Uncooked white long-grain rice has ~365 calories per 100 g; 1/4 cup (45 g) dry provides ~165 calories.
Looking up calories for rice can get confusing because packages, apps, and labels flip between dry and cooked numbers.
This guide clears it up with tested figures for uncooked rice, clean conversions to cooked servings, and simple math you can use for any pot of rice at home.
Calories In Uncooked Rice Per 100 G
Most plain, polished white rice sits near 365 calories per 100 grams when measured dry. USDA FoodData Central lists long-grain entries right in that range, and they’re a reliable anchor for home tracking.
Brown rice lands in the same ballpark, typically a touch higher per 100 grams because the bran and germ add a little fat along with minerals and fiber.
Wild rice is a different grass and looks leaner cooked, yet the dry grain still carries a similar energy density per 100 grams.
Calories By Rice Type (Uncooked)
Reference Values And 1/4 Cup Scoop
The second column converts to the common 1/4 cup scoop of dry rice, which usually weighs about 45 grams at home.
Actual scoop weight can vary a few grams by grain type and how tightly you pack the cup; a scale gives the most reliable result.
| Rice Type (Dry) | kcal / 100 g | kcal / 1/4 cup dry (~45 g) |
|---|---|---|
| White long-grain, raw | 365 | ~164 |
| White medium-grain, raw | 360 | ~162 |
| Brown long-grain, raw | 367 | ~165 |
| Brown medium-grain, raw | 362 | ~163 |
| Parboiled white, raw | 374 | ~168 |
| Wild rice, raw | 357 | ~161 |
Why Dry And Cooked Numbers Differ
Cooking adds water, not calories.
When rice absorbs water, the cooked weight jumps two to three times while total calories stay the same for the batch.
That is why 100 grams of cooked white rice shows about 130 calories, while 100 grams of the same rice measured dry shows triple the number.
Calories In Uncooked Rice Per Cup And Per 1/4 Cup
Kitchen math is easier if you anchor on two sizes you likely use: 1/4 cup dry for single servings and 1 cup dry for meal prep.
Use these quick cues: 1/4 cup dry white long-grain rice weighs around 45 grams and delivers roughly 165 calories; 1 cup dry is four of those scoops, about 740 calories total before cooking.
Brown rice is similar per scoop because the dry energy density is close; the difference shows up mainly after cooking in texture and fiber, not in dry calories.
Dry-To-Cooked Conversions You Can Trust
Standard Yields
Most white rice triples in volume from dry to cooked; many brown rices come a bit higher, near four cups from one cup dry. Yield guidance aligns with USA Rice, which notes that 1 cup dry rice makes about 3 cups cooked for white and about 4 cups for many brown rices.
That rule of thumb lines up with standard yield charts used by U.S. school meals and industry groups.
Because volume and weight both change with water uptake, the cleanest way to portion cooked rice is to weigh the pot after cooking and divide by the number of portions you want.
Quick Method To Count Your Bowl
Four Steps
1) Weigh the dry rice before cooking and note the grams.
2) Look up the dry calories per 100 grams for your type.
3) Multiply: grams dry × calories per gram (which is calories per 100 grams divided by 100).
4) After cooking, weigh the whole pot; then weigh your bowl and divide the batch calories by the number of equal portions you scoop out.
This keeps the math honest even if your rice turns extra fluffy or a little sticky that day.
Cooked Cup Calories, The Easy Way
If you do not have a scale, you can still get close with cooked cup figures.
A standard cup of cooked white rice weighs about 158 grams and carries about 200 calories; a cup of cooked brown rice weighs about 195 grams and sits near 215 calories.
Half cups are simply half those numbers.
What Changes The Numbers In Real Kitchens
Rinsing or soaking: brief rinses do not change dry calories, but soaking increases water uptake, which lowers calories per cooked gram.
Parboiled rice: it is steamed in the husk before milling, so the raw grain has a similar calorie density, yet cooked grains are firmer and separate more, often yielding a slightly drier cup by volume.
Add-ins: broth, oil, or coconut milk add calories; salt does not.
Enrichment: some white rice is enriched with B vitamins and iron; this does not change calories in a meaningful way.
Wild Rice And Specialty Grains
Wild rice, black rice, and red rice all track close to white and brown rice on a dry calorie basis, but their cooked weights and textures vary a lot.
Expect wild rice to swell well past triple volume and to feel lighter by the cooked cup while the total batch calories still mirror the dry grams you started with.
What About Jasmine, Basmati, And Sushi Rice
Fragrant varieties like jasmine and basmati are still white rice once milled; their dry calories sit within a narrow range around the same 360 to 370 per 100 grams.
Labels may show 160 to 170 calories per 1/4 cup dry because makers round to the nearest five or ten and use slightly different scoop weights.
Sushi rice is a short-grain white rice; the dry calorie density is the same idea, but the cooked cup often weighs more because the starch structure traps extra water.
A Simple Home Check
Put a small bowl on your scale, tare to zero, and pour in rice until the display reads 45 grams; that is a typical 1/4 cup dry serving.
Now read the panel on your bag; you will see the calories printed for a serving this size fall near 160 to 170, which matches the table above.
Change the test to 100 grams and you will see near 360 to 370 calories across polished white rice and brown rice alike.
Straight Answers You Can Use Today
- 100 grams dry white long-grain rice: about 365 calories.
- 100 grams dry brown long-grain rice: about 367 calories.
- 1/4 cup dry white or brown rice (about 45 grams): about 160 to 170 calories.
- 1 cup dry white or brown rice: about 640 to 700 calories depending on packing and variety.
- 1 cup cooked white rice: about 200 calories; 1/2 cup is about 100.
- 1 cup cooked brown rice: about 215 calories; 1/2 cup is about 110.
Dry-To-Cooked Examples
These examples use common kitchen yields so you can ballpark a plate fast.
Calories come from the dry grain; water adds weight but not energy.
| Dry Rice | Cooked Yield (White/Brown) | Total Calories (White/Brown) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup (45 g) | ≈3/4 cup / ≈1 cup | ~165 / ~170 |
| 1/2 cup (90 g) | ≈1 1/2 cups / ≈2 cups | ~330 / ~340 |
| 1 cup (185 g) | ≈3 cups / ≈4 cups | ~675 / ~679 |
| 2 cups (370 g) | ≈6 cups / ≈8 cups | ~1350 / ~1358 |
Final Tips For Consistent Tracking
Use the same cup for scooping every time to keep dry weights consistent when you do not weigh.
Log the dry grain when you can; it sidesteps all yield quirks and cooking styles.
If you meal prep, write the total dry grams and calories on a sticky note and portion your cooked rice against that number during the week.
Label Clues That Tell You Dry Or Cooked
On many U.S. packages the panel lists a 1/4 cup dry serving with a gram weight beside it.
That is your sign the numbers apply to uncooked rice.
If a database entry shows a serving like 1 cup cooked with a weight near 150 to 160 grams, you are looking at cooked values instead.
Branded entries can differ because some makers round the scoop to 48 or 50 grams; use the gram weight rather than the volume line when accuracy matters.
Common Misreads To Avoid
Do not mix dry calories with cooked weights; always keep the unit type the same within one calculation.
Be careful with sticky or short-grain styles: they look denser in a cup, yet a cup is still a volume measure, not a calorie guarantee.
Parboiled bags sometimes list yields that are a hair lower than three cups per cup dry; that is fine, just base your math on dry grams and the confusion goes away.
If you rinse fortified white rice, you may wash away some surface vitamins; that still does not change calorie math in a noticeable way.
Does Rinsing Cut Calories?
Short answer: not in the dry grain.
A quick rinse removes surface starch that can thicken cooking water, yet the calories live inside the grain.
What changes is water uptake and the weight of the finished rice, which can nudge calories per cooked gram down a bit.
Why Your Cooked Cup Might Not Match A Chart
Different pots, heat levels, and rest times shift how much water ends up in the grain.
A rice cooker that runs a little hot may leave a cup slightly drier and lighter, raising calories per cooked gram even though the batch calories are the same.
The fix is simple: weigh the pot and portion by weight when you want precision.
One last tip: write down your usual scoop weight once, then reuse it. If your 1/4 cup tends to weigh 47 grams, log that number and stick with it. Consistency beats perfection and keeps your calorie math steady across different pots, brands, and cookers home.