How many calories are in a chicken pita?
A grilled chicken pita with salad and garlic sauce comes to about 690 kcal. The sauce is 165 of that, in two tablespoons. Everything else on it is lean, which makes this one of the clearest examples on the site of a sauce deciding a meal.
The plate, as served
One large pita, a grilled chicken breast sliced, a portion of dressed salad and two tablespoons of garlic sauce.
Where the calories come from
| Nutrient | Grams | Calories | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 52g | 208 | 31% |
| Carbs | 38g | 152 | 23% |
| Fat | 34g | 306 | 46% |
| Fibre | 3g | counted within carbs | |
The ring is sized by calories, not grams: protein and carbs are 4 kcal a gram, fat is 9. Drawn by grams, fat would look like a sliver of what it actually contributes.
What is on the plate
| Chicken breast, grilledOne medium breast, about 150 g cooked | 250 kcal |
| Pita breadOne large white pita, about 60 g | 165 kcal |
| Garlic sauce (toum)Two tablespoons, about 30 g | 165 kcal |
| Green salad, dressedA side salad, about 100 g | 110 kcal |
The same dish, several ways
This is where the calories actually move. Not the ingredient, the cooking.
- With chips in the wrap930+240
Which is how it is often served, and it adds a second starch.
- One large pita, a grilled chicken breast sliced, a portion of dressed salad and two tablespoons of garlic sauce.As served690
- Hummus instead of garlic sauce625-65
A hundred kcal against 165, and it brings protein and fibre with it.
- Without the garlic sauce525-165
One omission, 165 kcal, and the chicken is untouched.
Where each number comes from
Composition tables list ingredients, not dinners. There is no row anywhere for this plate, so it is built from its parts, and the preparation assumed for each part is written next to it, because that assumption is usually worth more calories than the ingredient.
| Component | Portion and preparation | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, grilled | One medium breast, about 150 g cookedSkinless, grilled or baked with a little oil. | 250 |
| Pita bread | One large white pita, about 60 gPlain white pita. | 165 |
| Garlic sauce (toum) | Two tablespoons, about 30 gEmulsified garlic and oil. Almost pure fat, and easy to add twice without noticing. | 165 |
| Green salad, dressed | A side salad, about 100 gLeaves with about a tablespoon of oil-based dressing. Undressed it is about 20 kcal, which is the whole point. | 110 |
| Total | 690 | |
Sources: USDA FoodData Central. Every figure is an estimate with a range around it, and is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal rather than pretending to a precision that does not exist.
Why you will see 400 to 1100 kcal quoted for this
Sauce quantity and whether chips went in. Both are decided at the counter and neither makes it into the published figure.
Which is why this page shows the sum instead of asserting a total. Build the plate you actually eat and the number is yours rather than an average of strangers.
Build your own plateCommon questions
- How many calories are in a chicken pita?
- About 690 kcal with salad and garlic sauce. Without the sauce it is 525, and with chips in it, 930.
- Is a chicken pita healthy?
- The chicken and salad are excellent and the pita is fine. The sauce is the only line worth thinking about, and it is worth about a quarter of the meal.
- What is the lowest calorie kebab shop order?
- Grilled chicken in a pita with salad and sauce on the side. Say no to the chips and you are at about 525, which is a normal dinner.
- Garlic sauce or hummus?
- Hummus, at about 100 kcal against 165, and it brings fibre and protein rather than just fat.
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