Calorie Density Calculator: Calories per Gram of Any Food

Calorie density (also called energy density) is the number of calories per gram of food, computed as total calories divided by total weight in grams. For example, a food with 165 kcal in a 100 g serving has a calorie density of 1.65 cal/g. Water contributes weight but no calories, which is why water-rich foods such as cucumber (0.10 cal/g) score very low, while pure fat such as olive oil (8.84 cal/g) scores near the top of the scale.

Divide the calories by the weight in grams: density = kcal / g. Example: 200 g of cooked brown rice has about 246 kcal (123 kcal per 100 g x 2), so 246 / 200 = 1.23 cal/g. If your label lists weight in ounces, convert first: 1 oz = 28.3495 g and 1 lb = 453.5924 g. The calculator above does the conversion for you.

Following the classification used in Barbara Rolls' Volumetrics research and summarized by the CDC: very low is below 0.6 cal/g (most fruits and vegetables); low is 0.6 to 1.5 cal/g (cooked grains, legumes, starchy vegetables); medium is 1.5 to 4.0 cal/g (lean meats, fish, bread); high is above 4.0 cal/g (chips, nuts, chocolate, oils, butter). The calculator labels your result with one of these four bands.

Most fresh fruits and vegetables, based on USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g: cucumber (0.10), strawberries (0.32), broccoli (0.34), and apple without skin (0.48 cal/g). Broth-based soups and skim milk are also in this range. These foods give the largest portions per calorie because of their high water content.

Dry, fried, or fatty foods: olive oil (8.84), dry-roasted peanuts (5.87), and plain salted potato chips (5.32 cal/g), all verified against USDA FoodData Central. Anything above 4.0 cal/g counts as high density, so portion size matters most with these foods.

Low. A whole egg has 143 kcal per 100 g according to USDA FoodData Central, which is 1.43 cal/g - just inside the low band of 0.6 to 1.5. This surprises many people because eggs are rich in fat and protein, but their high water content keeps the per-gram density moderate.

Water adds weight but zero calories, so it dilutes calorie density directly. Cucumber is mostly water and scores 0.10 cal/g, while olive oil is nearly 100 percent fat with no water and scores 8.84 cal/g. Cooking methods that add water, such as boiling rice or oatmeal, lower density; methods that remove water, such as roasting nuts or frying chips, raise it.

No - density and nutrition are different concepts. Olive oil (8.84 cal/g) is high density but a staple of healthy diets, while cucumber (0.10) is very low density but contributes few nutrients per bite. Use calorie density to manage portion size and satiety, not as a health score. This tool is educational only and is not medical or diet advice.

Yes. Every calculation runs locally in your browser with JavaScript. There are no external requests, no accounts, and no data leaves your device.