How many calories are in a couscous and vegetable bowl?
A couscous bowl with a chickpea curry, grilled vegetables and hummus comes to about 595 kcal. The couscous is only 170 of that. What actually costs is the oil the vegetables were grilled in, which is true of almost every bowl built this way.
The plate, as served
About 150 g of cooked couscous, a ladle of chickpeas, a portion of grilled vegetables and two tablespoons of hummus.
Where the calories come from
| Nutrient | Grams | Calories | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20g | 80 | 13% |
| Carbs | 78g | 312 | 52% |
| Fat | 23g | 207 | 35% |
| Fibre | 15g | 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
| Chana or chickpea curryA ladle, about 150 g | 195 kcal |
| Couscous, cookedAbout 150 g cooked | 170 kcal |
| Grilled vegetables in oilAbout 120 g | 130 kcal |
| HummusTwo tablespoons, about 60 g | 100 kcal |
The same dish, several ways
This is where the calories actually move. Not the ingredient, the cooking.
- With grilled chicken added845+250
Takes the protein from 20 g to about 66 g, which is the point of adding it.
- About 150 g of cooked couscous, a ladle of chickpeas, a portion of grilled vegetables and two tablespoons of hummus.As served595
- With steamed vegetables instead of grilled520-75
The same vegetables without the olive oil they were cooked in.
- Without the hummus495-100
The chickpeas are already there. This one is duplication as much as calories.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chana or chickpea curry | A ladle, about 150 gCooked chickpeas in a spiced onion and tomato base. | 195 |
| Couscous, cooked | About 150 g cookedSteamed with water, no butter or oil stirred through. | 170 |
| Grilled vegetables in oil | About 120 gCourgette, pepper and aubergine grilled in olive oil. | 130 |
| Hummus | Two tablespoons, about 60 gStandard shop-bought hummus. | 100 |
| Total | 595 | |
Sources: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN), 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 350 to 900 kcal quoted for this
Grain bowls are assembled rather than cooked to a recipe, so no two published versions contain the same things. The dressing or oil is the usual uncounted line.
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 couscous bowl?
- About 595 kcal with chickpeas, grilled vegetables and hummus. Steaming the vegetables instead of grilling them in oil takes off about 75.
- Is couscous good for weight loss?
- It is fine, and it is rarely the issue. A 150 g cooked portion is about 170 kcal, which is less than the same weight of pasta.
- Couscous or rice, which is lower in calories?
- Couscous, slightly, at about 170 kcal for a 150 g portion against 195 for white rice. Close enough that it should not decide your dinner.
- How do I add protein to a couscous bowl?
- Grilled chicken takes it from about 20 g to 66 g for 250 kcal. Chickpeas alone will not get you there.
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