One cup of Brussels sprouts ranges from 38 to 65 calories depending on raw, cooked, or frozen style and the cup’s gram weight.
Raw, 1 Cup
Cooked, 1 Cup
Roasted, 1 Cup + Oil
Raw Shaved Salad
- Thinly sliced for crunch
- Lemon, salt, pepper
- Add apple or carrot
Crisp & Fresh
Steamed Or Boiled
- Tender centers
- Drain well
- Finish with herbs
Light & Simple
Roasted Or Seared
- High heat browning
- Small oil measure
- Golden edges
Big Flavor
How Many Calories Are In Brussels Sprouts Per Cup?
Brussels sprouts sit in the low-calorie lane, but the count depends on weight. A raw cup at about 88 grams lands near 38 calories. A standard cooked cup at 156 grams sits around 56 calories. Frozen cooked cups often weigh near 155 grams and come in close to 65 calories due to blanching and density shifts.
Per 100 grams, plain entries cluster near the mid-30s. That baseline lets you scale any portion. When you cook, most of the change is water shift and cup packing, not extra energy from the vegetable itself.
Calories By Serving Size And Style
The table below gathers common kitchen servings with simple notes. Treat plain numbers as starting points. Oil, sweet glazes, bacon, nuts, and cheese push totals up fast, which can help on higher-calorie days and matter on lean days.
| Serving | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Raw, 1 cup (88 g) | 38 | Great for shaved salads and slaws |
| Cooked, 1 cup (156 g) | 56 | Boiled, drained, no oil |
| Frozen cooked, 1 cup (155 g) | 65 | Drained; label weight runs higher |
| Raw, 100 g | ~36 | Handy for gram-based tracking |
| Cooked, 100 g | ~36 | Plain boiled; same vegetable energy |
| Roasted, 1 cup + 1 tsp oil | ~96 | Add ~40 kcal for the oil |
Set fiber goals early and portions fall into place. If your plate already aims for the recommended fiber intake, one cooked cup adds a steady boost with minimal energy cost.
Why Volume Changes Shift The Count
Raw shreds pack loosely in a cup. Heat relaxes cell walls and drives off water. The same measure can weigh far more after cooking, which raises the calorie number per cup even when the food stays plain. That’s the main reason cup counts jump from raw to cooked entries.
Oil tells a different story. A teaspoon of olive oil brings roughly 40 calories. Toss a pound of halved sprouts with two teaspoons, roast until browned, then divide into four cooked cups. You added about 20 calories to each cup. Small measures make logging simple and repeatable.
Nutrition Snapshot Beyond Calories
A cooked cup delivers fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium in a tight package. That combo supports fullness, steady blood pressure, and bone health for a modest calorie spend. The brassica bite comes from sulfur compounds that also carry the signature aroma in the oven.
Want a quick sense of seasonality and storage? The USDA SNAP-Ed page on this vegetable lists peak months, storage tips, and prep ideas. It’s a fast primer when you bring a stalk home from the market.
Source-Backed Numbers You Can Trust
Plain entries here match major databases that aggregate USDA FoodData Central items. You can open a cooked cup line with gram weight and a raw cup line with gram weight to check numbers when you need specifics for a log or a recipe card. General vegetable guidance sits on the MyPlate Vegetable Group page, which lays out the five subgroups and how fresh, frozen, and canned portions count toward daily patterns.
Current fiber targets for adults fall between 22 and 34 grams per day depending on age and sex. One cooked cup brings roughly four grams, so pairing sprouts with beans, whole grains, or lentils builds an easy high-fiber plate without a heavy calorie load.
Smart Ways To Portion And Log
Weigh Before And After Cooking
Place a bowl on your scale and tare it. Weigh the raw halves. Roast or steam. Weigh the finished batch. If you added oil, record it as a separate ingredient. Divide into equal containers. You now have clean cooked portions for the week with numbers that match your method.
Track Oil Like An Ingredient
Oil follows the food. If you coat with one teaspoon per cup of raw veg, include those calories in your cooked portions. That’s the gap between a 56-calorie cooked cup and a 96-calorie roasted cup.
Use Plain Batches For Mix-And-Match Meals
Cook a tray without toppings. Dress at the table. Lemon and vinegar add sparkle for almost no energy. A spoon of parmesan or a strip of crisp bacon raises the count fast, which helps when you need more fuel.
Compare Raw, Cooked, And Roasted Calories
The next table shows how common methods and a small amount of oil shift the final count. The cooked baseline uses a drained cup. Oil math uses 40 calories per teaspoon. Treat these as practical home-kitchen estimates rather than lab values.
| Method & Portion | Estimated Calories | Assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Raw, 1 cup | 38 | Shredded or halved |
| Steamed/Boiled, 1 cup | 56 | Drained; no oil |
| Roasted, 1 cup | ~96 | +1 tsp oil |
| Pan-Seared, 1 cup | ~96 | +1 tsp oil |
| Air-Fried, 1 cup | ~60–70 | Mist or spray only |
Health Context That Helps With Choices
Fiber supports regularity and blood sugar control. The CDC’s plain-language page cites the current Dietary Guidelines range of 22 to 34 grams per day for adults, which turns these little cabbages into an easy building block for the day’s total. Aim for fiber at breakfast, lunch, and dinner to spread intake across meals.
Non-starchy vegetables help you hit dark-green subgroup goals across the week. Brussels sprouts sit in the cruciferous branch. They keep a firm bite with high-heat roasting, which avoids mushy textures that turn people off this vegetable.
Kitchen Tips That Keep Calories In Check
Roast Hot And Fast
Use a preheated sheet pan. Quarter larger sprouts for even cooking. One teaspoon of oil per cup of raw veg gives a thin coat that browns well without soaking.
Steam, Then Crisp
Short-steam, pat dry, and sear cut-side down in a small film of oil. You’ll keep fat low and still get those golden edges that make this vegetable shine.
Use Big Flavors Over Big Fats
Reach for lemon, vinegar, mustard, chili, garlic, and herbs. A small shower of cheese goes a long way. Count rich toppings as add-ons and keep your baseline plain so totals stay predictable.
Answers Without The FAQ Bloat
Do Smaller Sprouts Change Calories?
Per-cup counts shift with size because more small halves fit the scoop. Per-100-gram counts even the field. When precision matters, weigh.
Why Do Frozen Cups Run Higher?
Freezing and blanching change water and packing density. A labeled cup can weigh more, which lifts the calorie number even when the veg stays unseasoned.
What About Bitter Notes?
Browned edges bring sweetness that balances the bitter edge. Add acid and a pinch of salt. That combo keeps calories tight and flavor bright.
For detailed food entries, open the cooked cup and raw cup database lines to see weights and full nutrient panels. General veggie subgroup details live on the MyPlate Vegetable Group page. Current adult targets for daily fiber appear on the CDC page for fiber and blood sugar.
See a raw cup and a cooked cup entry with gram weights on MyFoodData, and check adult CDC fiber guidance when you plan a day’s intake.
Want more ideas for heart-smart plates? Try our foods to lower cholesterol guide.