Thanksgiving Calorie Calculator: Build Your Plate
A classic Thanksgiving plate is about 1,768 calories with 77g of protein by USDA numbers. A light plate is about 616, and seconds with two slices of pie about 4,070. Tap your dishes, set your portions, and see your own plate.
Turkey
Sides, bread and sauces
Pie and dessert
Drinks
Your plate, dish by dish
Log this plate in one sentence. Paste it into Nouri, then fix anything that is not your family's recipe.
It is one meal with people you love. Enjoy it, and let the week tell the real story.
How the calculator works
Every dish uses a USDA FoodData Central value per 100 grams, times USDA's own portion weight. Calories for a dish are that per-gram value times the grams on your plate, and the plate total is the sum, rounded once at the end. Protein, carbs and fat are worked out the same way.
Portions come from USDA's household measures: a cup of mashed potatoes is 210g (so a half cup scoop is 105g), a cup of stuffing 200g, a slice of canned cranberry sauce 57g, and a regular slice of pie 150g, which is one eighth of the 1,200g USDA lists for an 8 to 9 inch pie. A mini slice is half of that, so the pie steppers move in half slices. Turkey moves in 1.5 oz steps.
A worked example: the classic plate
3 oz white meat with skin (85g x 1.77 = 150.5) + 3 oz dark meat with skin (85g x 2.06 = 175.1) + 1 cup mashed potatoes (210g x 1.13 = 237.3) + 1/2 cup gravy (119g x 0.51 = 60.7) + 1 cup bread stuffing (200g x 1.77 = 354.0) + 1/2 cup green bean casserole (64.4) + 1/2 cup sweet potato casserole (123.8) + 1 slice cranberry sauce (90.6) + 1 roll (86.8) + 1 pat of butter (35.9) + 1 regular slice of pumpkin pie (373.5) + 2 tbsp whipped cream (15.4) = 1,767.9, about 1,768 calories, with 77.2g protein, 207.4g carbs and 69.3g fat.
That matches our Thanksgiving dinner calories guide exactly. The guide rounds each row before adding, and this tool rounds once at the end, so a few totals move by a calorie or a tenth of a gram: the seconds plate is 4,071 there and 4,070 here.
Three ready-made plates
Tap a preset above to load one, then change anything. These are the same three plates as the guide.
| Plate | What is on it | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light plate | White meat, small scoops of mashed potatoes, gravy and green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, a mini slice of pumpkin pie | 616 | 35.4g | 79.1g | 17.4g |
| Classic plate | White and dark meat with skin, 1 cup each of mashed potatoes and stuffing, 1/2 cup gravy, two casseroles, cranberry sauce, a buttered roll, pumpkin pie with whipped cream | 1,768 | 77.2g | 207.4g | 69.3g |
| Seconds + pie | The classic plate twice for the main course, plus a cup of mac and cheese and a slice each of pumpkin and pecan pie | 4,070 | 171.1g | 434.8g | 180.1g |
The jump from classic to seconds is mostly stuffing, mac and cheese and the second slice of pie, not the turkey. If you want the pie numbers side by side, our Thanksgiving pie calories guide compares every slice.
Every dish, per portion
Values per one tap of the stepper, by USDA FoodData Central. Carbs and fat do not add up to a drink's calories because alcohol carries 7 calories per gram on its own.
| Dish | Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey, white meat, no skin | 3 oz (85g) | 125 | 25.6g | 0.0g | 1.8g |
| Turkey, white meat, with skin | 3 oz (85g) | 150 | 25.2g | 0.0g | 4.7g |
| Turkey, dark meat, no skin | 3 oz (85g) | 147 | 23.5g | 0.0g | 5.1g |
| Turkey, dark meat, with skin | 3 oz (85g) | 175 | 23.2g | 0.1g | 8.5g |
| Extra roasted turkey skin | 1 oz (28g) | 129 | 6.7g | 0.2g | 11.0g |
| Bread stuffing | 1/2 cup (100g) | 177 | 3.1g | 21.7g | 8.5g |
| Cornbread stuffing | 1/2 cup (100g) | 179 | 2.9g | 21.9g | 8.8g |
| Mashed potatoes (milk and butter) | 1/2 cup (105g) | 119 | 2.0g | 17.6g | 4.4g |
| Turkey gravy | 1/4 cup (59.5g) | 30 | 1.5g | 3.0g | 1.2g |
| Green bean casserole | 1/2 cup (115g) | 64 | 2.3g | 8.1g | 2.5g |
| Sweet potato casserole | 1/2 cup (125g) | 124 | 2.4g | 21.5g | 3.2g |
| Candied sweet potatoes | 1/2 cup (125g) | 234 | 1.5g | 47.1g | 4.4g |
| Mac and cheese | 1/2 cup (115g) | 256 | 10.0g | 26.5g | 12.1g |
| Corn | 1/2 cup (74.5g) | 72 | 2.5g | 15.6g | 1.1g |
| Cranberry sauce | slice (57g) | 91 | 0.5g | 23.0g | 0.1g |
| Dinner roll | roll (28g) | 87 | 3.1g | 14.6g | 1.8g |
| Butter | pat (5g) | 36 | 0.0g | 0.0g | 4.1g |
| Pumpkin pie | regular slice (150g) | 374 | 7.1g | 54.5g | 14.7g |
| Pecan pie | regular slice (150g) | 674 | 9.0g | 74.2g | 37.9g |
| Apple pie | regular slice (150g) | 444 | 4.1g | 56.3g | 22.9g |
| Whipped cream (can) | 2 tbsp (6g) | 15 | 0.2g | 0.8g | 1.3g |
| Red wine | 5 fl oz glass (147g) | 125 | 0.1g | 3.8g | 0.0g |
| White wine | 5 fl oz glass (147g) | 121 | 0.1g | 3.8g | 0.0g |
| Apple cider (non-alcoholic) | 1 cup (8 fl oz) (248g) | 114 | 0.2g | 28.0g | 0.3g |
| Hard cider | 12 fl oz (360g) | 202 | 0.0g | 21.3g | 0.0g |
What the numbers do not see
The stuffings, casseroles, candied sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, pies and ciders come from FNDDS, USDA's survey database, where each entry is one typical recipe. USDA's green bean casserole is green beans, cream of mushroom soup and milk, with no fried onion topping. Its sweet potato casserole has no marshmallows or pecan crumble. If yours has them, it runs higher, and the candied sweet potato row is a closer guide.
The gravy is USDA's canned turkey gravy at 30 calories per quarter cup. A pan gravy made from drippings and butter is richer. Roasted turkey skin on its own is 129 calories per ounce, so the extra skin stepper is there for the person who goes back for the crispy bits.
Cooking at home from your own recipe? Put the ingredients into the recipe calorie calculator and divide by servings for a number that matches your family's version.
Related tools and guides
Curious what a big day means over a week? The calorie overage calculator puts one feast in context, and how to not gain weight during the holidays covers the whole season from Thanksgiving to New Year's. For Friday, there are Thanksgiving leftovers calories for the turkey sandwich, and a look at how much moving a Black Friday shopping trip adds up to. The full dish-by-dish guide is Thanksgiving dinner calories.
FAQ
How many calories are in a Thanksgiving plate?
A classic plate with white and dark turkey, a cup each of mashed potatoes and stuffing, gravy, two casseroles, cranberry sauce, a buttered roll and a slice of pumpkin pie is about 1,768 calories by USDA numbers. A light plate is about 616, and seconds with pumpkin and pecan pie is about 4,070.
How many calories in Thanksgiving turkey with skin?
Three ounces of roasted white meat with skin is 150 calories, and dark meat with skin is 175. Without skin, the same 3 ounces are 125 and 147. Extra roasted skin on its own is 129 calories per ounce.
How many calories in a slice of pumpkin pie?
A regular 150g slice of pumpkin pie, one eighth of a 9 inch pie, is 374 calories by USDA's typical recipe, and a mini slice is 187. Apple pie is 444 for the same slice and pecan pie is 674. Two tablespoons of whipped cream from a can add about 15.
How many calories in a scoop of stuffing?
Half a cup of bread stuffing is 177 calories and cornbread stuffing is 179, by USDA's typical recipes, so a full cup is about 354 to 358. Versions with sausage or extra butter run higher.
How many calories in mashed potatoes and gravy?
Half a cup of mashed potatoes made with whole milk and butter is 119 calories, and a quarter cup of canned turkey gravy adds 30, so about 149 together. A full cup with half a cup of gravy is about 298. Pan gravy made with butter is higher.
How much protein is in Thanksgiving dinner?
The classic plate has about 77g of protein, most of it from 6 ounces of turkey. The light plate has about 35g and the seconds plate about 171g. Turkey and mac and cheese carry the protein; most other sides are starch and fat.
How many calories in green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole?
Half a cup of green bean casserole is 64 calories and half a cup of sweet potato casserole is 124, by USDA's typical recipes without crispy onions or marshmallows. Candied sweet potatoes are 234 per half cup.
How many calories in wine or cider at Thanksgiving?
A 5 fl oz glass of red wine is 125 calories and white wine is 121, by USDA. A cup of non-alcoholic apple cider is 114, and a 12 fl oz hard cider is 202. Holiday pours are often bigger than 5 ounces, so count glasses and round up.
Are these numbers right for my family's recipes?
They are USDA averages and typical recipes, so they are a solid starting point, not your grandmother's exact stuffing. Toppings like fried onions, marshmallows and pecan crumble, and extra butter in the potatoes, all push a dish higher. For a homemade dish, the recipe calorie calculator gets closer.
Does one big Thanksgiving dinner matter?
One meal is one day inside a week. Even the 4,070 calorie seconds plate is 2,070 over a 2,000 calorie day, about 296 a day spread across a week. Enjoy the meal, log it honestly, and go back to your usual meals the next day.
What is the easiest way to track Thanksgiving dinner calories?
Say or type the plate in Nouri as one sentence, like "turkey with skin, a cup of stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, pecan pie." You get calories and macros item by item with the reasoning shown, and you can add "pan gravy with butter" or "big slice" and recalculate. You can also say "Hey Siri, track food in Nouri" from the lock screen.
Sources
All foods: USDA FoodData Central (checked Nov 5, 2026). SR Legacy foods are lab-based single foods; FNDDS foods are USDA's typical recipe values. Portion weights are USDA's household measures for each food.
| In the calculator | USDA name | Database | FDC ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey, white meat, no skin | Turkey, all classes, light meat, cooked, roasted | SR Legacy | 171491 |
| Turkey, white meat, with skin | Turkey, whole, light meat, meat and skin, cooked, roasted | SR Legacy | 171089 |
| Turkey, dark meat, no skin | Turkey, whole, dark meat, cooked, roasted | SR Legacy | 171091 |
| Turkey, dark meat, with skin | Turkey, whole, dark meat, meat and skin, cooked, roasted | SR Legacy | 171489 |
| Extra roasted turkey skin | Turkey, whole, skin (light and dark), roasted | SR Legacy | 171082 |
| Bread stuffing | Bread stuffing | FNDDS | 2707687 |
| Cornbread stuffing | Cornbread stuffing | FNDDS | 2707812 |
| Mashed potatoes (milk and butter) | Potatoes, mashed, home-prepared, whole milk and butter added | SR Legacy | 168555 |
| Turkey gravy | Gravy, turkey, canned, ready-to-serve | SR Legacy | 171568 |
| Green bean casserole | Green bean casserole | FNDDS | 2710040 |
| Sweet potato casserole | Sweet potato, casserole or mashed | FNDDS | 2709708 |
| Candied sweet potatoes | Sweet potato, candied | FNDDS | 2709704 |
| Mac and cheese | Macaroni or noodles with cheese | FNDDS | 2708811 |
| Corn | Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | SR Legacy | 169999 |
| Cranberry sauce | Cranberry sauce, canned, sweetened | SR Legacy | 173961 |
| Dinner roll | Rolls, dinner, plain, commercially prepared | SR Legacy | 172793 |
| Butter | Butter, salted | SR Legacy | 173410 |
| Pumpkin pie | Pie, pumpkin | FNDDS | 2708011 |
| Pecan pie | Pie, pecan | FNDDS | 2708015 |
| Apple pie | Pie, apple | FNDDS | 2707995 |
| Whipped cream (can) | Cream, whipped, cream topping, pressurized | SR Legacy | 170860 |
| Red wine | Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, red | SR Legacy | 173190 |
| White wine | Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, white | SR Legacy | 174837 |
| Apple cider (non-alcoholic) | Apple cider | FNDDS | 2709319 |
| Hard cider | Hard cider | FNDDS | 2710621 |
- USDA FoodData Central (checked Nov 5, 2026): fdc.nal.usda.gov
- Plate definitions: Nouri, Thanksgiving Dinner Calories, built from the same USDA records.