How many calories are in prawn fried rice?
Prawn fried rice made at home with one tablespoon of oil comes to about 545 kcal. A takeaway wok uses several times that. The rice, the prawns and the egg barely move; the oil is the whole question.
The plate, as served
About 150 g of cooked rice, 100 g of prawns, one egg, two tablespoons of stir-fry sauce and a tablespoon of oil.
Where the calories come from
| Nutrient | Grams | Calories | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 32g | 128 | 24% |
| Carbs | 52g | 208 | 40% |
| Fat | 21g | 189 | 36% |
| Fibre | 1g | 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
| White rice, cookedA cupped handful, about 150 g cooked | 195 kcal |
| Cooking oilOne tablespoon, about 14 g | 125 kcal |
| Prawns, cookedAbout 100 g | 100 kcal |
| Egg, boiledOne large egg, about 50 g | 80 kcal |
| Stir-fry sauceTwo tablespoons, about 30 g | 45 kcal |
The same dish, several ways
This is where the calories actually move. Not the ingredient, the cooking.
- A takeaway amount of oil795+250
Three tablespoons rather than one. This is the only line that changes.
- A takeaway rice portion740+195
Two cupped handfuls rather than one, which is what comes in the box.
- With vegetables through it600+55
More food, 55 kcal, and it makes the portion look like a meal.
- About 150 g of cooked rice, 100 g of prawns, one egg, two tablespoons of stir-fry sauce and a tablespoon of oil.As served545
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 |
|---|---|---|
| White rice, cooked | A cupped handful, about 150 g cookedBoiled or steamed in water, no fat added. | 195 |
| Cooking oil | One tablespoon, about 14 gAny vegetable oil. The most commonly uncounted thing in home cooking. | 125 |
| Prawns, cooked | About 100 gBoiled or steamed, no batter. | 100 |
| Egg, boiled | One large egg, about 50 gBoiled or poached. Fried in butter adds roughly 45 kcal. | 80 |
| Stir-fry sauce | Two tablespoons, about 30 gSoy, sugar and aromatics. The sugar is most of it. | 45 |
| Total | 545 | |
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 1200 kcal quoted for this
Wok oil and portion size, in that order. A restaurant wok is hot and generously oiled, and the container holds two home portions.
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 prawn fried rice?
- About 545 kcal made at home with one tablespoon of oil. A takeaway portion with three tablespoons and double the rice is closer to 990.
- Why is takeaway fried rice higher in calories?
- Oil, and portion. Each extra tablespoon is 125 kcal, and the box usually holds two home servings.
- Is prawn fried rice healthy?
- Prawns are about the leanest protein there is, at 100 kcal for 100 g. The dish rises or falls on how much oil went into the pan.
- How do I make lower calorie fried rice?
- Measure the oil rather than pouring it, use day-old rice so it needs less, and bulk it out with vegetables. That is most of the difference between 545 and 990.
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