Is Pho Healthy? Nutrition, Calories & Alternatives
Pho nutrition facts per 100 g and per serving
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Serving: bowl, 500 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 50 kcal | 250 kcal |
| Energy (kilojoules) | 209 kJ | 1,046 kJ |
| Protein | 3.8 g | 19 g |
| Fat | 1.2 g | 6 g |
| incl. saturated | 0.4 g | 2 g |
| Total carbohydrates | 6.3 g | 32 g |
| incl. sugars | 0.6 g | 3 g |
| incl. fiber | 0.3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt | 0.9 g | 4.5 g |
*Where the numbers come from
Values per 100 g as eaten, averaged from food composition tables (USDA FoodData Central and others) and rounded — a specific brand or recipe will differ a little. Carbohydrates are total carbohydrate, fiber included, as on a US Nutrition Facts label.
50 kcal (209 kJ) per 100 g · P/F/C 3.8/1.2/6.3 g
Serving (bowl, 500 g) — 250 kcal (1,046 kJ) · Nutri-Score C
Per 100 g: sugar: low saturated fat: low salt: medium fiber: low
In moderation, and mind the portion. Pho gets grade C on the open 2023 Nutri-Score algorithm, but that is per 100 g: a typical serving is high in salt.
For
- Low in calories: 50 kcal per 100 g, so a serving (bowl, 500 g) is 250 kcal.
- Protein: 19 g per serving — 34% of the 56 g daily reference for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult.
Against
- Salt: 4.5 g per serving — 90% of the 5 g a day the WHO sets as the maximum.
A typical serving (bowl, 500 g) has 250 kcal, 19 g protein, 6 g fat and 32 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 November 1, 2026. The short food description was written by our language model (AI) — how we check the text.
More about this food
Pho is Vietnamese rice-noodle soup with herbs and thin-sliced beef — relatively light and protein-rich, though the broth is salty.
protein 30%fat 22%carbs 48%
Pho calories by weight, 50–300 g
150 g of pho has 75 calories and 200 g has 100. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 50 g | 25 | 1.9 / 0.6 / 3.2 |
| 100 g | 50 | 3.8 / 1.2 / 6.3 |
| 150 g | 75 | 5.7 / 1.8 / 9.5 |
| 200 g | 100 | 7.6 / 2.4 / 13 |
| 250 g | 125 | 9.5 / 3 / 16 |
| 300 g | 150 | 11 / 3.6 / 19 |
| 500 g — typical serving | 250 | 19 / 6 / 32 |
Free to reuse with a link to the source, CC BY 4.0
Try it with your numbers
Portion → calories and macros
Pick a food and a portion.
How much movement is one serving?
A serving (bowl, 500 g) is 250 kcal — roughly 82 min of easy walking or 31 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.
Pho: swaps and alternatives
Pho has a fair amount of salt (0.9 g per 100 g) and almost no fiber (0.3 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 pho with
A serving of pho has 1.5 g of fiber (the WHO suggests at least 25 g a day); that's easy to make up on the same plate:
- Whole Wheat Bread, 35 g — +2.4 g fiber, 81 kcal.
Similar foods with a better grade than pho
Same food group, a better Nutri-Score grade. They fall short of a noticeable per-serving swap, but their profile is better. Figures are for 500 g, a typical serving of pho.
| Food | Grade | Kcal | Protein, g | Fiber, g | Salt, g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pho | C | 250 | 19 | 1.5 | 4.5 |
| Chicken Noodle Soup | B | 240 | 16 | 2.5 | 3.5 |
| Yong Tau Foo | A | 270 | 27 | 3 | 3 |
| Sliced Fish Soup | A | 195 | 29 | 1.5 | 2.5 |
Pho vs similar foods: calories compared
| Per 100 g | Kcal | P / F / C, g |
|---|---|---|
| Egg Drop Soup | 27 | 1.2 / 0.6 / 4.3 |
| Pho | 50 | 3.8 / 1.2 / 6.3 |
| Prawn Noodle Soup | 80 | 5.5 / 2.5 / 8.9 |
| Mee Soto | 89 | 5.4 / 3.1 / 10 |
| Ramen | 94 | 5 / 4 / 10 |
| Ban Mian (Pan Mee) | 94 | 5.3 / 4.1 / 9.1 |
| Mee Siam | 101 | 3 / 3.2 / 15 |
FAQ
How many calories are in 100 g of pho?
100 g of pho has 50 calories, with 3.8 g protein, 1.2 g fat and 6.3 g carbohydrates.
How many calories are in a serving of pho?
A serving (bowl, 500 g) has 250 calories: 19 g protein, 6 g fat and 32 g carbs.
What are the macros of pho?
Per 100 g: 3.8 g protein, 6.3 g carbs and 1.2 g fat. By calories that's about 30% protein, 48% carbs and 22% fat.
How long do you have to walk to burn a serving of pho?
About 82 min of easy walking or 31 min of cycling for a 70 kg (154 lb) person — that's the 250 calories in a serving (bowl, 500 g).
How much fiber is in pho?
100 g of pho has 0.3 g of fiber; a serving (bowl, 500 g) has 1.5 g — 6% of the 25 g a day the WHO recommends.