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Nutrient comparisonUSDA survey foods

Calorie density of foods and meals: a USDA comparison

Calorie density describes energy relative to weight; it does not tell you how much of a food someone will eat or whether a meal is suitable for them. This page ranks USDA source records by calories per 100 grams and shows the listed serving alongside that shared basis.

Read the rank carefully

Concentration and portion answer different questions.

Water content, added fat, sugar, and ingredient proportions often drive large differences. A smaller portion of a calorie-dense food can contain fewer total calories than a much larger portion of another food.

Boundary: Calorie density is descriptive, not a moral score or a complete measure of nutrition quality. Your actual recipe and portion matter more than the rank.

The shape behind the leaderboard

A rank is easier to interpret when zero and missing stay visible.

Reported zero is a value; missing is the absence of a value in Feast’s panel. The ranking lists only positive records, while these summaries use every reported value—including zero—so a sparse nutrient does not acquire an artificially elevated “typical” value.

Reported-value midpoint173 kcalmedian per 100 g, reported zeros included
90th-percentile boundary398.1 kcal9 in 10 records with a reported value are at or below this point
Observed maximum902 kcalone exact source record, not a general expectation
Value coverage3,850 / 3,8503,832 positive · 18 zero · 0 missing

Practical food and meal matches

Food and meal records with higher reported energy per 100 grams

This view omits sauces, condiments, beverages, snacks, desserts, powders, isolates, supplements, and dry mixes so a meal-oriented search is not answered by lard, whey powder, or a concentrated sauce. It also caps repeated food families and broad categories before gradually widening the selection, so dozens of near-identical preparations do not crowd out other useful matches. The filter is editorial, not nutritional: excluded records remain valid source data.

Practical food and meal records ranked by energy per 100 grams
Rank and foodPer 100 gPer source servingServing context
01Pecans, unsaltedBeans, nuts & protein foods 754 kcal 211.1 kcal Source amount28 g source weight211 kcal in that amount
02Pecans, unroastedBeans, nuts & protein foods 750 kcal 210 kcal Source amount28 g source weight210 kcal in that amount
03Pecans, saltedBeans, nuts & protein foods 747 kcal 209.2 kcal Source amount28 g source weight209 kcal in that amount
04Walnuts, excluding honey roastedBeans, nuts & protein foods 730 kcal 204.4 kcal Source amount28 g source weight204 kcal in that amount
05Macadamia nutsBeans, nuts & protein foods 716 kcal 200.5 kcal Source amount28 g source weight200 kcal in that amount
06TahiniBeans, nuts & protein foods 697 kcal 195.2 kcal Source amount28 g source weight195 kcal in that amount
07Pecans, honey roastedBeans, nuts & protein foods 681 kcal 190.7 kcal Source amount28 g source weight191 kcal in that amount
08Pine nutsBeans, nuts & protein foods 673 kcal 188.4 kcal Source amount28 g source weight188 kcal in that amount
09Walnuts, honey roastedBeans, nuts & protein foods 668 kcal 187 kcal Source amount28 g source weight187 kcal in that amount
10Brazil nutsBeans, nuts & protein foods 659 kcal 184.5 kcal Source amount28 g source weight185 kcal in that amount
11Peanut butter, lower sugarBeans, nuts & protein foods 650 kcal 208 kcal Source amount32 g source weight208 kcal in that amount
12Almond butter, lower sodiumBeans, nuts & protein foods 645 kcal 206.4 kcal Source amount32 g source weight206 kcal in that amount
13Pork, cracklingsMeat & poultry 569 kcal 512.1 kcal Source amount90 g source weight512 kcal in that amount
14Pork skin rindsMeat & poultry 544 kcal 163.2 kcal Source amount30 g source weight163 kcal in that amount
15Beef, bacon, reduced sodium, cookedMeat & poultry 541 kcal 70.3 kcal Source amount13 g source weight70 kcal in that amount
16Pork bacon, smoked or cured, reduced sodium, cookedMeat & poultry 541 kcal 86.6 kcal Source amount16 g source weight87 kcal in that amount
17Banana chipsFruit 519 kcal 207.6 kcal Source amount40 g source weight208 kcal in that amount
18Taco shell, flourBreads & baked goods 511 kcal 230 kcal Source amount45 g source weight230 kcal in that amount
19Waffle, chocolate, fast food / restaurantBreakfast foods 480 kcal 360 kcal Source amount75 g source weight360 kcal in that amount
20Taco shell, cornBreads & baked goods 476 kcal 257 kcal Source amount54 g source weight257 kcal in that amount
21Bacon or side pork, fresh, cookedMeat & poultry 468 kcal 74.9 kcal Source amount16 g source weight75 kcal in that amount
22Pork bacon, smoked or cured, cookedMeat & poultry 468 kcal 74.9 kcal Source amount16 g source weight75 kcal in that amount
23Chicken skinMeat & poultry 450 kcal 135 kcal Source amount30 g source weight135 kcal in that amount
24Beef, bacon, cookedMeat & poultry 449 kcal 58.4 kcal Source amount13 g source weight58 kcal in that amount
25Bread, cheese, toastedBreads & baked goods 448 kcal 112 kcal Source amount25 g source weight112 kcal in that amount
26Waffle, chocolateBreakfast foods 437 kcal 327.8 kcal Source amount75 g source weight328 kcal in that amount
27Waffle, plain, fast food / restaurantBreakfast foods 428 kcal 321 kcal Source amount75 g source weight321 kcal in that amount
28Cereal, other, peanut butterBreakfast foods 422 kcal 168.8 kcal Source amount40 g source weight169 kcal in that amount
29Waffle, whole grain, fast food / restaurantBreakfast foods 421 kcal 315.8 kcal Source amount75 g source weight316 kcal in that amount
30Cereal, granolaBreakfast foods 420 kcal 462 kcal Source amount110 g source weight462 kcal in that amount
31Cereal, cinnamon toastBreakfast foods 414 kcal 165.6 kcal Source amount40 g source weight166 kcal in that amount
32Cheese, GruyereDairy 413 kcal 86.7 kcal Source amount21 g source weight87 kcal in that amount
33Cheese, Parmesan, dry gratedDairy 412 kcal 25.5 kcal Source amount6 g source weight26 kcal in that amount
34Pork jerkyMeat & poultry 412 kcal 173 kcal Source amount42 g source weight173 kcal in that amount
35Beef jerkyMeat & poultry 410 kcal 123 kcal Source amount30 g source weight123 kcal in that amount
36Bread, puriBreads & baked goods 409 kcal 147.2 kcal Source amount36 g source weight147 kcal in that amount

This is a descriptive ranking, not a list of recommended portions. Values are rounded for readability; each linked profile retains the source details.

Outside the meal-oriented view

What the practical filter sets aside.

These are the highest reported per-100-gram records excluded from the practical table—not a repetition of foods already shown above. Concentrated fats, powders, sauces, beverages, and snack foods can legitimately lead a composition database while being poor answers to a search for an ordinary meal. Keeping them visible makes the editorial boundary auditable.

01 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Lard

902 kcal per 100 g

02 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Canola oil

900 kcal per 100 g

03 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Corn oil

900 kcal per 100 g

04 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Olive oil

900 kcal per 100 g

05 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Peanut oil

900 kcal per 100 g

06 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Safflower oil

900 kcal per 100 g

07 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Soybean oil

900 kcal per 100 g

08 · Sauces, fats & condiments

Sunflower oil

900 kcal per 100 g

A three-step comparison

Move from a ranked record to your actual meal.

  1. 01

    Match the description

    Open the closest record and check its exact USDA food description, ingredients implied by the name, and preparation style.

  2. 02

    Match the amount

    Use the household portions or gram calculator instead of assuming the database's source serving equals what you ate.

  3. 03

    Add what the record misses

    Brands, recipes, sauces, cooking fat, fortification, and substitutions can change the reported energy value and the rest of the nutrient profile.

A concrete denominator reversal

The denser record can still contribute less in its listed serving.

This is why Feast shows both columns. The comparison below is arithmetic from two source records—not a recommended portion and not evidence that one food is healthier.

Higher concentration

Pecans, unsalted

754 kcal per 100 g

211.1 kcal in a 28 g source amount

Why two versions of the same meal can differ

Food names are useful search labels, not complete recipes. A restaurant dish, homemade version, frozen entrée, and school meal may share a familiar name while using different ingredients and portions. Water loss during cooking can also raise the reported amount per 100 grams without adding energy or nutrients to the original ingredients.

USDA survey-food records are valuable because they provide a traceable comparison point. They do not remove normal variation. For a packaged item, use the current label; for a homemade dish, a weighed recipe can be more specific than a generic record; for an unweighed plate, keep the result as an estimate.

Daily Value is context, not a prescription

This page emphasizes the reported amount rather than turning it into a personalized target. A single nutrient value should be interpreted alongside the whole meal and the person’s actual context.

For label interpretation, see the FDA's Nutrition Facts guide. For corpus provenance and calculations, read Feast's nutrition-page methodology.

Common questions

Using this comparison responsibly

What does a per-100-gram value mean?

It is the reported amount of energy in 100 grams of the USDA reference food. Holding weight constant helps compare concentration, but it does not describe the amount in every person’s serving.

Does a higher per-100-gram rank mean a meal is better?

No. The rank describes one energy or nutrient metric relative to food weight. It does not score the whole meal, account for individual needs, or replace the serving, ingredient, and preparation context.

Will my meal match the USDA value?

Not necessarily. Recipe, brand, cooking method, additions, and portion weight can all change the total. Use the linked profile as a reference and compare its exact description with your food.

Decision support from the exact records on this page

Turn source data into a better next decision

These conclusions and reading paths are computed from 11 exact records behind Calories ranking landmarks. Links are chosen by record identity, controlled contrast, formulation input, nutrient spread, or serving context—not by loose keyword similarity.

Equal-weight result

Lard is higher in calories per 100 g

Lard reports 902 kcal versus 299 kcal for Double cheeseburger, from fast food, 2 large patties: a 603 kcal difference when both are normalized to 100 g.

Inspect the underlying evidence

The denominator changes the answer

Pecans, unsalted is denser; Double cheeseburger, from fast food, 2 large patties is higher in its source amount

Pecans, unsalted reports 754 kcal per 100 g and 211 kcal in USDA source amount (28 g). Double cheeseburger, from fast food, 2 large patties reports a lower 299 kcal per 100 g but a higher 987 kcal in USDA source amount (330 g).

Choose the record before reading the number

Pecans, salted and Pecans, unsalted are not interchangeable

The page keeps both records at the same 100 g denominator and makes Sodium wording (salted versus unsalted) the explicit record-description contrast. It does not show that the wording difference caused a nutrient difference. Pick the description that matches the food in front of you rather than averaging away the distinction.

Inspect the underlying evidence

Contextual knowledge graph

Follow the relationship that matches your question

For Calories ranking landmarks, each path states why the destination belongs here, so you can distinguish a true evidentiary connection from a merely similar label.

Best next guide for this exact record Pecans

Pecans, honey roasted and Pecans, salted are explicitly linked in this guide, which separates direct name matches from contextual variants.

Follow this evidence path Best next guide for this exact record Double cheeseburger from fast food 2

Double cheeseburger, from fast food, 2 large patties is explicitly linked in this guide, which separates direct name matches from contextual variants.

Follow this evidence path Compare two records on this page Pecans, salted vs Pecans, unsalted

Both records appear in this page’s evidence set. The explicit record-description contrast is Sodium wording: salted versus unsalted; it is a selection cue, not evidence of cause.

Follow this evidence path 8 context records in this source topic Nuts and seeds

Pecans, unsalted and Pecans, unroasted belong to this USDA source-category collection. Its displayed ranges and complete exact-record catalog provide the peer set for a manual comparison; the destination does not preselect this page’s record.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Nuts, pecans, halves, raw

USDA input 12142 appears in 4 of 11 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 68–100 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Salt, table

USDA input 2047 appears in 3 of 11 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 1–1.2 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path Put the observed spread in corpus context Dietary fiber: density and serving context

In this page’s records, dietary fiber runs from 0 g in Canola oil to 8.4 g in Tahini, all per 100 g.

Follow this evidence path