How many calories are in white rice?
White rice has 205 calories per 1 cup cooked (158 g) — that's 130 calories per 100 g, roughly 10% of a 2,000-calorie day. Most of those calories come from carbohydrate.
USDA FoodData Central · long-grain, enriched, cooked · FDC 168878
Calories by portion
| Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup cooked (158 g) | 205 | 4.3 g | 44.6 g | 0.5 g |
| 100 g | 130 | 2.7 g | 28.2 g | 0.3 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 37 | 0.8 g | 8 g | 0.1 g |
Where the calories come from
Protein 9% Carbs 89% Fat 2%
Calories computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 168878, SR Legacy). long-grain, enriched, cooked. The macro split uses general Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and is approximate.
A standard cooked cup of white rice has about 205 calories — that’s 130 calories per 100 g, and nearly all of it is carbohydrate. There’s almost no fat (0.3 g per 100 g) and only a small amount of protein (~4 g a cup), so when people ask “how many calories in rice,” the honest answer is that it’s a clean, starchy source of energy with very little else competing for the count. As carbohydrate staples go, rice is unremarkable per cup — the catch is how easily a cup turns into two.
The cooked-vs-dry number that confuses everyone
Cooked rice looks low-calorie at 130 per 100 g, and that’s true — but it’s true only because cooked rice is mostly water by weight. Dry, uncooked rice runs closer to 360 calories per 100 g, and as it cooks it absorbs two to three times its weight in water and roughly triples in volume. The water adds weight, not calories, so the calories-per-gram fall even though the total in the pot hasn’t changed. The practical upshot: if you’re counting, weigh rice dry before cooking rather than trusting the size of the finished bowl — a small dry scoop swells into a deceptively large mound.
Where the calories add up: portion creep
The real story with rice calories isn’t density, it’s quantity. A measured cup is ~205 calories, a perfectly sensible carb portion. But rice doesn’t come measured — it comes in bowls, and a casually heaped bowl or a takeout container easily holds two cups (~410 calories) or three (~615), all of it nearly pure carbohydrate. That’s how rice quietly becomes the biggest calorie line on the plate without anyone noticing. None of that makes rice “bad”; it just means the lever that matters is portion size. Measure the cooked cup, serve it alongside protein and vegetables so the meal is more than starch, and the number stays where you want it.
For the protein side of the picture — and why rice is fuel, not a protein source — see protein in rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a cup of cooked white rice?
About 205 calories in a standard cooked cup (158 g), which comes from 130 calories per 100 g (USDA FDC 168878). Nearly all of that is carbohydrate — there's barely any fat and only ~4 g of protein — so rice reads as a clean, starchy energy food.
How many calories are in 100 g of white rice?
Cooked white rice is 130 calories per 100 g. That number is low because cooked rice is mostly water by weight; dry uncooked rice runs closer to 360 calories per 100 g before it absorbs water and roughly triples in weight.
Why is dry rice so much higher in calories than cooked rice?
Water. Dry rice is about 360 calories per 100 g, but it soaks up two to three times its weight in water as it cooks, which dilutes the calories per gram down to ~130. The calories per dry gram never change — there's just far more weight in the cooked bowl. If you're tracking, weigh rice dry before cooking for the most reliable number.
Is rice good or bad for weight loss?
Rice isn't fattening on its own — a measured cup at ~205 calories is a reasonable carb portion. The issue is portion creep: a heaping bowl or a takeout container can hold two to three cups, which quietly triples the calories. Measuring the cooked cup, and pairing rice with protein and vegetables, keeps it in check.
How many calories are in 2 cups of rice?
About 410 calories for two cooked cups (316 g). Restaurant and takeout rice portions are often this size or larger, so the calories scale directly with how much ends up on the plate — the per-cup number is the one to anchor to.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 168878 (Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises the entry.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the TDEE calculator to turn this into a daily target.