A cup of homemade mac and cheese has about 513 calories, according to USDA data. Boxed mac and cheese made from a mix has about 412 per cup, restaurant mac and cheese about 347, and a microwave cup about 253. Homemade comes out highest because most recipes use more cheese, butter and milk than a box or a restaurant kitchen.
With Dietfit, one photo of your bowl is enough: Deep Scan splits the pasta, cheese sauce and any toppings and gives each part its own calories.
Key takeaways
One cup of mac and cheese has about 189 to 513 calories, depending on how it is made.
Homemade has the most calories and the most protein: about 20 g per cup.
A half-cup side of homemade mac and cheese has about 257 calories.
Cheese and butter are the parts to watch: 1 oz of cheddar adds about 116 calories and 1 tbsp of butter about 104.
A cup of homemade mac and cheese has more than half a day's saturated fat.
How many calories are in mac and cheese?
One cup (8.1 oz, 230 g) of mac and cheese has 189 to 513 calories. The type matters more than the brand:
Mac and cheese, 1 cup | Calories | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
Homemade | 513 | 20 g | 823 mg |
Homemade, whole grain pasta | 504 | 20 g | 828 mg |
Boxed, made from a mix | 412 | 11 g | 370 mg |
Restaurant | 347 | 12 g | 830 mg |
Boxed, reduced fat | 301 | 11 g | 396 mg |
Microwave cup | 253 | 8 g | 596 mg |
Canned | 189 | 8 g | 695 mg |
Whole grain pasta adds fiber but barely changes the calories, since the cheese sauce carries most of them.
Boxed mac and cheese calories
Boxed mac and cheese made with milk and butter from the mix has about 412 calories per cup. The reduced-fat version has about 301. A 10 oz frozen mac and cheese tray has about 422 calories.
Homemade and baked mac and cheese calories
A cup of homemade mac and cheese has about 513 calories and 20 g of protein, and half a cup about 257. USDA has no separate entry for baked mac and cheese. A buttered breadcrumb topping comes on top of the 513, so count it on its own: every tablespoon of butter in it adds about 104 calories.
Restaurant mac and cheese calories
USDA's average for restaurant mac and cheese is 347 calories per cup, but portions vary. A Chick-fil-A Mac & Cheese side has 450 calories, 16 g of saturated fat and 1,190 mg of sodium.
What each ingredient adds
Homemade mac and cheese is easy to count if you know what goes in the pot. From USDA data:
Ingredient | Calories |
|---|---|
Cooked elbow pasta, 1 cup (4.9 oz, 140 g) | 220 |
Cheddar cheese, 1 oz (28 g) | 116 |
Butter, 1 tbsp | 104 |
Whole milk, 1/4 cup | 37 |
The pasta sets the base. Every extra ounce of cheese or tablespoon of butter adds about 100 calories, which is why homemade recipes vary so much from one kitchen to the next.
How much mac and cheese is 500 calories?
About 1 cup of homemade mac and cheese (513)
About 1.2 cups of boxed mac and cheese (412 per cup)
About 1.4 cups of restaurant mac and cheese (347 per cup)
2 regular microwave cups (about 466)
Is mac and cheese OK for weight loss?
Yes, in the right portion. A half-cup side of homemade mac and cheese has about 257 calories and fits in a calorie deficit next to a protein and a vegetable. The problem is a full bowl as the whole meal.
Saturated fat is the other catch. A cup of homemade mac and cheese has about 12 g, 59% of the 20 g Daily Value.
To make it lighter:
Serve it as a side. Half a cup next to grilled chicken and vegetables.
Stir in vegetables. A cup of cooked broccoli adds 64 calories and a cup of cauliflower 40, and both stretch the portion.
Cut the butter. Each tablespoon you skip saves about 104 calories.
Use a sharper cheese. Aged cheddar gives more flavor per ounce, so you need less.
Logging it in Dietfit is one photo: Deep Scan reads the pasta, cheese sauce and toppings separately, and you can edit the grams if your bowl was bigger than a cup. In the example below, a 12 oz (340 g) bowl of fusilli mac and cheese came to 681 calories.
FAQ
How many calories are in 1/2 cup of homemade mac and cheese?
About 257 calories, with 10 g of protein.
How many calories are in boxed mac and cheese?
About 412 calories per cup when made from the mix with milk and butter, or 301 for a reduced-fat box.
How many carbs are in 1/4 cup of mac and cheese?
About 13 g for homemade mac and cheese.
How much protein is in mac and cheese?
About 20 g per cup for homemade and 11 to 12 g for boxed or restaurant. If you track macros, add a lean protein to make it a full meal.
Is mac and cheese healthy?
It gives you calcium and some protein, but a cup also has 12 g of saturated fat and up to 830 mg of sodium. Keep it to a side portion most of the time.
References
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2708811/nutrients, FoodData Central, "Macaroni or noodles with cheese", FDC ID 2708811
https://www.chick-fil-a.com/menu/sides/mac-cheese, Chick-fil-A, "Mac & Cheese Nutrition and Ingredients"
https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels"
By Khanh Phan