How many calories are in borscht: a macro table

Calories in borscht per 100 grams

On average, borscht made with meat broth contains about 45–60 kcal per 100 grams. A meatless borscht (no meat and no oil-sautéed vegetables) is lighter — around 30–40 kcal per 100 grams. A tablespoon of sour cream adds roughly another 25–30 kcal to the bowl.

These are reference values, not exact figures: every cook has their own recipe, and the actual calorie count of your bowl can differ noticeably.

Borscht macro table (approximate)

Approximate values for beef borscht, without sour cream:

• per 100 g: ≈50 kcal, protein ≈2.5 g, fat ≈2.5 g, carbs ≈4 g;
• 250 g portion: ≈125 kcal;
• 300 g portion: ≈150 kcal;
• + a spoon of 20% sour cream (≈20 g): ≈40 kcal;
• meatless borscht, 300 g: ≈100–120 kcal.

What affects the calorie count

The main factors that push the number up or down:

• the meat and its fat content — borscht made with fatty pork is more caloric than with lean beef or chicken;
• sautéed vegetables — vegetables fried in oil add fat, and with it, calories;
• potatoes and their amount — this is carbs;
• sour cream and bread served with borscht — these add to the bowl separately;
• thickness — the more solids and less broth, the higher the calorie count of the portion.

How to make borscht lighter

If you want to lower the calorie count, simple swaps help: lean meat or chicken instead of fatty pork, adding vegetables fresh or lightly simmered instead of frying them, less potato, and reduced-fat sour cream or swapping it for plain unsweetened yogurt.

That said, borscht is already a fairly "moderate" dish calorie-wise — thanks to the large volume of vegetables and broth, it's filling without being too caloric.

How to calculate your own bowl

Since everyone's recipe is different, the most accurate numbers come from your specific portion. Take a photo of your bowl in Calvero: the service will estimate calories and macros from the picture, and if something's off about the portion or ingredients, correct it with text ("with sour cream", "double portion") and the calculation will be redone.

You can count in the browser or right in Telegram. There's a free trial with a few analyses included — no card required.