Calories In Common Foods: Fast Lookup List
I always think I have a decent “calorie intuition” until I’m standing in the kitchen holding a spoon of peanut butter like… wait. Is this 90 calories or 190 calories.
So yeah. This is the simple, grab and go list. Common foods, typical portions, calories you can reference fast. Not perfect to the last calorie (brands vary, cooking methods vary, your “tablespoon” might be a small shovel) but close enough to make good decisions quickly.
A few tiny rules so this list actually helps
- Portion size is everything. Most calorie surprises come from the portion, not the food.
- Cooked vs raw changes weight. Especially rice, pasta, oats, meat.
- Oil, butter, sauces add up fast. You can “eat healthy” and still accidentally drink 300 calories in dressing.
- These are averages. Different brands can swing things by 10 to 30 percent sometimes.
Ok. Let’s get into the lookup list.
Quick reference: the big calorie hitters (worth memorizing)
These are the foods where a small amount packs a lot.
- Olive oil (1 tbsp): 120
- Butter (1 tbsp): 100
- Peanut butter (1 tbsp): 95
- Almonds (1 oz, about 23 almonds): 165
- Walnuts (1 oz): 185
- Cheddar cheese (1 oz): 110
- Mayonnaise (1 tbsp): 90
- Sugar (1 tbsp): 50
- Honey (1 tbsp): 65
- Avocado (1 medium): 240
Not “bad” foods. Just easy to overdo without noticing.
Fruits (typical medium piece or common serving)
- Apple (1 medium): 95
- Banana (1 medium): 105
- Orange (1 medium): 60
- Grapes (1 cup): 100
- Strawberries (1 cup): 50
- Blueberries (1 cup): 85
- Raspberries (1 cup): 65
- Pineapple (1 cup chunks): 80
- Watermelon (1 cup): 45
- Mango (1 cup sliced): 100
- Peach (1 medium): 60
- Pear (1 medium): 100
- Cherries (1 cup): 95
- Kiwi (1 medium): 45
- Avocado (1/2 medium): 120
If you’re tracking loosely, fruit is usually pretty forgiving. The “dense” ones are mostly banana, grapes, mango, avocado.
Vegetables (cooked unless noted, common serving)
When it comes to vegetables, they are low in calories until they aren’t. Corn and peas are more starchy. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are still totally fine, just not “free”.
Here’s a breakdown of some common vegetables and their caloric values:
- Broccoli (1 cup): 55
- Cauliflower (1 cup): 30
- Carrots (1 cup): 50
- Spinach (1 cup raw): 7
- Spinach (1 cup cooked): 40
- Bell pepper (1 medium): 25
- Cucumber (1 cup): 15
- Tomato (1 medium): 22
- Zucchini (1 cup): 20
- Green beans (1 cup): 40
- Mushrooms (1 cup): 15
- Onion (1 medium): 45
- Sweet potato (1 medium): 110
- Potato (1 medium, baked): 160
- Corn (1 cup): 130
- Peas (1 cup): 130
Protein: meats, poultry, fish (cooked portions)
Calories depend a lot on fat content and cooking method. These are common cooked portions.
Chicken and turkey
- Chicken breast (3 oz): 140
- Chicken thigh (3 oz): 180
- Ground turkey (93% lean, 3 oz): 170
- Turkey breast slices (deli, 2 oz): 60
Beef and pork
- Ground beef (90% lean, 3 oz): 200
- Steak (sirloin, 3 oz): 180
- Pork chop (3 oz): 200
- Bacon (1 slice): 45
- Sausage (1 link): 100 (varies a lot)
Fish and seafood
- Salmon (3 oz): 175
- Tuna (3 oz): 110
- Cod (3 oz): 90
- Shrimp (3 oz): 85
If you want the simplest rule: lean protein is usually 100 to 170 per 3 oz. Fattier cuts (salmon, thighs, marbled beef) go higher.
Eggs and dairy
- Egg (1 large): 70
- Egg whites (3 large): 50
- Whole milk (1 cup): 150
- 2% milk (1 cup): 120
- Skim milk (1 cup): 90
- Greek yogurt (plain nonfat, 3/4 cup): 100
- Greek yogurt (2%, 3/4 cup): 140
- Yogurt (flavored, 1 cup): 180 to 250
- Cheddar cheese (1 oz): 110
- Mozzarella (1 oz): 85
- Cottage cheese (1/2 cup): 90 (low fat) to 120 (full fat)
- Cream cheese (1 tbsp): 50
- Butter (1 tbsp): 100
- Sour cream (2 tbsp): 60
A sneaky one: flavored yogurt. It can be basically dessert depending on brand.
Grains, starches, bread (common cooked servings)
These are some of the most “why is this so high” foods for people, mostly because cooked portions feel small.
- White rice (1 cup cooked): 200
- Brown rice (1 cup cooked): 215
- Pasta (1 cup cooked): 200
- Oats (1/2 cup dry, cooked with water): 150
- Quinoa (1 cup cooked): 220
- Bread (1 slice): 80 to 120
- Bagel (1 medium): 250 to 300
- Tortilla (flour, 8 inch): 140
- Tortilla (corn, 6 inch): 60
- English muffin (1): 130
- Croissant (1 medium): 260 to 300
- Cereal (1 cup): 100 to 200 (depends, weigh if you care)
- Granola (1/2 cup): 200 to 250
- Crackers (5): 70 (varies)
If you want one habit that helps instantly, it’s this: measure dry oats once so you learn what 1/2 cup actually looks like. Same for rice and pasta.
Beans, legumes, and plant proteins
- Black beans (1/2 cup cooked): 115
- Chickpeas (1/2 cup cooked): 135
- Lentils (1/2 cup cooked): 115
- Kidney beans (1/2 cup cooked): 110
- Hummus (2 tbsp): 70
- Tofu (firm, 1/2 cup): 180
- Tempeh (3 oz): 160
- Edamame (1/2 cup): 100
Legumes are high-ish compared to veggies, but they bring fiber and keep you full. So the calories usually feel “worth it”.
Nuts, seeds, and nut butters
This category is healthy and also the fastest way to accidentally add 400 calories.
- Almonds (1 oz): 165
- Cashews (1 oz): 160
- Walnuts (1 oz): 185
- Pistachios (1 oz): 160
- Peanuts (1 oz): 160
- Chia seeds (1 tbsp): 60
- Flaxseed (1 tbsp): 55
- Sunflower seeds (1 oz): 165
- Peanut butter (1 tbsp): 95
- Peanut butter (2 tbsp): 190
- Almond butter (1 tbsp): 100
- Mixed nuts (1/4 cup): 200 (rough average)
Two tablespoons of nut butter is a normal serving. It just doesn’t look like one when you’re hungry.
Oils, sauces, condiments, and dressings
This is where “I only ate a salad” becomes a lie. Dressings and sauces matter.
- Olive oil (1 tbsp): 120
- Vegetable oil (1 tbsp): 120
- Cooking spray (1 second spray): 0 to 10 (real life depends how you use it)
- Mayonnaise (1 tbsp): 90
- Ranch dressing (2 tbsp): 120 to 140
- Vinaigrette (2 tbsp): 80 to 120
- Ketchup (1 tbsp): 15
- Mustard (1 tbsp): 10
- BBQ sauce (2 tbsp): 70
- Soy sauce (1 tbsp): 10
- Teriyaki sauce (2 tbsp): 40
- Salsa (2 tbsp): 10
- Guacamole (2 tbsp): 50
- Jam/jelly (1 tbsp): 50
- Honey (1 tbsp): 65
If you’re trying to keep calories lower without feeling deprived, swapping mayo heavy sauces for mustard, salsa, hot sauce, vinegar based things is an easy win.
Snacks and sweets (common real life portions)
Not moralizing here. This is just the “what does it cost” section.
- Potato chips (1 oz, small handful): 160
- Tortilla chips (1 oz): 140
- Popcorn (air-popped, 3 cups): 90
- Popcorn (microwave, 1 bag): 300 to 450
- Pretzels (1 oz): 110
- Chocolate (1 oz): 150 to 170
- Ice cream (1/2 cup): 140
- Cookie (1 medium): 150 to 250
- Brownie (1 piece): 250 to 400
- Donut (1): 250 to 350
- Granola bar (1): 120 to 250
- Protein bar (1): 180 to 250
Chips are the classic. 160 calories doesn’t sound bad until you realize you ate 3 “ounces” without thinking.
Drinks (because drinks count too, annoying but true)
- Water (any amount): 0
- Black coffee: 0 to 5
- Latte (12 oz, whole milk): 200
- Soda (12 oz can): 140
- Orange juice (1 cup): 110
- Apple juice (1 cup): 115
- Sports drink (20 oz): 120 to 150
- Beer (12 oz): 150
- Wine (5 oz): 120
- Hard seltzer (12 oz): 100
- Chocolate milk (1 cup): 190 to 230
If you only change one thing without changing food, cutting liquid calories is usually the easiest lever.
Common meals and "people actually eat this" combos
These are rough averages, but they're helpful when you don't want to build a meal from scratch in your head.
- PB and J sandwich (2 slices bread + 2 tbsp PB + 1 tbsp jelly): 400 to 500
- 2 eggs + 2 slices toast (with a little butter): 400 to 500
- Chicken salad (greens + chicken + 2 tbsp dressing): 350 to 550 depending on dressing
- Rice bowl (1 cup rice + 4 oz chicken + sauce): 550 to 750
- Pasta bowl (2 cups cooked pasta + marinara): 500 to 700 (add meat, cheese, oil and it climbs)
- Burger (single patty, bun, basic toppings): 450 to 700
- Pizza (1 slice): 250 to 400
- Fast food fries (medium): 350 to 450
Sauce, cheese, oil, and "extras" decide where you land in those ranges.
If you want to use this list without tracking obsessively
This is what I do when I'm not in full tracking mode.
- I eyeball most foods.
- I measure the calorie dense stuff sometimes: oils, nut butters, dressings, cheese.
- I keep a mental note of a few key calorie anchors to prevent accidental overeating.
Useful calorie anchors to memorize
- 1 tbsp oil is 120
- 1 cup cooked rice is 200
- 3 oz chicken breast is 140
- 1 banana is 105
- 1 oz nuts is 160 to 185
That alone prevents most of the accidental overeating situations.
Wrap up (and yes, you can bookmark this)
This was the point of the post. You should be able to scroll, find the food, get a solid estimate, move on with your day.
If you want, tell me what kind of foods you eat most (vegetarian, high protein, Indian meals, quick snacks, whatever) and I can create a tighter lookup list just for that, with more “real portions” and not the perfect label serving size that nobody uses.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Why is portion size so important when estimating calories?
Portion size is crucial because most calorie surprises come from how much you eat, not just the type of food. Even healthy foods can add up quickly if portions are larger than expected.
How does cooking affect the calorie content of foods like rice, pasta, and meat?
Cooking changes the weight and water content of foods, which affects their calorie density. For example, cooked rice weighs more than raw rice but contains the same total calories, so weighing raw vs cooked matters for accurate tracking.
What are some common high-calorie foods I should be aware of?
Foods like olive oil (120 calories per tablespoon), butter (100 calories per tablespoon), peanut butter (95 calories per tablespoon), almonds (165 calories per ounce), and mayonnaise (90 calories per tablespoon) pack a lot of calories in small portions and are easy to overconsume without noticing.
Are fruits generally low in calories? Which fruits are more calorie-dense?
Most fruits are relatively forgiving calorie-wise, but denser fruits like bananas (105 calories medium), grapes (100 calories per cup), mango (100 calories per cup sliced), and avocado (240 calories medium) have higher calorie counts and should be eaten with portion awareness.
How do vegetables compare in terms of calorie content?
Vegetables are generally low in calories, especially leafy greens like spinach (7 calories raw cup). However, starchy vegetables like corn (130 calories per cup), peas (130 calories per cup), potatoes (160 calories medium baked), and sweet potatoes (110 calories medium) have higher calorie counts and shouldn't be considered 'free' foods.
What is a simple rule for estimating protein calories from meats and fish?
Lean proteins typically range from 100 to 170 calories per 3-ounce cooked portion. Fattier cuts like salmon, chicken thighs, or marbled beef tend to have higher calorie counts within that range or above.
