How Many Calories Are In Hominy? | Quick Facts Guide

What Hominy Is And Why That Matters For Calories

Hominy is nixtamalized corn—whole kernels soaked and cooked in an alkaline bath, then hulled. The process puffs the kernels, adds moisture, and leaves a tender bite that sits somewhere between sweet corn and a bean. Because the grain is cooked and hydrated, a cup looks big but brings modest energy compared with dry grains.

Calories In Hominy By Serving Size

The calorie count changes with serving size and how much liquid you drain. Here’s a quick view using common portions from trusted nutrition databases.

Serving	Calories	Notes
100 g (canned, drained)	~72	Simple baseline for quick math.
1 cup (white, canned, drained)	~119	About 165–174 g per cup.
1 cup (yellow, canned, drained)	~115	Typical range across brands.
1/2 cup (canned, drained)	~60	Common side or mix-in.
1 oz (28 g)	~20	Useful for toppings.

Calorie math gets easier once you’ve set your daily calorie needs, since a cup of hominy usually takes a small slice of the day’s budget.

Where The Numbers Come From

Most shoppers buy canned hominy. A standard cup of the canned, drained white type lands around 119 kcal, while the same amount of the yellow type sits close to 115 kcal. Per 100 grams, both forms average about 72 kcal. See the detailed nutrient panel at MyFoodData for the canned white version based on USDA data. Per-cup breakdowns from a medical center listing also place one cup near 118–119 kcal with about 23–24 g carbs, ~4 g fiber, and mid-300 mg sodium.

What Rinsing And Draining Change

Rinsing doesn’t move calories much, since calories live in the kernel. It does wash off brine. Sodium for one cup of canned white hominy often sits in the mid-300 mg range before a rinse. A quick wash under the tap trims that number without touching energy.

Cooked From Dried Vs. Canned

Starting with dried kernels and simmering until plump gives a similar calorie number per cup, because you end up with the same hydrated kernel. The big shift is salt: cooking from dried lets you season later, which suits low-sodium goals.

Macros And Sodium Snapshot

Here’s what one cup of canned, drained white hominy looks like nutritionally. Per-cup sodium and macro values align with medical center and database listings.

Nutrient	Amount (per cup)	What It Means
Carbohydrates	~23–24 g	Steady starch; mild sweetness.
Fiber	~4 g	Helps fullness and digestion.
Protein	~2–3 g	Small boost to soups and stews.
Fat	~1–1.5 g	Mostly from the kernel itself.
Sodium	~340 mg	From brine; a rinse helps lower it.

Why Nixtamalization Matters

The alkaline cook that makes hominy frees some nutrients locked in untreated corn and raises calcium. You can read how this process improves the grain in FAO’s overview of nixtamalization. A practical plus: the kernels hold their shape in long simmers without turning mushy.

Serving Ideas That Keep Calories In Check

Brothy Bowls

Add a cup of hominy to a lean broth with chicken, cabbage, radish, and chiles. The grain brings texture and body while keeping the bowl light. Finish with lime, not oil, to keep the total energy tight.

Skillet Mix-Ins

Fold a half cup into a veggie sauté. Use a nonstick pan and a splash of stock. You’ll get chew and a toasty note without loading up on added fats.

Smart Swaps

Trade a cup of white rice for a cup of hominy in burrito bowls or stews. Volume stays generous, and the calorie count drops compared with many rice servings of the same size.

Label Tips For Better Picks

Drain Weight And Serving Sizes

Cans list nutrition “per serving.” Check the gram weight. Many labels use 1/2 cup as the serving and list about 60 kcal. If you’re eating a full cup, double it.

Sodium Call-Outs

Brands vary widely. If you’re watching salt, pick no-salt-added cans when you can. If that’s not available, a thorough rinse gets you closer to your target.

Ingredients List

Look for hominy, water, and salt. Spices are fine. Oils will bump the calorie line a bit; not a deal-breaker, just something to log.

Quick Clarifications

Is White Or Yellow Lower In Calories?

They’re nearly the same. Any gap you see on labels ties back to water content and brand variation more than color.

Does Rinsing Cut Calories?

No. It trims sodium. Calories stay with the kernels.

What About Grits?

Hominy grits start from the same nixtamalized base. Prepared with water and no butter, they sit in the same ballpark per cooked cup. Butter, cheese, or cream push totals up fast.

How This Fits Into A Day’s Eating

One cup sits near 120 kcal, which makes hominy easy to budget alongside proteins and vegetables. In a hearty stew, the add-ins—meat, oil, avocado, cheese—drive most of the total. For lighter bowls, pile on vegetables and lean protein, and keep fats measured.

Want a broader primer that ties it all together? Try our calories and weight loss.