How Many Calories in Broccoli?
About 30 kcal per cup raw, 55 cooked. One of the highest-volume foods in the produce aisle.
Raw broccoli is ~30 kcal per cup; cooked is ~55 kcal per cup (same calorie density per gram, but cooked packs more compactly into a cup). It’s one of the highest-volume foods in the produce aisle — you can eat a lot of broccoli for very few calories. The trap is what you put on it. Cheese sauce, butter, or roasted in oil can quintuple the calorie count.
The Headline Numbers
| Form | Cup | Calories | Carbs | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw broccoli (florets) | 1 cup (~91 g) | 30 | 6 g | 2 g | 2 g |
| Steamed broccoli | 1 cup (~155 g) | 55 | 11 g | 4 g | 5 g |
| Roasted broccoli (no oil) | 1 cup (~155 g) | 55 | 11 g | 4 g | 5 g |
| Boiled broccoli | 1 cup (~155 g) | 55 | 11 g | 4 g | 5 g |
| Stir-fried broccoli (with 1 tsp oil) | 1 cup | ~95 | 11 g | 4 g | 5 g |
| Broccoli with cheese sauce | 1 cup | ~200 | 14 g | 8 g | 4 g |
| Broccoli florets (frozen, plain) | 1 cup | 30–55 | similar | similar | similar |
A “free food” categorically. Three cups of steamed broccoli is ~165 kcal — high volume, very satisfying, packed with fiber and vitamins K and C.
Cooking Method Matters
Plain steamed/roasted/boiled broccoli is essentially calorie-free. The calories enter when you add fat:
| Cooking | Added Calories per Cup |
|---|---|
| Steamed plain | 0 |
| Microwaved plain | 0 |
| Boiled in water | 0 |
| Roasted with cooking spray | ~5 |
| Roasted with 1 tsp olive oil | +40 |
| Roasted with 1 tbsp olive oil | +120 |
| Stir-fried with 1 tbsp oil | +120 |
| Tossed in butter (1 tbsp/serving) | +100 |
| With cheese sauce (¼ cup) | +145 |
| Battered + fried (chinese-style) | +200 |
Restaurant Reality
| Dish | Calories |
|---|---|
| Side of steamed broccoli (most restaurants) | 60–80 |
| Side of “house broccoli” (with butter/oil) | 150–250 |
| Broccoli cheddar soup (1 cup) | 220 |
| Beef and broccoli (1 cup) | 350 |
| Broccoli rabe (sautéed in oil) | 180/cup |
| Broccolini with garlic oil | 160/cup |
| Broccoli tempura (4 pieces) | 240 |
The way to spot a calorie issue: if your broccoli is glossy and oily-looking, it has another 100+ kcal of oil in there.
Broccoli vs Other Cruciferous Vegetables
| Vegetable | Calories per cup cooked |
|---|---|
| Broccoli | 55 |
| Cauliflower | 30 |
| Brussels sprouts | 55 |
| Cabbage | 35 |
| Kale | 36 |
| Bok choy | 20 |
| Broccolini | 50 |
All low-calorie, all high-fiber, all interchangeable for “the green vegetable on the plate.”
Broccoli Slaw, Salad, and Pre-Made Mixes
| Item | Calories per cup |
|---|---|
| Broccoli slaw mix (raw, no dressing) | 25 |
| Broccoli salad with mayo, bacon, raisins | 350 |
| Costco broccoli salad | 280 |
| Asian-style broccoli salad with sesame dressing | 200 |
Pre-made broccoli salads are mostly mayo by calorie share. The broccoli is ~10% of the total kcal in many of these.
How Much to Eat
For a meal:
- Side dish: 1 cup cooked (~55 kcal)
- Generous side: 1.5 cups (~80 kcal)
- Stir-fry component: 1 cup raw chopped (~30 kcal)
- Main component (broccoli-forward bowl): 2–3 cups (~110–165 kcal)
There’s almost no upper limit if you’re eating it plain. The fiber (5g/cup cooked) means you’ll fill up before you can overeat it.
Common Logging Mistakes
Eyeballing “1 cup cooked.” Cooked broccoli compresses; what looks like 1 cup is often 1.5.
Forgetting roasting oil. Restaurant or recipe roasted broccoli usually has 1+ tbsp oil per cup. Add ~120 kcal.
Counting “broccoli with cheese” as plain. Different food. Log separately.
Logging chopped raw and chopped cooked the same. Cooked has roughly 2× the calories per cup because of compression. Same per gram.
What to Take Away
- Raw broccoli = 30 kcal/cup; cooked = 55. Same per gram, denser packing in cooked.
- Plain prep is essentially free on a deficit.
- Oil and cheese are where most “broccoli calories” actually live.
- Frozen = fresh nutritionally.
- Eat it freely. It’s one of the best volume-per-calorie foods available.
For more low-cal vegetable references, see the broader calorie guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does cooked broccoli have more calories per cup than raw?
It packs denser. A cup of cooked broccoli is ~155g (the florets compress); a cup of raw is ~91g. Same calories per gram, more grams per cup.
Is frozen broccoli the same as fresh?
Nutritionally yes — frozen at peak ripeness, often higher in some vitamins than 'fresh' that's traveled days to the store. Cooking method matters more than fresh vs frozen.
How many calories in roasted broccoli?
Plain roasted (no oil): ~55 kcal/cup. Roasted with 1 tsp olive oil per cup: ~95 kcal. Roasted with the typical 1 tbsp/cup oil at restaurants: ~175 kcal.
Is broccoli good for weight loss?
One of the best vegetables for it. High volume, high fiber, very low calorie. You can eat 3 cups of plain steamed broccoli for under 200 kcal.
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