How to Calculate Calories per Serving in a Homemade Recipe
Add up the calories in your ingredients. Divide that total by the weight of the cooked batch, then multiply by the weight of your serving. If you divide the batch into equal servings, you can simply divide the total calories by the number of servings.
1. Add up the calories in your ingredients
For packaged ingredients, check the calories and serving weight on the Nutrition Facts label. If a label lists 120 calories per 30 g and you used 45 g, count 180 calories. For ingredients without a label, look up a matching food in USDA FoodData Central. Match the entry to how you weighed the ingredient, such as dry rice or cooked rice.
Include cooking oil, sauces, and other ingredients that end up in the dish. Add toppings to each serving separately if people use different amounts.
2. Weigh the cooked batch
Put an empty container on the scale, zero it, then transfer the cooked food into it. You can also weigh the full pot and subtract the empty pot’s weight. Use the weight of the food you’ll serve.
Cooking can add or evaporate water, which changes the batch weight and therefore the calories per gram. If you drain fat or throw away calorie-containing cooking liquid, the ingredient total can overestimate the calories left in the batch.
3. Work out the calories in your portion
Say a pot of chili contains 2,400 calories and weighs 1,600 g after cooking. Each gram averages 1.5 calories. A 250 g bowl has about 375 calories, and a 350 g bowl has about 525 calories.
2,400 calories ÷ 1,600 g × 250 g
Use the recipe portion calorie calculator with your own batch total and weights.
Common questions about homemade serving sizes
Can I just divide by the number of servings?
Yes, if you split the dish evenly. Four equal servings of a 2,400-calorie batch come to about 600 calories each. Weigh individual portions if you serve different amounts.
Do I need to weigh every serving?
You only need the weight of the portion you want to calculate. For meal prep, weigh portions as you fill each container or divide the batch evenly.
What if my portion has more cheese or meat?
The formula assumes the dish is evenly mixed. If you serve separate components, such as chicken, rice, and sauce, work out the calories in each component you put on the plate and add them together.
Last checked . Published by Effort Eater.