Tilapia is one of the most popular white fish in the world, and for good reason: it is naturally low in fat, rich in protein, and mild enough to fit almost any meal plan. This calculator turns a simple serving weight into a complete nutrition breakdown for calories, protein, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sodium, potassium, and iron, using USDA reference values for both cooked and raw fillets.
Select grams, ounces, pounds, or fillets, choose your preparation method, and optionally show % Daily Values based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The tool is ideal for meal prep, macro tracking, low-carb and keto meal planning, and anyone who wants to know exactly what that fillet on their plate provides. Quick-fill buttons make common portions easy, and a reset button lets you start over instantly.
🧮 Tilapia Nutrition Calculator
Step-by-Step Guide
Using the calculator takes less than a minute. Start by typing or selecting your serving amount in the Weight field. Choose the unit that matches your food scale or recipe: grams for precise tracking, ounces for US recipes, pounds for bulk meal prep, or fillets when you are estimating from whole fish. Next, choose whether the fish is raw or cooked. Cooked values apply to baked, broiled, grilled, or dry-heat preparations. Finally, decide whether you want the advanced display to include % Daily Values. Click Calculate nutrition to see the complete breakdown.
When you use the quick-fill buttons, the calculator updates the weight and unit fields for you. You can still fine-tune the exact number before calculating.
How the Nutrition Values Are Calculated
This tool uses reference values from the USDA FoodData Central database for tilapia. Cooked dry heat values are based on a 100 g portion of baked, broiled, or grilled tilapia; raw values are based on a 100 g portion of raw fillet. To find your total for any nutrient, the calculator uses this simple proportion:
For example, cooked tilapia contains 2.7 g of fat per 100 g. A 170 g serving gives 2.7 × 1.70 = 4.6 g of fat. Because tilapia contains no measurable carbohydrate, the carb row will show 0 g for both raw and cooked forms. The percentages in the optional % Daily Value display are based on FDA reference values for adults on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Worked Examples
Example 1: 6 oz cooked fillet. Six ounces equals 170.1 g, so the conversion factor is 1.701. Calories become 128 × 1.701 ≈ 218 kcal, protein becomes 26.1 × 1.701 ≈ 44.4 g, and sodium becomes 52 × 1.701 ≈ 88 mg. This makes tilapia an excellent low-sodium protein source when prepared without added salt.
Example 3: 1 fillet (87 g cooked). Using the fillet unit, the calculator treats one fillet as 87 g. This serving provides roughly 111 kcal, 22.7 g protein, 2.3 g fat, and 0 g carbs — very easy to fit into a high-protein lunch or dinner.
Standard Tilapia Nutrition Reference
The table below compares cooked and raw tilapia per 100 g. Values are rounded and intended for meal planning, not medical advice.
| Nutrient | Cooked per 100 g | Raw per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 128 kcal | 96 kcal |
| Protein | 26.1 g | 20.1 g |
| Total fat | 2.7 g | 1.7 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.9 g | 0.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g | 0 g |
| Sodium | 52 mg | 48 mg |
| Potassium | 319 mg | 302 mg |
| Iron | 0.56 mg | 0.40 mg |
Actual values can vary slightly by farm, season, and cooking method. Fried preparations add oil and breading, which substantially increases fat and calories.
Tips for Accurate Tracking
- Weigh fish raw before cooking for the most consistent tracking, especially if you are counting calories for weight management. If you weigh after cooking, use the cooked values and be consistent each time.
- If you cook with butter, oil, or a marinade, remember to add those calories separately. The calculator covers plain tilapia only.
- Use the same unit every time you log. Switching between grams and ounces can create hidden rounding errors.
- For meal prep, calculate the total batch using grams, then divide by the number of servings.
- If you are pairing tilapia with rice, vegetables, or sauces, calculate those items separately and add the totals together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tilapia good for muscle building? Yes. A 170 g cooked fillet delivers roughly 44 g of protein with only about 218 calories, making it an efficient source of lean protein for athletes and older adults trying to preserve muscle. To compare this with your daily protein target, try the protein-for-weight-loss calculator.
Does cooking change the nutrition? Cooking does not create or destroy significant amounts of protein, fat, or minerals. It removes water, which raises nutrient density per 100 g. That is why cooked values appear higher per gram than raw values.
How many calories are in one cooked tilapia fillet? With the calculator's fillet unit of 87 g, one cooked fillet provides about 111 kcal. A larger 6 oz fillet provides about 218 kcal.
Is tilapia high in sodium? Plain tilapia is low to moderate in sodium: about 52 mg per 100 g cooked. Sodium can rise significantly if it is brined, seasoned, or served with sauces, so check labels on frozen or prepared products.
Can I use this for raw tilapia recipes? Yes. Choose Raw from the preparation menu, and the calculator applies USDA raw values for accurate tracking before cooking.
For the underlying government food data, see the USDA FoodData Central database. For daily value targets used on the nutrition facts label, visit the FDA Daily Value page.