Calories in Rice, Pasta, Bread and Other Grains
A cup of cooked white rice has about 205 calories and a cup of cooked pasta about 220. A slice of bread is usually 65 to 110 calories. Grains are where portion size makes the biggest difference, because servings vary so much.
Grains are the food group where calorie counts most often go wrong, and the reason is rarely the food itself. It is the portion. Rice, pasta and cereal are poured or scooped, not counted, and the amount on a plate can be anywhere from half a cup to three cups. The values below are for cooked grains unless noted.
Calories in cooked grains
| Grain (cooked) | Serving | Weight | Calories | Carbs | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White rice | 1 cup | 158 g | 205 | 45 g | 0.6 g |
| Brown rice | 1 cup | 195 g | 216 | 45 g | 3.5 g |
| Pasta, regular | 1 cup | 140 g | 221 | 43 g | 2.5 g |
| Pasta, whole-wheat | 1 cup | 140 g | 174 | 37 g | 6.3 g |
| Quinoa | 1 cup | 185 g | 222 | 39 g | 5.2 g |
| Couscous | 1 cup | 157 g | 176 | 37 g | 2.2 g |
| Oatmeal, made with water | 1 cup | 234 g | 166 | 28 g | 4.0 g |
Bread, tortillas and breakfast staples
| Item | Serving | Calories | Carbs | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White bread | 1 slice (25 g) | 67 | 13 g | 0.6 g |
| Whole-wheat bread | 1 slice (32 g) | 81 | 14 g | 1.9 g |
| Bagel, plain | 1 medium (105 g) | about 270 | 53 g | 2.3 g |
| Flour tortilla | 1 medium, 8 inch (49 g) | about 145 | 25 g | 1.7 g |
| Corn tortilla | 1 small, 6 inch (26 g) | 57 | 12 g | 1.6 g |
| Rolled oats, dry | ½ cup (40 g) | 150 | 27 g | 4 g |
| Cornflakes | 1 cup (28 g) | about 100 | 24 g | 0.9 g |
| Granola | ½ cup (about 60 g) | about 270–300 | 35–40 g | 3–5 g |
Values are approximate, rounded from USDA FoodData Central. Breads, bagels and cereals vary a great deal by brand.
Dry against cooked
Grains absorb water when cooked. Rice roughly triples in weight; pasta roughly doubles. That means:
| Calories per 100 g dry | Calories per 100 g cooked | |
|---|---|---|
| White rice | about 360 | about 130 |
| Pasta | about 370 | about 158 |
| Oats | about 380 | about 71 (as porridge with water) |
Both columns are correct. Weighing cooked pasta and logging it as dry pasta more than doubles the count; weighing dry and logging as cooked cuts it by more than half. If you cook a batch, weighing dry and dividing is the most accurate method; see our explainer on counting calories for the recipe approach.
Portions in real life
| Situation | Typical amount | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| A measured cup of cooked pasta | 1 cup | 220 |
| A home bowl of pasta | 1½–2 cups | 330–440 |
| A restaurant plate of pasta | 2–3 cups | 440–660, before sauce |
| Rice with a takeaway curry | 1½–2 cups | 300–410 |
| A bowl of breakfast cereal | Often 2 label servings | 200–300 before milk |
| A bakery bagel | 120–150 g | 300–400 |
The difference between the first and third rows is a meal. That is why grains deserve a measuring cup or a scale for the first week, until your eye learns what a cup looks like on your own plates.
Whole grains
Whole grains such as brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and bread, oats, quinoa and barley keep the bran and germ, which carry fiber, B vitamins and minerals. Calorie for calorie they are similar to refined grains, but the extra fiber makes them more filling. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend making at least half of your grains whole grains.
Related
See legumes, nuts and seeds for other carbohydrate and fiber sources, and our explainer on net carbs if you count carbohydrates.
Other calorie charts
- How many calories are in a cup of rice?
- A cup of cooked white rice (about 158 g) has about 205 calories. A cup of cooked brown rice has about 216, with more fiber. Uncooked, a cup of white rice weighs about 185 g and has about 670 calories, which is why the raw-or-cooked label matters.
- How many calories are in a slice of bread?
- A standard slice of sandwich bread is about 65 to 80 calories (25 to 32 g). Thick bakery slices, sourdough and seeded loaves are often 100 to 150 calories a slice. Check the label for the slice weight.
- Is whole-grain pasta lower in calories?
- A little. A cup of cooked whole-wheat pasta has about 174 calories against about 221 for regular pasta, and more than twice the fiber. The bigger difference usually comes from the portion and the sauce.