How we count calories and macros
Every recipe shows calories, protein, carbs and fat per serving. They are estimates: we add up the ingredients, weighed raw, and divide by the servings.
How it works
- Turn each amount into grams, using a typical density or weight for that ingredient (see metric amounts).
- Multiply by the ingredient's kcal, protein, carbs and fat per 100 g, taken from the sources below.
- Add everything up and divide by the servings.
- Round calories to the nearest 5 kcal and macros to the nearest gram.
Cooking does not change the energy in food, only its weight, so we always use raw weights against raw values.
Example
| Ingredient | Grams | kcal / 100 g | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kg pork belly | 1,000 | 518 | 5,180 | 90 g | 0 g | 530 g |
| ⅓ cup soy sauce | 88 | 60 | 52.8 | 7 g | 4.9 g | 0.5 g |
| 8 cloves garlic | 24 | 149 | 35.8 | 1.5 g | 7.9 g | 0.1 g |
| 1 tbsp cooking oil | 13.6 | 884 | 120 | 0 g | 0 g | 13.6 g |
| 1 cup water | 240 | 0 | 0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Total, shared by 4 servings | 5,389 | 98.6 g | 12.8 g | 544 g | ||
| Per serving | ~1,345 | 25 g | 3 g | 136 g | ||
Macros
Protein, carbohydrates and fat are counted the same way as calories, from raw weights and the same adjustments. The bar on each recipe shows how the three split the calories, at 4 kcal per gram of protein or carbs and 9 kcal per gram of fat.
Carbs include fibre, as the USDA lists them, so a few high-fibre ingredients like spices will not add up exactly to their calories. Fat is the least certain of the three: it depends on the cut and on how much renders out while cooking, so read how accurate it is before relying on it.
What we adjust
- Bones, shell and skin: bone-in cuts and whole fish count only their edible share.
- Frying oil: the first 3 tablespoons count in full, then only 12%, since most deep-frying oil stays in the pan.
- Left out: optional ingredients, “to taste” lines, and things you do not eat, like skewers and banana leaves.
Metric amounts
Solids are shown in grams and liquids in ml, using a density for each ingredient (a cup of flour is about 125 g, a cup of oil 240 ml). Counted items keep their count and add a weight, like “8 cloves (≈ 24 g)”. A cup is taken as 240 ml. Customary shows US cups, spoons, ounces and pounds.
How accurate is it?
Expect it to be off by 10 to 15%, more for fatty dishes. Fat that cooks out into the pan or broth is not subtracted, so braised and fried pork dishes read high in calories and fat. Cuts, sizes and brands vary too.
An ingredient we have no data for is left out and named under the ingredients as “Not counted”. This is general cooking information, not dietary advice.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: kcal, protein, carbs and fat per 100 g, and the weight of cups, spoons and typical pieces.
- Philippine Food Composition Tables (DOST-FNRI): Filipino ingredients the USDA lists poorly.
- Product labels for packaged items such as tamarind soup base, ube halaya and tablea.
Local ingredients like tausi, latik, pinipig and buko are rounded estimates, for macros as well as calories. If a number looks wrong, tell us on the contact page.