Pasta — cooked: how many calories?

Pasta — cooked carries 158 calories per 100 grams; a typical portion (180 g) comes to 284 calories. The tables below give the same figure in cups, spoons and slices.

100 g158kcal
  • Protein5.8 g
  • Carbs31.0 g
  • Fat0.9 g
  • Fibre1.8 g
1 portion · 180 g284kcal
  • Protein10.4 g
  • Carbs55.8 g
  • Fat1.6 g
  • Fibre3.2 g

Where do the calories come from?

  • Protein 15%
  • Carbs 80%
  • Fat 5%

Each macro's grams are multiplied by its own calorie value: 4 for protein and carbohydrate, 9 for fat. Fibre sits inside the carbohydrate figure and alcohol is not in the list at all, which is why the three shares add up to exactly one hundred.

What do these numbers mean on the plate?

Pasta — cooked carries 1.6 calories per gram: 100 calories work out to 63 grams. This is the band of bread and dry grains; one slice too many is both visible and noticeable in the total.

A typical portion is 180 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Pasta — cooked that means understating the calories by 44%.

In calories, one portion (180 g · 284 kcal) comes to: 178 g Avocado. Avocado page

One portion every day adds up to 103,806 calories a year — roughly a 13.5 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline

Most of the weight of cooked grain is water. Confusing dry weight with cooked weight can misstate the calories several times over; the values here are for the cooked state.

Household measure equivalents

MeasureGramCaloriesProtein
Tablespoon (15 ml)8.7 g14 kcal0.5 g
Small glass (100 ml)58 g92 kcal3.4 g
Glass (200 ml)116 g183 kcal6.7 g
US cup (240 ml)139 g220 kcal8.1 g
Bowl (300 ml)174 g275 kcal10.1 g
1 serving180 g284 kcal10.4 g

Cup and spoon equivalents come from the food's bulk density, not from volume: a cup holds 200 millilitres, not 200 grams. Packing and how finely something is chopped move these numbers by 10-20%. Convert your own measure

How much of the daily reference intake?

NutrientDaily reference100 g1 portion · 180 g
Calories2,000 kcal8%14%
Fat70 g1%2%
Carbs260 g12%21%
Protein50 g12%21%
Fibre25 g7%13%

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 7 of the 8 foods in the Cooked grains and starches group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 142 kcal; Pasta — cooked is 11% above that average.

Lighter options at the same 180 grams

FoodCaloriesDifferenceProtein
Bulgur pilaf — cookedGood swap149 kcal−135 kcal5.6 g
Quinoa — cookedGood swap216 kcal−68 kcal7.9 g
Wholemeal pasta — cookedGood swap223 kcal−61 kcal9.5 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 (180 g)?

  • Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)70 min
  • Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)32 min
  • Cycling — 16-19 km/h40 min

These minutes are the NET burn for a 70 kg body: the resting calories that would have been spent sitting on the sofa anyway are already taken out of the total. A heavier body gets the same work done in less time. 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. Pasta — cooked meets 2 of them:

  • Low fat100 g → 0.9 g fat · threshold: at most 3.0 g
  • Protein source15% of its calories come from protein · threshold: at least 12%

The values here are averages; on a real label the thresholds are applied to the product's OWN analysis. The list estimates which claim could be printed and guarantees none of them. For drinks, the calorie and fat thresholds run per 100 millilitres and are lower. Interpret your own label

Apply these numbers to your own portion

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.