Shrimp scampi: butter and oil are 215 calories a plate.
Shrimp scampi is shrimp and linguine in garlic, wine, lemon and butter, and the shrimp is the lightest thing on the plate. Cut the butter, measure the oil and add tomatoes, and a plate goes from 782 to 567 kcal.
- 567 kcal a serving, down from 782 for the classic, with 47 g protein, 66 g carbs and 12 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 62 g a serving
- 4 servings, weighed at 1,650 g when finished, from 9 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same shrimp scampi, 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 | 782 | 567 | −215 |
| Protein g | 47 | 47 | 0 |
| Carbs g | 64 | 66 | +2 |
| Fat g | 38 | 12 | −26 |
| Saturated fat g | 15.3 | 4.8 | −10.5 |
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. Melt 30 g of butter, not 100 g
−125 kcal, −15 g fat, −9.0 g saturated fat a serving
Butter carries the garlic, but a spoon is enough. The extra 70 g was 125 kcal and 9.0 g of saturated fat a plate.
2. Sear in 15 g of oil, not 60 g
−99 kcal, −11 g fat, −1.5 g saturated fat a serving
The shrimp release their own liquid. The extra oil was 99 kcal a plate.
3. Add cherry tomatoes
+9 kcal, +2 g carbs a serving
A big handful of tomatoes adds bulk and sweetness for 9 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 47 g protein and 567 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 300 g more shrimp
+63 kcal, +15 g protein, +1 g fat, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 62 g protein a serving
Another 300 g of raw shrimp adds 15 g of protein a plate for 63 kcal.
Stir in 300 g of cannellini beans
+86 kcal, +6 g protein, +14 g carbs, +1 g fat a serving, making 53 g protein a serving
Warm drained and rinsed beans add 6 g of protein a plate 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 |
| Pasta, dry, enriched | 320 g | 1,187 | 42 | 239 | 5 |
| Butter, salted | 30 g | 215 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Olive oil | 15 g | 133 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Garlic | 20 g | 30 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Lemon juice | 60 g | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Parsley, fresh | 20 g | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cooking wine | 100 g | 50 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Tomatoes, red, raw | 200 g | 36 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 1,465 g | 2,266 | 188 | 265 | 48 |
| Per serving (4) | 413 g | 567 | 47 | 66 | 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 scampi is a good recipe to build because the shrimp is lean and the sauce is not. Weighing the butter and the oil separately shows how much of a plate is shrimp and how much is the pan.
What to weigh
Weigh the shrimp raw and the pasta dry. The pasta takes up water as it cooks, so the sample bowl weighs 1,650 g from 1,465 g of ingredients and a plate is 413 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 dry linguine, butter, oil, garlic, lemon, parsley, wine and tomatoes, then enter 4 servings and 1,650 g. One plate comes to 567 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods, ready to log by the plate or any weight.
Tips while you build it
- Pat the shrimp dry and cook them for two minutes a side. They finish in the sauce.
- Add a ladle of pasta water to the pan to bring the sauce together. It stretches the butter without more fat.
- A plate is about 413 g. Log by weight when you are measuring.
Go further
- Making the restaurant version? Save a second recipe with 100 g of butter, 60 g of oil and no tomatoes.
- Serving it with bread? Log the bread as a separate food.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Shrimp scampi questions.
How many calories are in shrimp scampi?
It depends on the butter and the oil. The sample comes to 567 kcal a plate made lighter, with 47 g protein, 66 g carbs and 12 g fat, against 782 kcal with 100 g of butter and 60 g of oil.
Is shrimp high in protein?
Yes. Raw shrimp is about a fifth protein by weight, so the plate is already high in protein for its calories.
Do I need the wine?
It adds acidity and little else. Swap it for broth or more lemon and the library figures barely move.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own italian favourite in Nutrition.