Kibbeh: the beef and the oil are 102 + 44 calories a slice.
Baked kibbeh is bulgur, beef and onion in two layers, brushed with oil. Use 95% lean beef, fewer pine nuts and 20 g of oil, and a slice goes from 452 to 268 kcal with more protein.
- 268 kcal a serving, down from 452 for the classic, with 23 g protein, 24 g carbs and 9 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 28 g a serving
- 8 servings, weighed at 1,100 g when finished, from 9 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same baked kibbeh, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 8 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 452 | 268 | −184 |
| Protein g | 20 | 23 | +3 |
| Carbs g | 25 | 24 | −1 |
| Fat g | 31 | 9 | −22 |
| Saturated fat g | 8.2 | 2.5 | −5.7 |
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. Buy 95% lean beef, not 80/20
−102 kcal, +4 g protein, −13 g fat, −4.7 g saturated fat a serving
Same 700 g, 102 kcal and 13 g of fat less a slice, and 4 g more protein.
2. Use 25 g of pine nuts, not 70 g
−38 kcal, −1 g protein, −1 g carbs, −4 g fat, −0.3 g saturated fat a serving
Toasted pine nuts are strong. Using fewer saves 38 kcal a slice.
3. Brush with 20 g of oil, not 60 g
−44 kcal, −5 g fat, −0.7 g saturated fat a serving
A thin film browns the top as well as a pour. The extra 40 g was 44 kcal a slice.
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 23 g protein and 268 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 900 g of beef
+34 kcal, +5 g protein, +2 g fat, +0.5 g saturated fat a serving, making 28 g protein a serving
Another 200 g of 95% lean beef adds 5 g of protein a slice for 34 kcal.
Serve with 400 g of nonfat Greek yogurt
+30 kcal, +5 g protein, +2 g carbs, +1 g fat, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 28 g protein a serving
Kibbeh is traditionally eaten with yogurt. 400 g of the nonfat kind adds 5 g of protein a slice for 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgur, dry | 200 g | 684 | 25 | 152 | 3 |
| Beef, ground, 95% lean, raw | 700 g | 959 | 150 | 0 | 35 |
| Onions, raw | 300 g | 120 | 3 | 28 | 0 |
| Pine nuts, dried | 25 g | 168 | 3 | 3 | 17 |
| Olive oil | 20 g | 177 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Allspice, ground | 4 g | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Cinnamon, ground | 3 g | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Black pepper | 2 g | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Parsley, fresh | 30 g | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 1,284 g | 2,142 | 182 | 191 | 75 |
| Per serving (8) | 138 g | 268 | 23 | 24 | 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
Kibbeh is hard to estimate because the shell and the filling are both meat and grain. Building the whole tray as one recipe gives you a slice that already includes both layers, and shows what the lean percentage and the oil really do.
What to weigh
Weigh the bulgur dry and the beef raw. The tray bakes down as the bulgur takes up water and the beef loses fat and juice, so the sample weighs 1,100 g from 1,284 g of ingredients and a slice is 138 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 and search "bulgur dry". Choose the dry entry, since you weigh it before soaking.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Enter the weight on the scale in grams. The sheet shows 684 kcal for the bulgur, about a third of the final tray.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the 95% lean beef, onion, pine nuts, oil, allspice, cinnamon, pepper and parsley, then enter 8 servings and 1,100 g. One slice comes to 268 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and log a slice, or any weight of it, from the Add food form.
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.
- Toast the pine nuts dry in a pan. They taste stronger when toasted, so 25 g goes further than 70 g untoasted.
- Brush the top with a thin film of oil and score the tray before baking so the slices cut cleanly.
Go further
- Building the family-tray version? Save a second recipe with 80/20 beef, 70 g of pine nuts and 60 g of oil, and log the one you served.
- Serving it with yogurt or salad? Log those as separate foods.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Baked kibbeh (kibbeh bil sanieh) questions.
How many calories are in baked kibbeh?
It depends on the beef, the nuts and the oil. The sample comes to 268 kcal a slice made lighter, with 23 g protein, 24 g carbs and 9 g fat, against 452 kcal with 80/20 beef, 70 g of pine nuts and 60 g of oil.
How much does 80/20 vs 95/5 beef change?
In the sample, 102 kcal and 13 g of fat a slice, for the same 700 g of beef across eight slices. It is the largest single swap on the page.
Is baked kibbeh lighter than fried?
Baking needs only a brush of oil, where fried kibbeh sits in a pan of it. This page builds the baked tray.
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.
- Baba ganoush121 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 191 for the classic, with 6 g protein.
- Shish tawook317 kcal a serving made lighter, down from 560 for the classic, with 46 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.