Greek meatballs: lamb is 130 calories a serving more than lean beef.
Keftedes are herby meatballs, traditionally lamb and traditionally fried. Use 93% lean beef, bake them and serve them with nonfat tzatziki, and a serving goes from 475 to 279 kcal.
- 279 kcal a serving, down from 475 for the classic, with 29 g protein, 14 g carbs and 11 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 36 g a serving
- 6 servings, weighed at 1,250 g when finished, from 12 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same greek meatballs, 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 | 475 | 279 | −196 |
| Protein g | 21 | 29 | +8 |
| Carbs g | 15 | 14 | −1 |
| Fat g | 36 | 11 | −25 |
| Saturated fat g | 13.0 | 3.7 | −9.3 |
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 93% lean beef, not ground lamb
−130 kcal, +5 g protein, −16 g fat, −7.3 g saturated fat a serving
Same 600 g, 130 kcal and 7.3 g of saturated fat less a serving.
2. Bake with 15 g of oil, not fry in 60 g
−66 kcal, −7 g fat, −1.0 g saturated fat a serving
Frying adds the oil the meatballs sit in. A brushed film saves 66 kcal a serving.
3. Make the tzatziki with nonfat Greek yogurt
0 kcal, +3 g protein, −1 g carbs, −2 g fat, −1.0 g saturated fat a serving
The same 300 g of nonfat yogurt keeps the calories about the same and adds 3 g of protein, with 1.0 g less saturated fat a serving.
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 29 g protein and 279 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Roll 800 g of beef
+51 kcal, +7 g protein, +2 g fat, +1.0 g saturated fat a serving, making 36 g protein a serving
Another 200 g of 93% lean beef adds 7 g of protein a serving for 51 kcal.
Use 600 g of nonfat Greek yogurt
+31 kcal, +5 g protein, +2 g carbs, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 34 g protein a serving
Double the tzatziki gives every serving a bigger spoon and 5 g more protein for 31 kcal.
Ground meat: read the lean percentage, not the animal.
The number on the pack moves the calories more than the animal does. A 96/4 pack sits between the 95% and 97% entries: choose the closer one, or scan the barcode.
| Ground meat, per 4 oz raw, 113 g | kcal | Protein g | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, 80% lean (80/20) | 287 | 19 | 23 | 8.6 |
| Beef, 85% lean | 243 | 21 | 17 | 6.5 |
| Beef, 90% lean | 199 | 23 | 11 | 4.4 |
| Beef, 93% lean | 172 | 24 | 8 | 3.3 |
| Beef, 95% lean | 155 | 24 | 6 | 2.5 |
| Beef, 97% lean | 137 | 25 | 3 | 1.7 |
| Turkey, 85% lean | 203 | 19 | 14 | 3.9 |
| Turkey, 93% lean | 170 | 21 | 9 | 2.5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, ground, 93% lean, raw | 600 g | 912 | 125 | 0 | 42 |
| Bread crumbs, plain | 60 g | 237 | 8 | 43 | 3 |
| Eggs, whole, raw | 50 g | 72 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| Onions, raw | 150 g | 60 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| Parsley, fresh | 30 g | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Spearmint, fresh | 15 g | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Garlic | 12 g | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Oregano, dried | 4 g | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Olive oil | 15 g | 133 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 300 g | 183 | 31 | 11 | 1 |
| Cucumber, raw | 150 g | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Lemon juice | 30 g | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 1,416 g | 1,675 | 175 | 84 | 66 |
| Per serving (6) | 208 g | 279 | 29 | 14 | 11 |
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
Keftedes are a good recipe to build because the meat and the cooking fat are the whole story. Lamb or beef, fried or baked, and a whole-milk or nonfat tzatziki are three decisions you can weigh.
What to weigh
Weigh the meat raw. The meatballs shrink as they bake, so the sample with its tzatziki weighs 1,250 g from 1,416 g of ingredients and a serving is 208 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. Typing "beef ground 93%" lists the entries by lean percentage.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Pick the 93% lean raw entry, switch to grams and enter what the scale showed. The sheet shows 912 kcal for the meat.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the crumbs, egg, onion, herbs, garlic, oregano, oil and the tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber and lemon), then enter 6 servings and 1,250 g. One serving comes to 279 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods, ready to log by the serving or any weight.
Tips while you build it
- Read the lean percentage on the pack and pick the library entry that matches. A 96/4 pack sits between the 95% and 97% entries; choose the closer one, or scan its barcode.
- Grate the onion into the mix so it keeps the meatballs moist. Lean meat needs the moisture.
- Bake on a rack at a high heat, turning once. A serving is about 208 g.
Go further
- Making the lamb version? Search the library for ground lamb, save it as a second recipe with 60 g of frying oil and whole-milk yogurt.
- Serving them in pita? Log the pita as its own food.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Greek meatballs (keftedes) questions.
How many calories are in Greek meatballs?
It depends on the meat and the cooking fat. The sample comes to 279 kcal a serving made lighter, with 29 g protein, 14 g carbs and 11 g fat, against 475 kcal with lamb, 60 g of frying oil and whole-milk yogurt.
Can I use lean lamb?
The library has ground lamb entries. Pick the one that matches the pack and compare the per serving lines.
Why bake instead of fry?
Frying adds the oil the meatballs sit in. A rack in a hot oven browns them with a brushed film.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own greek favourite in Nutrition.