Couscous, dry
Dry
376 kcal (362-390) per 100 g
- Protein
- 12.8 g
- Carbs
- 77.4 g
- Fat
- 0.6 g
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 169699.
Calories in couscous
Cooked couscous, 1 cup, cooked (157 g), has 176 kcal. 100 g cooked is 112 kcal; 100 g dry is 376 kcal.
See how much dry couscous becomes in the pot and what a cup of each state holds, before you log it by the cup.
Calories by amount
By cup
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Amount | Weight (g) | Calories (kcal) | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked couscous | |||
| 1/4 cup, cooked | 39 | 4436-52 | Calculated from 1 cup (USDA) |
| 1/3 cup, cooked | 52 | 5947-70 | Calculated from 1 cup (USDA) |
| 1/2 cup, cooked | 79 | 8871-105 | Calculated from 1 cup (USDA) |
| 2/3 cup, cooked | 105 | 11795-140 | Calculated from 1 cup (USDA) |
| 3/4 cup, cooked | 118 | 132107-157 | Calculated from 1 cup (USDA) |
| 1 cup, cooked | 157 | 176142-210 | USDA household measure |
| Dry couscous | |||
| 1/4 cup | 43 | 163132-194 | Calculated from 1 cup (USDA) |
| 1/3 cup | 58 | 217175-259 | Calculated from 1 cup (USDA) |
| 1/2 cup | 87 | 325263-388 | Calculated from 1 cup (USDA) |
| 1 cup | 173 | 650526-775 | USDA household measure |
Typical servings, Remembite estimates
Remembite typical-serving estimates, not USDA measures. Each serving weight is our assumption, so weigh your own portion when you can.
| Serving | Weight (g) | Calories (kcal) |
|---|---|---|
| small bowlEstimate | 150 | 168134-202 |
| medium bowlEstimate | 250 | 280224-336 |
| large bowlEstimate | 350 | 392317-467 |
By weight
| Amount | Dry (kcal) | Cooked (kcal) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 g | 188181-195 | 5654-58 |
| 100 g | 376362-390 | 112108-116 |
| 150 g | 564542-586 | 168162-174 |
| 200 g | 752723-781 | 224215-233 |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 106102-110 | 3230-33 |
| 4 oz (113 g) | 426410-443 | 127122-132 |
| 8 oz (227 g) | 853820-886 | 254244-264 |
Small numbers after each value are the range, with about an 80 percent chance that the reference value falls inside. Weights are calculated from 100 g of each USDA record. How the range works.
Dry vs cooked, per 100 g
Couscous, cooked
Cooked
112 kcal (108-116) per 100 g
- Protein
- 3.8 g
- Carbs
- 23.2 g
- Fat
- 0.2 g
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 169700.
Dry to cooked, calculated
100 g of dry couscous is about 336 g cooked. Calculated from the two USDA records, energy-equivalent: 376 kcal per 100 g dry / 112 kcal per 100 g cooked = 3.36.
Compared with similar foods
| Food | Dry (kcal per 100 g) | Cooked (kcal per 100 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Couscous | 376 | 112 |
| Quinoa | 368 | 120 |
| White rice | 365 | 130 |
| Pasta | 371 | 158 |
Measuring couscous
The two records are plain couscous, dry, and plain couscous, cooked. Per hundred grams, dry couscous is 376 kcal and cooked couscous is 112 kcal. A cup of dry couscous weighs 173 g and a cup of cooked couscous weighs 157 g. Couscous soaks up water, so a hundred grams of dry couscous becomes about 336 g cooked, calculated from the two USDA records. Whole wheat couscous, pearl (Israeli) couscous and flavored box mixes have no separate record here. Butter, oil or stock added when you prepare it are not included.
Common questions
Are couscous calories on the box for dry or cooked?
Usually dry. FDA labeling rules declare nutrient content for the food as packaged or purchased, so a box lists the dry grain unless it adds an as-prepared column. Dry is 376 kcal per hundred grams here, cooked is 112 kcal.
How many calories in 1 cup of cooked couscous?
A cup of cooked couscous is 176 kcal at 157 g.
How much cooked couscous does 1/2 cup of dry make?
Half a cup of dry couscous weighs 87 g and is 325 kcal. It cooks to about 336 g per hundred grams dry, calculated from the two USDA records. Log the dry weight as dry, or the cooked weight as cooked, never both.
How many calories in a bowl of couscous?
A medium bowl is 280 kcal. Estimate, assumed 250 g of cooked couscous. This is a Remembite typical-serving estimate, not a USDA value.
Often eaten with
- Chicken breast1 breast, bone and skin removed, roasted (172 g)284 kcal
- Chickpeas1 cup, boiled (164 g)269 kcal
Start your own record
Weigh your food raw or cooked, then tell Claude or ChatGPT (beta) which one you weighed. If the numbers it sends look like the other state, Remembite can ask you before it saves.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central, FDC 169699 (dry), FDC 169700 (cooked). Cup, spoon and piece weights are USDA household measures in the same records unless the Basis column says otherwise. Methodology. Estimates, not medical advice.
Source: USDA FoodData Central (CC0)