Broccoli calories: nutrition, weighed portions and preparation

How many calories does broccoli contain?

For the numbers in this guide, broccoli means “Broccoli, raw” (USDA FoodData Central 170379). It contains 34 kcal per 100 g edible portion. This reference describes raw broccoli. A steamed serving and a broccoli-cheese casserole require different preparation information. Keeping that definition attached to the number prevents a plain ingredient from being mistaken for a prepared meal.

A weighed 150 g portion provides approximately 51 kcal: 150 × 34 ÷ 100. A smaller 75 g portion gives 25.5 kcal, while 225 g gives 76.5 kcal. These are calculated amounts of the named food, not claims about the weight of a standard piece, cup or restaurant serving.

What comes with those calories?

The same 100 g reference provides 2.8 g protein, 6.6 g total carbohydrate, 0.4 g fat and 2.6 g fiber. For the illustrated 150 g portion, those amounts become 4.2 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 0.6 g fat and 3.9 g fiber. Calories and individual nutrients describe different parts of the food, so keep all of them on the same portion basis when reading the table.

Raw broccoli includes edible florets and stalk. The amount of stem left behind varies, so the purchase weight or an entire bunch is not necessarily the amount that belongs in a food log.

Weighing broccoli without guessing a serving

Include only the florets and stalk portions you eat. Discarded woody pieces should not be counted as an eaten portion. A useful kitchen sequence is to place an empty bowl on the scale, tare it to zero, add the edible broccoli, and note the grams before combining it with other foods. If you serve only part of that amount, record the part eaten. Leftovers matter because the amount available and the amount consumed are different quantities.

Weigh the edible pieces after trimming. For roasted broccoli, keep any oil in the recipe; for a cheese sauce, calculate the sauce separately or use a complete recipe that includes it.

What changes in a complete dish?

A bowl of steamed florets does not have the same packing or water content as a cup of raw chopped broccoli. Match the preparation rather than assuming a household measure bridges every cooking method.

Steaming and roasting change water content. Oil, cheese sauce and breadcrumbs should remain separate ingredients in a recipe estimate.

For an explicit ingredient example, 150 g of the named broccoli plus 5 g olive oil gives approximately 95.2 kcal. The broccoli contributes 51 kcal and the oil contributes 44.2 kcal. This is an illustrative two-ingredient calculation, not a tested recipe or a claim that broccoli is always served with oil.

How broccoli compares with raw carrot

The comparison food is “Carrots, raw” (FDC 170393), which contains 41 kcal per 100 g. At equal 150 g weights, the broccoli reference supplies 51 kcal and raw carrot supplies 61.5 kcal: a difference of 10.5 kcal. That is a calculation for these records, not a universal ranking of foods or an instruction to exchange equal portions.

Compare the nutrients as well as the energy in the named records below. A food with a different water content, texture or role in the meal may not be a direct substitute. For a real swap, compare the amounts you plan to eat and include the rest of the plate, rather than choosing solely from the lower number in a 100 g table.

Recording the meal in BiteCal

In BiteCal, start with a photo of the broccoli portion and the rest of the meal. Review the proposed food name, preparation, amount and visible additions before saving the calorie and macro estimate. If you already know the gram weight, use it as a check rather than accepting a visually plausible portion. A photo cannot establish a hidden oil quantity or replace the identity of a packaged product.

The nutrient figures come from USDA SR Legacy, final release April 2018. They provide a reproducible reference for the named food rather than a laboratory result for your own serving. Use the current package or restaurant information when it describes your exact product more closely. Rounding explains small differences between displayed portions; calculations here use the retained unrounded reference values.

Частые вопросы