Calories in Ugandan and East African food

How many calories are in a plate of matooke, a rolex, or a ladle of g-nut sauce? This list gives the calories, protein, carbs and fat in 51 everyday foods, in the portions people really serve: a plate, a piece, a ladle. Pick a food to see every portion size and where the numbers come from.

Dishes

Beef luwombo

459 calories in 1 luwombo parcel · 60 g protein

153 calories per 100 g

Chicken luwombo

510 calories in 1 luwombo parcel · 43.8 g protein

170 calories per 100 g

Groundnut (g-nut) sauce

180 calories in 1 ladle · 6.1 g protein

150 calories per 100 g

Katogo (cassava and beans)

667 calories in 1 plate · 20.9 g protein

153 calories per 100 g

Katogo (matooke and beans)

563 calories in 1 plate · 22 g protein

128 calories per 100 g

Kikomando

657 calories in 1 plate (1 chapati + 1 ladle beans) · 20.1 g protein

219 calories per 100 g

Pilau

639 calories in 1 plate · 20.7 g protein

213 calories per 100 g

Rolex

650 calories in 1 roll (2 eggs, 1 chapati) · 18.2 g protein

271 calories per 100 g

Thick groundnut sauce (Kenyan style)

358 calories in 1 ladle · 12.7 g protein

298 calories per 100 g

Staples

Boiled cassava

265 calories in 1 serving · 2 g protein

148 calories per 100 g

Boiled Irish potato

210 calories in 1 serving · 4.8 g protein

105 calories per 100 g

Boiled sweet potato (orange)

252 calories in 1 serving · 6.2 g protein

77 calories per 100 g

Boiled sweet potato (white)

330 calories in 1 serving · 5.6 g protein

101 calories per 100 g

Boiled white rice

357 calories in 1 plate · 7.8 g protein

119 calories per 100 g

Chapati

471 calories in 1 chapati · 8.7 g protein

424 calories per 100 g

Matooke

300 calories in 1 plate · 4.4 g protein

81 calories per 100 g

Millet bread (kalo)

360 calories in 1 plate · 8.7 g protein

120 calories per 100 g

Posho (ugali)

503 calories in 1 plate · 11.6 g protein

148 calories per 100 g

Legumes

Bean stew

257 calories in 1 ladle / serving · 13.4 g protein

117 calories per 100 g

Boiled beans

211 calories in 1 cup · 14.2 g protein

117 calories per 100 g

Boiled cowpeas

199 calories in 1 cup · 16.2 g protein

117 calories per 100 g

Boiled pigeon peas

224 calories in 1 cup · 15.5 g protein

132 calories per 100 g

Proteins

Beef stew

272 calories in 1 serving (meat + sauce) · 26.6 g protein

181 calories per 100 g

Boiled beef liver

178 calories in 1 serving · 30.2 g protein

178 calories per 100 g

Boiled egg

67 calories in 1 egg · 6.4 g protein

134 calories per 100 g

Chicken stew

317 calories in 1 serving (piece + sauce) · 27.5 g protein

211 calories per 100 g

Fried tilapia

656 calories in 1 medium fish (edible part) · 68.6 g protein

437 calories per 100 g

Goat stew

333 calories in 1 serving (meat + sauce) · 25.7 g protein

222 calories per 100 g

Mukene (silverfish) stew

90 calories in 1 serving · 4.4 g protein

180 calories per 100 g

Roasted goat (muchomo)

154 calories in 1 skewer · 21.5 g protein

192 calories per 100 g

Stewed Nile perch

250 calories in 1 serving (fish with some sauce) · 28.6 g protein

125 calories per 100 g

Stewed tilapia

152 calories in 1 medium fish (edible part) · 32.1 g protein

101 calories per 100 g

Tripe (offals)

177 calories in 1 serving · 25.2 g protein

118 calories per 100 g

Vegetables

Boiled pumpkin

74 calories in 1 serving · 2.8 g protein

35 calories per 100 g

Cooked cabbage

100 calories in 1 serving · 1.2 g protein

100 calories per 100 g

Dodo (amaranth leaves)

83 calories in 1 serving · 3 g protein

83 calories per 100 g

Sukuma wiki

54 calories in 1 serving · 2.5 g protein

54 calories per 100 g

Fruits

Avocado

126 calories in 1 serving · 1.1 g protein

185 calories per 100 g

Jackfruit

280 calories in 1 serving · 4.1 g protein

95 calories per 100 g

Mango

115 calories in 1 mango (edible part) · 1.1 g protein

64 calories per 100 g

Pineapple

41 calories in 1 slice · 0.5 g protein

41 calories per 100 g

Sugarcane

56 calories in 1 piece (juice swallowed) · 0.2 g protein

37 calories per 100 g

Snacks

Beef samosa

270 calories in 1 serving · 11.5 g protein

443 calories per 100 g

Chips

456 calories in 1 plate/serving · 6.7 g protein

326 calories per 100 g

Mandazi

309 calories in 1 serving · 5.8 g protein

340 calories per 100 g

Simsim (sesame) paste

90 calories in 1 tablespoon · 2.3 g protein

602 calories per 100 g

Drinks

Mango juice (with sugar)

177 calories in 1 glass (300 ml) · 0.9 g protein

59 calories per 100 g

Milk tea (African tea)

272 calories in 1 cup/mug · 9.2 g protein

68 calories per 100 g

Millet porridge

160 calories in 1 cup/mug · 2.8 g protein

40 calories per 100 g

Passion fruit juice (unsweetened)

288 calories in 1 glass (300 ml) · 2.4 g protein

96 calories per 100 g

Passion fruit juice (with sugar)

177 calories in 1 glass (300 ml) · 0.9 g protein

59 calories per 100 g

Where the numbers come from

These are not guesses. The values come from published food composition tables for the region: the Kenya Food Composition Tables 2018 (FAO and the Government of Kenya), the FAO/INFOODS West African Food Composition Table 2019, and the HarvestPlus standard recipes for Uganda. Portion weights come from a published study that weighed real servings in Central and Eastern Uganda, where one exists.

Some dishes, like rolex and luwombo, have no published lab value, so their numbers are worked out from the ingredients in a typical recipe. Each food page says which kind it is, and shows a badge once a person on our team has checked the entry against its source.

Food varies. The same dish can be richer or lighter depending on the cook, the oil and the size of the plate, so use these as good averages, not exact measurements.

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