Nasi Lemak Calories: Plain Packet, With Fried Chicken or Rendang
172 kcal (720 kJ) per 100 g · P/F/C 6/8.6/18 g
Serving (packet, 250 g) — 430 kcal (1,799 kJ) · Nutri-Score C
Figures are for: Nasi lemak (plain, with sambal, anchovies, peanuts and egg)
Per 100 g: sugar: low saturated fat: medium salt: medium fiber: low
Is nasi lemak healthy?
In moderation. Nasi lemak sits in the middle of the scale — grade C on the open 2023 Nutri-Score algorithm: fine in a balanced diet, but not a “more is better” food.
For
- Protein: 15 g per serving — 27% of the 56 g daily reference for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult.
Against
- Salt: 2 g per serving — 40% of the 5 g a day the WHO sets as the maximum.
- Saturated fat: 6.3 g per serving — 32% of the 20 g daily reference intake.
A typical serving (packet, 250 g) has 430 kcal, 15 g protein, 22 g fat and 46 g carbs. Other weights in the table.
How we judge this, and the sources
The answer comes from the food's composition, not from opinion: its Nutri-Score grade on the open 2023 algorithm, a traffic light for sugar, salt, saturated fat and fiber per 100 g, and the share of daily reference amounts in a typical serving (for salt, sugar, fiber and vegetables, those of the WHO). It rates the food's nutrient profile; it is not medical advice. Formulas, thresholds and every source are on the methodology page; last checked against the sources on September 30, 2026. The short food description was written by our language model (AI) — how we check the text.
Nasi lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk, served with sambal, crispy anchovies, peanuts, egg and cucumber. A plain packet is a modest meal; fried chicken or rendang nearly doubles it.
How many calories in nasi lemak: per 100 g and per serving
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Serving: packet, 250 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 172 kcal | 430 kcal |
| Energy (kilojoules) | 720 kJ | 1,799 kJ |
| Protein | 6 g | 15 g |
| Fat | 8.6 g | 22 g |
| incl. saturated | 2.5 g | 6.3 g |
| Total carbohydrates | 18 g | 46 g |
| incl. sugars | 2 g | 5 g |
| incl. fiber | 0.8 g | 2 g |
| Salt | 0.8 g | 2 g |
Where the numbers come from
Values per 100 g as served, estimated from a typical hawker recipe: every ingredient's figures come from food composition tables (USDA FoodData Central and others), weighed out for one portion. The portion weight is a real food-court plate weighed in a lab study, which measured 188 calories per 100 g for the same dish (Yeo et al., Foods, 2021). Stalls differ in oil, rice and portion size, so treat the numbers as a guide. Carbohydrates are total carbohydrate, fiber included.
protein 14%fat 45%carbs 41%
Nasi Lemak calories by weight, 50–300 g
150 g of nasi lemak has 258 calories and 200 g has 344. The table gives protein, fat and carbs for each weight; for any other amount, type your own into the calculator below.
| Weight | Kcal | P / F / C, g | Fiber, g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 g | 86 | 3 / 4.3 / 9.1 | 0.4 |
| 100 g | 172 | 6 / 8.6 / 18 | 0.8 |
| 150 g | 258 | 9 / 13 / 27 | 1.2 |
| 200 g | 344 | 12 / 17 / 36 | 1.6 |
| 250 g — typical serving | 430 | 15 / 22 / 46 | 2 |
| 300 g | 516 | 18 / 26 / 55 | 2.4 |
Try it with your numbers
Portion → calories and macros
Pick a food and a portion.
Nasi lemak (plain, with sambal, anchovies, peanuts and egg): benefits and swaps →
Where the calories come from, ingredient by ingredient
Worked out from a typical recipe for one serving (packet, 250 g), so you can see what to cut back if you want it lighter.
| Ingredient | Grams | Kcal |
|---|---|---|
| White rice, boiled | 133 | 173 |
| Sunflower oil | 9 | 81 |
| Peanuts | 8 | 45 |
| Egg | 25 | 39 |
| Canned coconut milk | 19 | 38 |
| Dried fish snack | 9 | 26 |
| Sugar | 2 | 8 |
| Chilli pepper | 12 | 5 |
| Onion | 9 | 4 |
| Cucumber | 20 | 3 |
| Tamarind pulp | 1 | 2 |
| Table salt | 1 | 0 |
Nasi Lemak: more nutrition highlights
It has 2 g of fiber per serving — roughly 8% of the 25 g a day most adults fall short of.
How much movement is one serving?
A serving (packet, 250 g) is 430 kcal — roughly 2 h 20 min of easy walking or 54 min of cycling for a 70 kg (154 lb) person. In the diary, minutes are worked out for your weight and the activities you actually do.
Swaps for nasi lemak
Nasi lemak has a fair amount of saturated fat (2.5 g per 100 g), a fair amount of salt (0.8 g per 100 g) and almost no fiber (0.8 g per 100 g), but our database has no same-category swap that fixes this noticeably at the same calories and is a full grade better. The simplest move is a smaller serving. How we pick swaps.
What to pair nasi lemak with
A serving of nasi lemak has 2 g of fiber (the WHO suggests at least 25 g a day); that's easy to make up on the same plate:
- Broccoli, 150 g — +4.9 g fiber, 53 kcal.
Nasi Lemak vs similar foods: calories compared
| Per 100 g | Kcal | P / F / C, g |
|---|---|---|
| Spaghetti Bolognese | 165 | 8 / 6 / 21 |
| Chicken Curry | 165 | 14 / 9.5 / 7 |
| Duck Rice | 166 | 7.5 / 7.8 / 16 |
| Pad Thai | 169 | 7.5 / 7 / 20 |
| Chwee Kueh | 169 | 1.5 / 9.3 / 20 |
| Nasi Lemak | 172 | 6 / 8.6 / 18 |
| Hummus | 177 | 8 / 9 / 21 |
FAQ
How many calories are in 100 g of nasi lemak?
100 g of nasi lemak has 172 calories, with 6 g protein, 8.6 g fat and 18 g carbohydrates (0.8 g fiber).
How many calories are in a serving of nasi lemak?
A serving (packet, 250 g) has 430 calories: 15 g protein, 22 g fat and 46 g carbs.
What are the macros of nasi lemak?
Per 100 g: 6 g protein, 18 g carbs and 8.6 g fat. By calories that's about 14% protein, 41% carbs and 45% fat.
How long do you have to walk to burn a serving of nasi lemak?
About 2 h 20 min of easy walking or 54 min of cycling for a 70 kg (154 lb) person — that's the 430 calories in a serving (packet, 250 g).
How much fiber is in nasi lemak?
100 g of nasi lemak has 0.8 g of fiber; a serving (packet, 250 g) has 2 g — 8% of the 25 g a day the WHO recommends.
How many calories did a lab measure in a real hawker plate?
A 395 g plate sold as "Nasi Lemak" at a Singapore food court and analysed in a lab had about 741 calories — 188 per 100 g, with 36 g protein and 36 g fat (Yeo et al., Foods, 2021). Our recipe-based estimate for nasi lemak with fried chicken is 193 per 100 g. Stalls differ in oil, rice and portion size, so treat both as a guide rather than an exact count.
Nasi lemak or nasi lemak with fried chicken: which has fewer calories?
A 250 g packet of nasi lemak has about 430 calories (172 per 100 g); a 395 g plate of nasi lemak with fried chicken has about 762 (193 per 100 g). As usually served, the lighter choice is nasi lemak.
Nasi lemak or nasi lemak with beef rendang: which has fewer calories?
A 250 g packet of nasi lemak has about 430 calories (172 per 100 g); a 400 g plate of nasi lemak with beef rendang has about 748 (187 per 100 g). As usually served, the lighter choice is nasi lemak.
How many calories does each part of nasi lemak add?
In a plain 250 g packet the coconut rice (150 g) is about 207 calories, the sambal (30 g) about 70, the crispy anchovies and peanuts about 104, and half an egg about 39. A piece of fried chicken (100 g) adds about 268 more.
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