How to Calculate Calories in Indian Food

Indian food is rich in coconut, spices, curries, goat, oils and, you guessed it, calories. The amount of calories in Indian dishes varies with the specific ingredients and quantities. Calculating how many calories are in various Indian staples is a piece of cake, figuratively, once you have the basic information. Just put the ingredient names and amounts into the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, record the number of calories, and then add the final numbers together for the calories in a given Indian meal.

Things You'll Need

Ingredient lists

Instructions

Compile a list of ingredients for the Indian dish or dishes you are interested in. Note an estimated measurement for each ingredient.
Visit the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Input the name of the ingredient and the measurement. Write down the number of calories given.
Repeat the same process until you have recorded the caloric values for all the ingredients in your dish or recipe. Add the totals together and you have the estimated calories for the Indian food you have chosen.
Repeat for any other Indian foods or recipes. Some common calorie counts for Indian dishes include: 140 calories for a samosa, 600 calories for chicken madras, 270 calories for tandoori chicken breast, 250 calories for dal lentils, 55 calories for a single pappadom, and 280 calories for a single naan bread.

Previous:What Is Tomato Chutney?

Next: How to Cook Cultural Indian Foods