| Acorn squash | 40 |
| Artichoke | 18 |
| Asparagus | 25 |
| Beetroot | 36 |
| Broccoli | 34 |
| Brussels sprout | 42 |
| Butternut squash | 36 |
| Cabbage | 27 |
| Carrot | 34 |
| Cauliflower | 30 |
| Celery | 9 |
| Chicory | 11 |
| Corn | 54 |
| Edamame | 155 |
| Green beans | 24 |
| Iceberg lettuce | 14 |
| Kale | 39 |
| Leek | 23 |
| Mushroom | 7 |
| Onion | 35 |
| Peas | 70 |
| Peppers (Red) | 21 |
| Potato | 77 |
| Pumpkin | 13 |
| Radish | 12 |
| Romaine Lettuce | 17 |
| Spinach | 25 |
| Bean Sprouts | 31 |
| Turnips | 23 |
| Yam | 114 |
| Zucchini / Courgette | 16 |
Grains and Pulses
| Grains and Pulses Calories Chart | Kcal per 100g (cooked unless otherwise noted) |
| Adzuki beans | 146 |
| Amaranth (dried) | 359 |
| Barley (dried) | 310 |
| Beluga lentils | 94 |
| Black beans | 120 |
| Black eyed peas | 110 |
| Brown lentils | 105 |
| Brown rice | 132 |
| Buckwheat | 75 |
| Bulgur | 85 |
| Chickpeas | 128 |
| Corn | 54 |
| Green lentils | 105 |
| Green peas | 70 |
| Green split peas | 122 |
| Large fava beans | 124 |
| Millet | 199 |
| Oats (rolled) | 381 |
| Pinto beans | 137 |
| Quinoa | 111 |
| Red kidney beans | 105 |
| Red split lentils | 100 |
| White rice | 131 |
| Wild rice | 150 |
Meat
| Meats Calories Chart | Kcal per 100g |
| Bacon (pork) | 287 |
| Beef mince (lean) | 169 |
| Chicken breast | 106 |
| Chicken wings | 110 |
| Chicken thighs | 158 |
| Duck breast | 165 |
| Escargots | 90> |
| Lamb steak | 155 |
| Lamb's liver | 137 |
| Sausage (chicken) | 175 |
| Sausage (turkey) | 167 |
| Sausage (pork) | 301 |
| Quail eggs | 158 |
| Turkey (dark meat) | 184 |
| Turkey (white meat) | 104 |
| Venison | 103 |
Fish
| Fish Calories Chart | Kcal per 100g |
| Ahi tuna | 120 |
| Albacore | 128 |
| Catfish | 95 |
| Cod | 80 |
| Crab | 155 |
| Eel | 184 |
| Flounder | 91 |
| Haddock | 75 |
| Herring | 200 |
| Lobster | 103 |
| Mussels | 104 |
| Oysters | 65 |
| Salmon | 230 |
| Scallops | 118 |
| Sea bass | 161 |
| Shrimp | 106 |
| Smelt | 97 |
| Squid | 81 |
| Tilapia | 96 |
| Trout | 148 |
| Whitefish | 134 |
| Yellowfin tuna | 131 |
Dairy and Eggs
| Dairy and Egg Calories Chart | Kcal per 100g, or Kcal per 100ml liquid |
| Butter | 744 |
| Buttermilk (1%) | 41 |
| Cheddar cheese | 416 |
| Cottage cheese (1%) | 103 |
| Cream (heavy) | 458 |
| Cream cheese | 252 |
| Evaporated milk | 166 |
| Ghee | 878 |
| Goats Milk | 61 |
| Ice cream (vanilla) | 189 |
| Kefir | 56 |
| Ricotta cheese | 144 |
| Skim milk | 34 |
| Soured cream | 192 |
| Soy milk | 33 |
| Swiss cheese | 380 |
| Yogurt, whole milk | 61 |
| Yogurt, low fat | 57 |
| Whole milk | 63 |
Carbohydrates
| Carbohydrates Foods Calories Chart | Kcal per 100g |
| Bread white | 275 |
| Bread whole wheat | 217 |
| Corn tortilla | 218 |
| English muffin | 235 |
| Flour tortilla | 312 |
| Pasta white | 353 |
| Pasta whole wheat | 266 |
| Quinoa boiled | 111 |
| Rice brown | 131 |
| Rice white | 117 |
Cooking Oils
| Cooking Oils Calories Chart | Kcal per 100g |
| Avocado oil | 883 |
| Canola oil | 883 |
| Coconut oil | 899 |
| Corn oil | 829 |
| Olive oil | 823 |
| Peanut oil | 821 |
| Rapeseed oil | 826 |
| Soybean oil | 883 |
| Sunflower oil | 827 |
Soft Drinks
| Soft Drinks Calories Chart | Kcal per 100ml |
| Carbonated Cola | 37 |
| Coffee, black | 2 |
| Diet Cola | 0 |
| Apple Juice (100%) | 49 |
| Ginger ale | 34 |
| Hot Cocoa | 81 |
| Hot Tea | 2 |
| Iced Tea (no sugar) | 1 |
| Lemonade | 25 |
| Sweet Iced Tea | 18 |
| Tonic Water | 35 |
Alcoholic Beverages
| Alcohol Calories Chart | Kcal per 100 ml |
| Champagne | 76 |
| Cider | 36 |
| Lager | 29 |
| Pilsner | 44 |
| Porter | 45 |
| Rum | 217 |
| Stout | 50 |
| Vodka | 217 |
| Whiskey | 217 |
| Wine | 76 |
Recipes for building muscle and weight gain
If you want to put on muscle or gain some weight, you’ll need to consume more calories than what’s known as your “maintenance”, which is the amount you need to stay at the same weight.
Easy Chicken Curry with Broccoli Rice
Seriously satisfying feel-good food, this Indian classic has 450 calories and 45g of protein per serving.
Easy Chicken Curry With Broccoli Rice
Simple and delicious — this recipe is a certified weeknight win.
Chicken & Bacon Bulking Salad
This recipe was made for weight gain with a whopping 1361kcal and 95g of protein.
Chicken & Bacon Bulking Salad | High-Protein & 1,350kcal
Who said salads had to be boring?
One-Pan Creamy Mushroom & Chicken
This delicious dish has everything you want to smash those fitness goals. Just thinking about it is enough to make your mouth water. 520 calories and 52g of protein per serving.
One-Pan Creamy Mushroom & Chicken
This is feel-good food done right.
Vegan Meatball Sub
A deliciously rich and “meaty” sub, perfect for a filling post-workout meal. 489kcal and 29g of protein per serving.
Recipes for weight loss
And the opposite is true if you want to reduce body fat: eat fewer calories than your maintenance. This can be tricky, so here are some filling, nutritious meals to help you on the way to sustainable weight loss.
Low-Carb High-Protein Breakfast Cups
This savoury breakfast is easy to make and is a great way to get your veggies in. 216kcal and 22g of protein per serve.
Low-Carb High-Protein Breakfast Cups
Low carb? Check. High protein? Double check.
One-Pan Halloumi and Harissa Bake
Another delicious, easy-to-make meal that’s low on calories. And the best thing is there’s hardly any washing up. 409kcal and 16g of protein per serving.
Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
If you want a low-calorie lunch that’s big on flavour, fix up a bowl of these easy vegan noodles. 176kcal and 10g of protein per serving, but if you want to up the protein content, add some tofu.
Cold Peanut Noodle Salad Meal Prep | Easy Vegan Recipe
A low-calorie lunch that’s packed with flavour.
Salt and Pepper Chicken
A Friday night fave, no doubt. Delicious, filling, and packed with nutrition. 350kcal and 41g of protein per serving.
Salt & Pepper Chicken
Your new favourite fake-out — all you need is a pan and a spare 20 minutes.
FAQ's
What food is the highest in calories?
Cooking oils tend to have the most calories, typically around 800 per 100ml.
How many calories should each meal contain?
Generally, women need to consume around 2,000 calories per day, and men 2,500, but this will depend on factors like height, weight, lifestyle, activity levels, and health status.
For someone eating 2,000 calories per day, the energy quantity of each meal could look like this: breakfast, 400kcal; lunch, 600kcal; dinner, 600kcal; snacks and drinks, 400kcal.
Of course, it’s unrealistic to rigidly follow the same calorie split every day. But it is good to have a sense of how much energy each of your daily meals contains.
What are the healthiest calories to eat?
There’s no such thing as a “healthy” or “unhealthy” calorie. All calories are the same, no matter where they come from.
Some foods are obviously more nutritious than others, while some other foods may be particularly calorie-dense. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat high-calorie foods — it’s just about not eating too much too often.
Take home message
There’s no need to obsess over calories, but it is good to have a general sense of how many are in the foods you eat. This way, you can have a better understanding of your energy needs and how much and what you should eat to meet them, and enjoy eating a healthy, balanced diet.
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Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you're concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or introducing any major changes to your diet.
All data is from Calorie checker – NHS (www.nhs.uk).
Claire is a Registered Dietitian through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a board-certified Health and Wellness Coach through the International Consortium for Health and Wellness Coaching. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition from the University of Pittsburgh.
Talking and writing about food and fitness is at the heart of Claire’s ethos as she loves to use her experience to help others meet their health and wellness goals.
Claire is also a certified indoor cycling instructor and loves the mental and physical boost she gets from regular runs and yoga classes. When she’s not keeping fit herself, she’s cheering on her hometown’s sports teams in Pittsburgh, or cooking for her family in the kitchen.
Find out more about Claire’s experience here.
