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How Many Calories in Nachos? From One Chip to a Loaded Plate

USDA puts an 8.8 oz order of cheese nachos at about 665 calories, about 19 per loaded chip. Add beef, beans, sour cream and guacamole and a home plate reaches about 970. See what each layer adds and how to share it.

By Phu Le

A single loaded chip from USDA's cheese nachos has about 19 calories. The catch is the count. USDA weighs one at about 0.25 oz (7 g), so an 8.8 oz (250 g) order holds roughly 35 of them and comes to about 665 calories. Build a full plate at home with beef, beans, sour cream and guacamole and it climbs to about 970. Here is how a plate gets there, one layer at a time:

  1. 2 oz of tortilla chips: 268 calories

  2. Plus 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar: 499

  3. Plus 1/2 cup of seasoned ground beef: 687

  4. Plus 1/2 cup of refried beans: 804

  5. Plus 2 tbsp of sour cream: 863

  6. Plus 1/4 cup of guacamole: 956

  7. Plus 1/4 cup of pico de gallo and 2 tbsp of pickled jalapenos: 970

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS); running totals worked out from the values for each item.

The chips and cheese alone make up about half of the total, 499 of 970 calories. The fresh toppings at the end add 14 between them.

Nachos calories by type

USDA lists six kinds of nachos. Here they are per loaded chip, per cup and per order:

Nachos

Per chip (0.25 oz)

Per cup (4.8 oz)

Per order (8.8 oz)

Protein (order)

Sodium (order)

Cheese only

19

359

665

11.2 g

1,368 mg

Chicken

17

327

605

28.0 g

1,075 mg

Beef or pork

19

358

663

26.8 g

1,073 mg

Chicken with beans

14

274

508

24.1 g

1,063 mg

Beef or pork with beans

15

297

550

23.2 g

1,060 mg

Beans, no meat

15

284

525

11.6 g

1,085 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS).

Meat changes the protein more than the calories. Chicken or beef lifts protein from about 11 g to 27 or 28 g an order, while calories stay within about 60 of the cheese-only version. At the same 8.8 oz, the versions with beans come in about 100 to 140 calories lower than their match without beans.

Sodium is high across the board. Every order carries more than 1,000 mg, close to half the 2,300 mg Daily Value, and cheese-only nachos top the list at about 1,370 mg.

USDA's fast-food samples come in smaller servings. Its sample of nachos with cheese, beans, ground beef and tomatoes has 219 calories per 100 g, or about 486 in a 7.8 oz serving. Its plain cheese version comes to about 274 in a 2.8 oz serving.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy): fast-food nachos with cheese; with cheese, beans, ground beef and tomatoes.

What each topping adds

Toppings fall into three groups by what a typical spoonful adds.

Over 90 calories

  • Shredded cheddar, 1/4 cup: 116 calories, 185 mg sodium

  • Refried beans, restaurant-style, 1/4 cup: 115

  • Cheese sauce, 1/4 cup: 104, 420 mg sodium

  • Mexican blend cheese, 1/4 cup: 102

  • Seasoned ground beef, 1/4 cup: 94, with 7.9 g protein

40 to 60 calories

  • Black beans, 1/4 cup: 60, with 4.5 g fiber

  • Sour cream, 2 tbsp: 59

  • Refried beans, 1/4 cup: 59

  • Chicken breast, diced, 1/4 cup: 54, with 10.2 g protein

  • Guacamole, 2 tbsp: 47

Under 15 calories

  • Red salsa, 2 tbsp: 11, 210 mg sodium

  • Pico de gallo, 2 tbsp: 5

  • Pickled jalapenos, 2 tbsp: 4, 268 mg sodium

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS).

Cheese sauce is a little lighter than shredded cheddar, 104 against 116 calories a quarter cup, but carries more than twice the sodium. Chicken gives more protein for fewer calories than seasoned beef: 10.2 g for 54 calories against 7.9 g for 94. For how the same cheeses add up inside a tortilla, see our guide to quesadilla calories.

The lightest toppings are not always low in sodium. Two tablespoons of pickled jalapenos carry 268 mg, more than the 2 oz of chips underneath (186 mg).

Nacho Toppings Calories

Sharing a plate: two, three or four ways

When nachos are shared, your share is the number to count. A 970-calorie loaded home plate (2 oz of chips with cheddar, beef, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo) splits like this:

Whole plate: 970 calories · Split two ways: about 485 · Three ways: about 323 · Four ways: about 243

The rest of the plate splits the same way. Whole, it carries about 42 g of protein, 2,310 mg of sodium and 22 g of saturated fat, so one person finishing it goes past both the 2,300 mg Daily Value for sodium and the 20 g Daily Value for saturated fat.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS); FDA Daily Values; totals worked out from the values for each item.

Nachos Plate Calories

A shared plate has no set number of chips per person, so counting chips is the simplest guide. At about 19 calories per loaded chip of USDA's cheese nachos, 10 chips come to about 190. If nachos are a regular game-night order, save the plate as a Saved Meal in Dietfit and log it again in one tap next time.

For more on ordering when someone else is cooking, see our tips for eating out while losing weight.

A lighter plate of nachos

Keep the chips and change four layers, and the same loaded plate drops by about 250 calories:

Change

Calories

What else changes

1/4 cup of shredded cheddar instead of 1/2 cup

115 fewer

185 mg less sodium

1/2 cup of diced chicken breast instead of seasoned ground beef

79 fewer

4.6 g more protein

Skip the sour cream

59 fewer

3.2 g less saturated fat

1/2 cup of black beans instead of refried beans

4 more

4.3 g more fiber

Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS); differences worked out from the values for each item.

The lighter plate comes to about 721 calories with about 41 g of protein, nearly the same protein as the loaded plate. Saturated fat drops from about 22 g to 9 g and sodium from about 2,310 mg to 1,670 mg.

Reduced-fat tortilla chips are a smaller lever. Two ounces save about 35 calories against regular chips but add about 100 mg of sodium. For how nachos compare with tacos, burritos and enchiladas, see whether Mexican food is healthy.

FAQ

How many calories are in a plate of nachos?

An 8.8 oz order of nachos has about 508 to 665 calories depending on the toppings, according to USDA. A loaded home plate with 2 oz of chips, cheddar, beef, refried beans, sour cream and guacamole comes to about 970.

How many calories are in nachos with cheese?

Cheese-only nachos have about 665 calories in an 8.8 oz order and about 359 in a cup, according to USDA. USDA's fast-food sample of nachos with cheese has about 274 calories in a 2.8 oz serving.

How many calories are in one tortilla chip?

One plain tortilla chip (about 0.1 oz) has about 14 calories, and 1 oz of chips has about 134, according to USDA. A chip loaded with cheese weighs more, about 0.25 oz, and comes to about 19 calories.

Are chicken nachos lower in calories than beef nachos?

Yes, slightly. An 8.8 oz order of chicken nachos has about 605 calories against 663 for beef or pork, according to USDA, with a little more protein (28.0 g against 26.8 g).

Are nachos healthy?

Nachos can fit a balanced diet when the toppings and portion are chosen with care. Chicken and beans add protein and fiber, but every USDA nachos order carries more than 1,000 mg of sodium, and a loaded plate goes past the Daily Values for sodium and saturated fat.

Can you eat nachos when losing weight?

Nachos can fit a calorie deficit when the share is set. A quarter of the 970-calorie loaded plate is about 243 calories, and the lighter version with chicken, black beans and less cheese comes to about 721 for the whole plate.

References

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