FitDexGround beef — 20% fat, cooked: how many calories?
Ground beef — 20% fat, cooked carries 254 calories per 100 grams; a typical portion (120 g) comes to 305 calories. The tables below give the same figure in cups, spoons and slices.
- Protein25.8 g
- Carbs0.0 g
- Fat16.0 g
- Fibre0.0 g
- Protein31.0 g
- Carbs0.0 g
- Fat19.2 g
- Fibre0.0 g
Where do the calories come from?
- Protein 42%
- Carbs 0%
- Fat 58%
These percentages come from calories, not from grams: a gram of protein or carbohydrate counts as 4 calories, a gram of fat as 9. Alcohol is left out of the sum, fibre is counted with the carbohydrate, and the total always lands on one hundred.
What do these numbers mean on the plate?
Ground beef — 20% fat, cooked carries 2.5 calories per gram: 39 grams are enough for 100 calories. This is the band of cheese and desserts — the smaller the portion, the more the eye is fooled, because a small amount looks like few calories.
A typical portion is 120 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Ground beef — 20% fat, cooked that means understating the calories by 17%.
In calories, one portion (120 g · 305 kcal) comes to: 118 g Rye bread. Rye bread page
One portion every day adds up to 111,252 calories a year — roughly a 14.4 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline
The cooking method is decisive here: boiling barely changes the calories per gram, while frying adds fat and can load 50-90 calories onto 100 grams.
Household measure equivalents
| Measure | Gram | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablespoon (15 ml) | 9.0 g | 23 kcal | 2.3 g |
| Small glass (100 ml) | 60 g | 152 kcal | 15.5 g |
| Glass (200 ml) | 120 g | 305 kcal | 31.0 g |
| US cup (240 ml) | 144 g | 366 kcal | 37.2 g |
| Bowl (300 ml) | 180 g | 457 kcal | 46.4 g |
A cup measures 200 millilitres, not 200 grams; the grams in the table therefore come from the food's own bulk density rather than from volume. Packing the cup down or chopping more finely shifts the figure by 10-20%. Convert your own measure
How much of the daily reference intake?
| Nutrient | Daily reference | 100 g | 1 portion · 120 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 2,000 kcal | 13% | 15% |
| Fat | 70 g | 23% | 27% |
| Carbs | 260 g | 0% | 0% |
| Protein | 50 g | 52% | 62% |
| Fibre | 25 g | 0% | 0% |
The reference values are the figures EU Regulation 1169/2011 gives for an average adult — the %RI column on labels rests on the same numbers. They are not a personal target; the fibre row is not in the regulation, the 25 grams there is EFSA's adequate intake for adults. Work out your own calorie needs
Where does it sit within its group?
It is number 13 of the 13 foods in the Meat, fish and legumes group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 156 kcal; Ground beef — 20% fat, cooked is 63% above that average.
Lighter options at the same 120 grams
| Food | Calories | Difference | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| TofuGood swap | 91 kcal | −214 kcal | 9.7 g |
| Shrimp — cookedGood swap | 119 kcal | −186 kcal | 28.8 g |
| Tuna — in waterGood swap | 139 kcal | −166 kcal | 31.2 g |
The “good swap” mark only appears when an option lowers the calories without also lowering protein and fibre per 100 calories. Unmarked rows save calories but give up nutrient density. Try it with your own portion
How long does it take to burn one portion (120 g)?
- Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)75 min
- Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)34 min
- Cycling — 16-19 km/h43 min
The maths assumes 70 kg and is NET rather than gross: the resting calories that would burn without any exercise are not counted, because they do not pay for this portion. The heavier you are, the shorter the times. Calculate with your own weight
Foods with similar calories
Which claims could its label carry?
EU Regulation 1924/2006 ties every label claim to a numeric threshold. Ground beef — 20% fat, cooked meets 1 of them:
- High protein41% of its calories come from protein · threshold: at least 20%
A claim on a label rests on that product's OWN laboratory analysis, whereas the numbers here come from average composition tables. The list is therefore not a permit but an estimate of which side of the threshold a product sits on. For drinks, the calorie and fat thresholds are set per 100 millilitres and are lower. Interpret your own label
Apply these numbers to your own portion
- Cups to grams converterCups, spoons, slices, handfuls — all converted to grams and calories. The difference: every food is computed with its own density, because a cup is a volume, not a weight. The same 200 ml glass holds 6.6 g of popcorn and 282 g of honey.
- Food swap calculatorWhat do you gain by replacing something you eat with a lighter alternative at the same weight? 80 foods, computed at your own portion. The difference: it marks the swaps that cut calories without cutting protein and fibre.
- Calorie calculatorEnter your height, weight, age and activity level to see your daily calorie needs, basal metabolic rate and macro split in seconds. The same formula as the FitDex app.
- Calories burned calculatorWork out the calories you burn across 27 activities, scaled to your weight and duration. What sets it apart: it subtracts your resting burn, so you see the extra the exercise actually bought you.
The values are averages taken from standard composition tables; a 10-15% difference between two products with the same name is normal, and the cooking method can double that gap. This page is for information and is not medical advice.