Sayyadieh: the onions brown in oil, but not 88 calories of it.
Sayyadieh is white fish over rice cooked in the brown stock of slow-cooked onions. Brown the onions in less oil, toast fewer pine nuts and measure the rice, and a plate goes from 597 to 438 kcal.
- 438 kcal a serving, down from 597 for the classic, with 33 g protein, 55 g carbs and 10 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 43 g a serving
- 6 servings, weighed at 2,700 g when finished, from 8 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same sayyadieh, 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 | 597 | 438 | −159 |
| Protein g | 34 | 33 | −1 |
| Carbs g | 65 | 55 | −10 |
| Fat g | 23 | 10 | −13 |
| Saturated fat g | 3.4 | 1.8 | −1.6 |
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. Brown the onions in 30 g of oil, not 90 g
−88 kcal, −10 g fat, −1.4 g saturated fat a serving
A medium flame and a splash of water do the work of extra oil. The other 60 g was 88 kcal a plate.
2. Toast 15 g of pine nuts, not 40 g
−28 kcal, −1 g carbs, −3 g fat, −0.2 g saturated fat a serving
A scatter on top is enough. Using fewer saves 28 kcal a plate.
3. Cook 330 g of rice, not 400 g
−43 kcal, −1 g protein, −9 g carbs a serving
A plate of rice is easy to over-fill. 70 g less in the pot saves 43 kcal a plate.
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 33 g protein and 438 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 1,100 g of fish
+46 kcal, +10 g protein, +1 g fat, +0.2 g saturated fat a serving, making 43 g protein a serving
Another 300 g of tilapia adds 10 g of protein a plate for 46 kcal.
Add 300 g of shrimp
+43 kcal, +10 g protein a serving, making 43 g protein a serving
Raw shrimp cooked in the onions adds 10 g of protein a plate for 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tilapia, raw | 810 g | 778 | 163 | 0 | 14 |
| White rice, raw | 330 g | 1,205 | 24 | 264 | 2 |
| Onions, raw | 604 g | 242 | 7 | 56 | 1 |
| Olive oil | 30 g | 265 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Pine nuts, dried | 15 g | 101 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Cumin seed | 6 g | 23 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Cinnamon, ground | 2 g | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Lemon juice | 40 g | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 1,837 g | 2,628 | 197 | 330 | 58 |
| Per serving (6) | 450 g | 438 | 33 | 55 | 10 |
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
Sayyadieh is a good recipe to build because the fish is the easy part. The oil the onions brown in and the rice that soaks up their stock are what change a plate from one kitchen to the next.
What to weigh
Weigh the fish raw and the rice dry, as the library entries describe them. The rice swells as it cooks, so the sample pot weighs 2,700 g from 1,837 g of ingredients and a plate 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. Typing "fish tilapia" lists the entries, each with its calories per 100 g.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Pick the raw tilapia, switch to grams and enter the weight on the scale. The sheet shows 778 kcal for the fish.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the dry rice, onions, oil, pine nuts, cumin, cinnamon and lemon, then enter 6 servings and the 2,700 g of cooked pot. One plate comes to 438 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and log a plate, or any weight of it, from the Add food form.
Tips while you build it
- Brown the onions slowly over a medium flame with a splash of water. They colour the rice as well with 30 g of oil as with 90 g.
- Weigh the rice dry every time. Cooked rice weights vary with how much water it took up.
- A plate is about 450 g. Log by weight when you are measuring, since the rice makes a plate easy to over-fill.
Go further
- Using another white fish? Search the library for cod or sea bass and compare the per serving lines.
- Frying the fish first? Log the oil it takes up as its own food, or save a second recipe with the extra oil.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Sayyadieh (fish and rice) questions.
How many calories are in sayyadieh?
It depends on the oil and the rice. The sample comes to 438 kcal a plate made lighter, with 33 g protein, 55 g carbs and 10 g fat, against 597 kcal with 90 g of oil, 40 g of pine nuts and 400 g of rice.
Why measure the rice?
Rice is the biggest source of calories on the plate, and a scoop is easy to double. Weighing it dry before cooking is the number that repeats.
Can I use a different fish?
Yes. Any firm white fish works; pick its raw library entry and enter the raw weight.
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Keep going.
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- Help: scan, create and recipesThe same steps in the Help Center.
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