Food Calories Chart | What’s In Your Fruit, Veg, Meat And Other Daily Produce?

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:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Pulses
• Meat
• Fish
• Dairy and Eggs
• Carbohydrates
• Cooking Oils
• Soft Beverages
• Alcoholic Beverages

Fruits

 

 

Vegetables

 

 

Pulses

 

 

Meat

 

 

Fish

 

 

Dairy and Eggs

 

 

 

Carbohydrates

 

 

Cooking Oils

 

 

Soft Drinks

 

 

Alcoholic Beverages

 

 

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.

Chicken Curry Gyros

Seriously satisfying feel-good good, this Indian twist on a Greek classic has 541kcal and 40g of protein per serving.

Zingy Chicken Burger

When cravings come calling on Friday night, nothing beats this super-easy fakeaway recipe. 468kcal and 60g of protein per serving.

Fajita Pasta Bake

This delicious fusion has everything you want to smash those fitness goals. Just thinking about it is enough to make your mouth water. 521 calories and 28g of protein per serving.

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.

Easy pasta salad meal prep

Quick, simple and oh so tasty — this recipe is designed for convenient lower-calorie eating. Make a big batch, portion it up, and enjoy for weekday lunches. 415kcal and 26g of protein per serving.

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.

Salt and pepper chicken

A Friday night fave, no doubt. Delicious, filling and packed with nutrition. 350kcal and 41g of protein per serving.

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, 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.