Spanakopita: the phyllo is paper, the butter between the sheets is not.
Spanakopita is spinach, feta and egg between sheets of phyllo, and each sheet gets brushed with butter. Brush with oil, use less feta and fold in nonfat cottage cheese, and a slice goes from 332 to 230 kcal.
- 230 kcal a serving, down from 332 for the classic, with 12 g protein, 22 g carbs and 11 g fat
- 4 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 16 g a serving
- 8 servings, weighed at 1,500 g when finished, from 10 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same spanakopita, 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 | 332 | 230 | −102 |
| Protein g | 13 | 12 | −1 |
| Carbs g | 26 | 22 | −4 |
| Fat g | 21 | 11 | −10 |
| Saturated fat g | 11.6 | 3.9 | −7.7 |
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 150 g of feta, not 250 g
−33 kcal, −2 g protein, −3 g fat, −1.7 g saturated fat a serving
Feta is salty, so less goes further. The extra 100 g was 33 kcal and 1.7 g of saturated fat a slice.
2. Fold in nonfat cottage cheese
+13 kcal, +2 g protein, +1 g carbs a serving
It keeps the filling moist and adds 2 g of protein a slice for 13 kcal.
3. Use 200 g of phyllo, not 270 g
−26 kcal, −1 g protein, −5 g carbs, −1 g fat, −0.1 g saturated fat a serving
Fewer sheets still make a crisp case. The other 70 g was 26 kcal a slice.
4. Brush with 30 g of olive oil, not 100 g of butter
−56 kcal, −6 g fat, −5.9 g saturated fat a serving
A thin film of oil crisps the sheets with 56 kcal and 5.9 g of saturated fat less 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 12 g protein and 230 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 450 g of nonfat cottage cheese
+27 kcal, +4 g protein, +3 g carbs, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 16 g protein a serving
Three times the cottage cheese makes a firmer, richer filling: 4 g more protein a slice for 27 kcal.
Beat in 300 g of egg whites
+19 kcal, +4 g protein, +1 g carbs a serving, making 16 g protein a serving
Whites set the filling without yolk: 4 g more protein a slice for 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach, raw | 1,000 g | 230 | 29 | 36 | 4 |
| Feta cheese | 150 g | 398 | 21 | 6 | 32 |
| Cottage cheese, nonfat | 150 g | 108 | 16 | 10 | 0 |
| Eggs, whole, raw | 100 g | 143 | 13 | 1 | 10 |
| Onions, raw | 150 g | 60 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| Spring onions, raw | 60 g | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Dill weed, fresh | 20 g | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Parsley, fresh | 20 g | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Phyllo dough | 200 g | 598 | 14 | 105 | 12 |
| Olive oil | 30 g | 265 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Whole recipe | 1,880 g | 1,837 | 98 | 178 | 88 |
| Per serving (8) | 188 g | 230 | 12 | 22 | 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
Spanakopita is a good recipe to build because the filling is mostly spinach and the pastry is mostly air. What a slice weighs in at depends on the butter between the sheets and the cheese in the filling, and both are easy to measure.
What to weigh
Weigh the spinach raw, before it is wilted and squeezed. The pie bakes and loses water, so the sample weighs 1,500 g from 1,880 g of ingredients and a slice is 188 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. Search "spinach raw" and pick the raw entry.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Switch the portion to grams and enter the weight on the scale. The sheet shows 230 kcal for the spinach, a big pile for a small number.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the feta, cottage cheese, egg, onion, spring onion, dill, parsley, phyllo and oil, then enter 8 servings and 1,500 g. One slice comes to 230 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
- Squeeze the spinach hard after wilting it. Wet spinach makes a soggy base and tempts you to add more filling.
- Brush each sheet with a thin film of oil and weigh what you used. A pastry brush spreads 30 g across a dozen sheets.
- A slice is about 188 g. Log by weight when you are measuring.
Go further
- Making the bakery version? Save a second recipe with 250 g of feta, 270 g of phyllo and 100 g of butter between the sheets.
- Eating it with a salad or yogurt? Log those as their own foods.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Spanakopita questions.
How many calories are in spanakopita?
It depends on the butter and the cheese. The sample comes to 230 kcal a slice made lighter, with 12 g protein, 22 g carbs and 11 g fat, against 332 kcal with 250 g of feta, more phyllo and 100 g of butter.
Does oil crisp phyllo as well as butter?
Nearly. Butter browns a little more, but olive oil gives a crisp, golden crust with a lighter taste.
Why add cottage cheese?
It replaces some of the feta with protein and little else, so the filling stays moist and salty.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own greek favourite in Nutrition.