Gigantes plaki: beans in tomato, with 155 calories of oil poured over.
Gigantes plaki is white beans baked in tomato, vegetables and a generous pour of olive oil. Measure the oil and the feta and a bowl goes from 616 to 401 kcal, with the beans still carrying the protein.
- 401 kcal a serving, down from 616 for the classic, with 21 g protein, 63 g carbs and 9 g fat
- 2 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 43 g a serving
- 4 servings, weighed at 1,800 g when finished, from 10 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same gigantes plaki, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 4 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 616 | 401 | −215 |
| Protein g | 24 | 21 | −3 |
| Carbs g | 64 | 63 | −1 |
| Fat g | 32 | 9 | −23 |
| Saturated fat g | 8.4 | 2.9 | −5.5 |
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. Drizzle 20 g of oil, not 90 g
−155 kcal, −18 g fat, −2.5 g saturated fat a serving
The beans and tomatoes carry the flavour. The extra 70 g was 155 kcal a bowl.
2. Crumble 60 g of feta, not 150 g
−60 kcal, −3 g protein, −1 g carbs, −5 g fat, −3.0 g saturated fat a serving
A little salty cheese goes a long way. The other 90 g was 60 kcal and 3.0 g of saturated fat a bowl.
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 21 g protein and 401 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Add 400 g of chicken breast
+120 kcal, +22 g protein, +3 g fat, +0.6 g saturated fat a serving, making 43 g protein a serving
Raw breast, sliced and baked on top, adds 22 g of protein a bowl for 120 kcal.
Serve with 300 g of nonfat Greek yogurt
+46 kcal, +8 g protein, +3 g carbs, +1 g fat, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 29 g protein a serving
A spoonful on each bowl adds 8 g of protein for 46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White beans, canned | 800 g | 912 | 58 | 170 | 2 |
| Tomatoes, crushed, canned | 600 g | 192 | 10 | 44 | 2 |
| Onions, raw | 200 g | 80 | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| Carrots, raw | 99 g | 41 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Celery, raw | 80 g | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Garlic | 15 g | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Olive oil | 20 g | 177 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Parsley, fresh | 20 g | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Dill weed, fresh | 10 g | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Feta cheese | 60 g | 159 | 9 | 2 | 13 |
| Whole recipe | 1,904 g | 1,605 | 83 | 253 | 37 |
| Per serving (4) | 450 g | 401 | 21 | 63 | 9 |
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
Gigantes plaki is a good recipe to build because the beans do the heavy lifting on protein and fibre, and the oil is the only thing that can change a bowl by a third. Weighing it separately shows what a pour really is.
What to weigh
Weigh the beans drained and the vegetables raw. The tray bakes down as the sauce reduces, so the sample weighs 1,800 g from 1,904 g of ingredients and a bowl is 450 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 "beans white canned" and pick the canned entry.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Enter the weight of the drained beans in grams. The sheet shows 912 kcal for the beans, about half of the tray.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the tomatoes, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oil, parsley, dill and feta, then enter 4 servings and 1,800 g. One bowl comes to 401 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods, ready to log by the bowl or any weight.
Tips while you build it
- Dry-baked beans stay whole. Start with a rinsed can and let the tomato do the cooking.
- Pour the oil on at the end, over the top, and weigh it first. A drizzle tastes like more than a pour.
- A bowl is about 450 g. Log by weight when you are measuring.
Go further
- Making the family version? Save a second recipe with 90 g of oil and 150 g of feta.
- Starting from dried beans? Search the library for the dry entry and enter the dry weight.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Gigantes plaki questions.
How many calories are in gigantes plaki?
It depends on the oil and the feta. The sample comes to 401 kcal a bowl made lighter, with 21 g protein, 63 g carbs and 9 g fat, against 616 kcal with 90 g of oil and 150 g of feta.
Are gigantes the same as butter beans?
Gigantes are large white beans. The library has canned white beans, which is the closest entry for a sample.
Is gigantes plaki high in protein?
The beans carry most of it. The page shows two ways to add more.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own greek favourite in Nutrition.