Baba ganoush: the eggplant is the dip, the tahini is the calories.
Roasted eggplant is almost no calories, so the tahini and the oil decide what a spoonful of baba ganoush weighs in at. Halve the tahini, drop most of the oil and fold in nonfat Greek yogurt, and a serving goes from 191 to 121 kcal.
- 121 kcal a serving, down from 191 for the classic, with 6 g protein, 16 g carbs and 5 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 17 g a serving
- 6 servings, weighed at 1,000 g when finished, from 8 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same baba ganoush, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 6 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 191 | 121 | −70 |
| Protein g | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| Carbs g | 17 | 16 | −1 |
| Fat g | 13 | 5 | −8 |
| Saturated fat g | 1.9 | 0.8 | −1.1 |
Saturated fat comes from the same USDA entries; the recipe sheet itself shows calories, protein, carbs and fat. Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice.
Swap by swap.
Each change in turn, from the classic to the lighter version, and what it does to one serving.
1. Use 45 g of tahini, not 90 g
−45 kcal, −1 g protein, −2 g carbs, −4 g fat, −0.6 g saturated fat a serving
Tahini is the densest thing in the bowl. Halving it saves 45 kcal and 4 g of fat a serving.
2. Finish with 5 g of oil, not 30 g
−37 kcal, −4 g fat, −0.5 g saturated fat a serving
A drizzle on top is plenty. The rest was 37 kcal a serving.
3. Fold in nonfat Greek yogurt
+12 kcal, +2 g protein, +1 g carbs a serving
Adding 120 g of yogurt gives the dip body and tang for 12 kcal a serving, and it adds 2 g of protein.
More protein, if you need it.
Hitting a protein target is the hard part for most people. Each option is added to the lighter version on its own, with what it does to a serving of 6 g protein and 121 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 360 g of nonfat Greek yogurt
+25 kcal, +4 g protein, +1 g carbs a serving, making 10 g protein a serving
Three times the yogurt makes a creamier, tangier dip with 4 g more protein a serving for 25 kcal.
Serve it with 300 g of grilled chicken
+60 kcal, +11 g protein, +2 g fat, +0.3 g saturated fat a serving, making 17 g protein a serving
Weighed raw and grilled on skewers beside the dip, 300 g of breast adds 11 g of protein a serving for 60 kcal.
Oil and fat: the type changes the fat, the amount changes the calories.
The three oils below are each 884 kcal per 100 g, and ghee is within a few calories of them. Swapping one for another moves the saturated fat, not the calories; using less is what saves them. Butter is lower per gram only because part of it is water.
| Fat, per tablespoon, 14 g | kcal | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 124 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Canola oil | 124 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Avocado oil | 124 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 123 | 14 | 8.7 |
| Butter, salted | 100 | 11 | 7.2 |
The sample data
These are the amounts of the lighter version used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggplant, raw | 1,200 g | 300 | 12 | 71 | 2 |
| Tahini | 45 g | 268 | 8 | 10 | 24 |
| Lemon juice | 60 g | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Garlic | 12 g | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Olive oil | 5 g | 44 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 120 g | 73 | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| Parsley, fresh | 10 g | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cumin seed | 2 g | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 1,454 g | 728 | 33 | 95 | 31 |
| Per serving (6) | 167 g | 121 | 6 | 16 | 5 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
A dip is easy to log wrong because nobody eats a measured serving of it. Building it as a recipe gives you a per-gram figure, so a scoop on the plate and a scoop with pita are both a weighed amount.
What to weigh
Weigh the eggplant raw, before roasting. The pulp loses a lot of water in the oven, so the sample dip weighs 1,000 g from 1,454 g of ingredients and a serving is 167 g.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Open Add food, choose Create a recipe and name it, then choose Add ingredient. Search "eggplant raw" and pick the raw entry.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Switch the portion to grams and enter the weight on the scale. The sheet shows 300 kcal for the eggplant, which is most of the volume and little of the energy.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the tahini, lemon, garlic, oil, yogurt, parsley and cumin, then enter 6 servings and the 1,000 g of dip you weighed. A serving comes to 121 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and log a serving, or any weight of it, from the Add food form.
Tips while you build it
- Char the skin properly over a flame or under the grill and let the eggplant drain in a colander. Watery pulp makes a thin dip that needs more tahini to hold together.
- Beat the tahini with the lemon first until it turns pale, then fold in the pulp. It spreads further that way.
- Weigh the dip when you serve it. A serving is about 167 g, which is a heaped tablespoon or two, not a bowl.
Go further
- Making the full-tahini version for guests? Save it as a second recipe with 90 g of tahini and 30 g of oil.
- Serving it with pita or vegetables? Log those as their own foods instead of editing the dip.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Baba ganoush questions.
How many calories are in baba ganoush?
It depends on the tahini and the oil. The sample comes to 121 kcal a serving made lighter, with 6 g protein, 16 g carbs and 5 g fat, against 191 kcal with 90 g of tahini and 30 g of oil.
Is baba ganoush the same as hummus?
No. Hummus is chickpeas and tahini; baba ganoush is roasted eggplant and tahini, which is why it can be so much lower in calories before the oil goes in.
Does yogurt belong in baba ganoush?
Many cooks add a spoonful. Here it replaces some of the richness of the tahini, and the page shows exactly what that does to a serving.
More example recipes.
- Hummus bi tahini145 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 211 for the classic, with 6 g protein.
- Mujadara286 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 337 for the classic, with 13 g protein.
- Chicken shawarma (oven tray)309 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 444 for the classic, with 50 g protein.
- Kafta162 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 289 for the classic, with 22 g protein.
- Tabbouleh102 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 178 for the classic, with 4 g protein.
- Fattoush166 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 281 for the classic, with 6 g protein.
- Shish tawook317 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 560 for the classic, with 46 g protein.
- Baked kibbeh (kibbeh bil sanieh)268 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 452 for the classic, with 23 g protein.
- Sayyadieh (fish and rice)438 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 597 for the classic, with 33 g protein.
- Chana masala288 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 307 for the classic, with 13 g protein.
- Dal tadka241 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 265 for the classic, with 14 g protein.
- Butter chicken314 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 442 for the classic, with 46 g protein.
- Spaghetti bolognese446 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 564 for the classic, with 31 g protein.
- Chicken cacciatore385 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 639 for the classic, with 48 g protein.
- Turkey chili315 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 430 for the classic, with 27 g protein.
- Homemade cheeseburgers363 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 500 for the classic, with 35 g protein.
- Chicken biryani464 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 617 for the classic, with 32 g protein.
- Rajma masala290 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 364 for the classic, with 17 g protein.
- Tandoori chicken357 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 617 for the classic, with 53 g protein.
- Chicken fajitas449 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 639 for the classic, with 46 g protein.
- Chicken burrito bowl613 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 767 for the classic, with 48 g protein.
- Chicken souvlaki329 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 605 for the classic, with 49 g protein.
- Chicken teriyaki559 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 774 for the classic, with 44 g protein.
- Beef and broccoli529 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 676 for the classic, with 46 g protein.
- Palak paneer331 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 500 for the classic, with 19 g protein.
- Chicken tikka masala373 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 698 for the classic, with 49 g protein.
- Keema matar282 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 476 for the classic, with 31 g protein.
- Aloo gobi218 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 353 for the classic, with 7 g protein.
- Lasagna511 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 646 for the classic, with 41 g protein.
- Chicken parmesan481 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 677 for the classic, with 57 g protein.
- Fettuccine Alfredo492 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 869 for the classic, with 20 g protein.
- Spaghetti carbonara483 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 653 for the classic, with 30 g protein.
- Spaghetti and meatballs548 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 729 for the classic, with 38 g protein.
- Minestrone318 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 436 for the classic, with 19 g protein.
- Shrimp scampi567 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 782 for the classic, with 47 g protein.
- Mushroom risotto478 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 706 for the classic, with 19 g protein.
- Moussaka286 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 563 for the classic, with 22 g protein.
- Spanakopita230 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 332 for the classic, with 12 g protein.
- Greek salad (horiatiki)185 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 351 for the classic, with 6 g protein.
- Greek lemon chicken and potatoes510 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 873 for the classic, with 50 g protein.
- Avgolemono soup274 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 403 for the classic, with 30 g protein.
- Gigantes plaki401 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 616 for the classic, with 21 g protein.
- Greek meatballs (keftedes)279 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 475 for the classic, with 29 g protein.
- Pastitsio460 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 657 for the classic, with 29 g protein.
- Shrimp saganaki342 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 496 for the classic, with 42 g protein.
Keep going.
- Recipe builderWhat the builder does, and every example recipe in one place.
- Lebanese food caloriesPer 100 g tables for the dishes the food library finds.
- Nutrition and macro trackingBarcodes, label reading, targets that follow your weigh-ins.
- Help: scan, create and recipesThe same steps in the Help Center.
Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own lebanese favourite in Nutrition.