Shrimp saganaki: the shrimp is lean, the feta and oil are the calories.
Shrimp saganaki is shrimp in a tomato sauce with melted feta, and the shrimp is the lightest thing in the pan. Use half the feta and a third of the oil, and a serving goes from 496 to 342 kcal.
- 342 kcal a serving, down from 496 for the classic, with 42 g protein, 19 g carbs and 12 g fat
- 2 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 57 g a serving
- 4 servings, weighed at 1,500 g when finished, from 10 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same shrimp saganaki, 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 | 496 | 342 | −154 |
| Protein g | 46 | 42 | −4 |
| Carbs g | 20 | 19 | −1 |
| Fat g | 27 | 12 | −15 |
| Saturated fat g | 9.0 | 4.3 | −4.7 |
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. Crumble 100 g of feta, not 200 g
−66 kcal, −4 g protein, −1 g carbs, −5 g fat, −3.3 g saturated fat a serving
Half the feta still melts into every bite. The other 100 g was 66 kcal and 3.3 g of saturated fat a serving.
2. Start the sauce in 20 g of oil, not 60 g
−88 kcal, −10 g fat, −1.4 g saturated fat a serving
The tomatoes and the feta bring plenty of body. The extra 40 g was 88 kcal 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 42 g protein and 342 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 300 g more shrimp
+64 kcal, +15 g protein, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 57 g protein a serving
Another 300 g of raw shrimp adds 15 g of protein a serving for 64 kcal.
Stir in 300 g of cannellini beans
+86 kcal, +6 g protein, +14 g carbs, +1 g fat a serving, making 48 g protein a serving
Warm drained and rinsed beans add 6 g of protein a serving for 86 kcal, with fibre.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp, raw | 700 g | 595 | 141 | 0 | 4 |
| Tomatoes, crushed, canned | 600 g | 192 | 10 | 44 | 2 |
| Feta cheese | 100 g | 265 | 14 | 4 | 21 |
| Olive oil | 20 g | 177 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Onions, raw | 150 g | 60 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| Garlic | 12 g | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Parsley, fresh | 21 g | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cooking wine | 80 g | 40 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Oregano, dried | 2 g | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lemon juice | 30 g | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 1,715 g | 1,367 | 169 | 75 | 47 |
| Per serving (4) | 375 g | 342 | 42 | 19 | 12 |
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
Shrimp saganaki is a good recipe to build because the shrimp is almost pure protein. What changes a serving is the oil the sauce starts in and the feta that melts over the top, and both are easy to weigh.
What to weigh
Weigh the shrimp raw, as the library entry describes it. The sauce reduces on the stove, so the sample pan weighs 1,500 g from 1,715 g of ingredients and a serving is 375 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 "shrimp raw" lists the entries.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Pick the raw shrimp, switch to grams and enter what the scale showed. The sheet shows 595 kcal for the shrimp.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the tomatoes, feta, oil, onion, garlic, parsley, wine, oregano and lemon, then enter 4 servings and 1,500 g. One serving comes to 342 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
- Cook the sauce down before the shrimp go in. They need only three or four minutes, and a thick sauce does not need more oil.
- Crumble the feta over the top for the last few minutes under the grill.
- A serving is about 375 g. Log by weight when you are measuring.
Go further
- Making the taverna version? Save a second recipe with 200 g of feta and 60 g of oil.
- Serving it with bread or rice? Log those as their own foods.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Shrimp saganaki questions.
How many calories are in shrimp saganaki?
It depends on the feta and the oil. The sample comes to 342 kcal a serving made lighter, with 42 g protein, 19 g carbs and 12 g fat, against 496 kcal with 200 g of feta and 60 g of oil.
Is shrimp high in protein?
Yes. Raw shrimp is about a fifth protein by weight, so the dish is already high in protein for its calories.
Can I use another seafood?
Yes. Pick its raw library entry and enter the raw weight.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own greek favourite in Nutrition.