A standard serving of oatmeal, 1/2 cup of dry rolled oats (40 g), has 154 calories, 5 g protein, 3 g fat, 27 g carbs and 4 g fiber (USDA). Cooked in water, it makes about 1 cup of oatmeal.
Plain oats have almost no sugar or sodium. What changes the numbers is what goes in the pot and on top: milk, fruit, nut butter or a flavored packet can take the same bowl from 150 to 400 calories.
Key takeaways
- 1/2 cup dry rolled oats: 154 calories, 5.3 g protein, 27.4 g carbs, 4.1 g fiber, 0.4 g sugar.
- Per 100 g dry: 379 calories, 13 g protein, 68 g carbs, 10 g fiber.
- Rolled, steel-cut and plain instant oats are nearly identical by weight.
- Flavored packets add about 13 g of sugar and 200 mg of sodium.
- Toppings decide the total: a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter add about 200 calories.
Oatmeal nutrition facts per serving
Rolled or quick oats, from USDA FoodData Central. The dry column is what most labels use; the cooked column is oatmeal made with water and no salt.
| Nutrient | 1/2 cup dry (40.5 g) | 1 cup cooked (234 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 154 | 166 |
| Protein (g) | 5.3 | 5.9 |
| Total fat (g) | 2.6 | 3.6 |
| Saturated fat (g) | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 27.4 | 28.1 |
| Fiber (g) | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| Sugars (g) | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Sodium (mg) | 2 | 9 |
| Potassium (mg) | 147 | 164 |
Half a cup of dry oats also gives about 64% of the Daily Value for manganese, 21% for selenium, 16% for thiamin, 13% each for magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, and 10% for iron.
Cooked oatmeal is about 84% water, so it has only 71 calories per 100 g. That is why "1 cup of oatmeal" can mean 166 or 307 calories depending on whether the cup is cooked or dry.
Oatmeal calories by type
| Type | Serving | Calories | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugars (g) | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolled or quick oats, dry | 1/2 cup (40.5 g) | 154 | 5.3 | 27.4 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 2 |
| Steel-cut oats, dry | 1/4 cup (40 g) | 152 | 5.0 | 27.9 | n/a | n/a | 0 |
| Instant oats, plain, dry | 1 packet (28 g) | 101 | 3.3 | 19.5 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 62 |
| Instant, maple and brown sugar, dry | 1 packet (43 g) | 158 | 4.0 | 33.1 | 3.1 | 12.9 | 218 |
| Oatmeal, cooked with water | 1 cup (234 g) | 166 | 5.9 | 28.1 | 4.0 | 0.6 | 9 |
Steel-cut oats are denser, so 1/4 cup of steel-cut weighs about the same as 1/2 cup of rolled oats. USDA's steel-cut entry doesn't report fiber or sugar, so those cells are blank. For texture, cooking time and fiber, see rolled oats vs steel-cut oats.
Oats calories by weight
Dry rolled oats. Use this if you weigh your oats, which is more accurate than a measuring cup.
| Dry weight | Calories | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 g | 114 | 3.9 | 20.3 | 3.0 |
| 40 g | 152 | 5.3 | 27.1 | 4.0 |
| 45 g | 171 | 5.9 | 30.5 | 4.5 |
| 60 g | 227 | 7.9 | 40.6 | 6.1 |
| 80 g | 303 | 10.5 | 54.2 | 8.1 |
| 100 g | 379 | 13.2 | 67.7 | 10.1 |
How much sugar does oatmeal have?
Plain oats have about 1 g of sugar per 100 g, so a 1/2 cup serving has 0.4 g. Any sweetness in a bowl of oatmeal comes from what you add. A maple and brown sugar instant packet has about 13 g of sugar, and the same is true of a tablespoon of maple syrup (12 g) or brown sugar (13 g) stirred into plain oats.
If you like flavored packets, a plain packet plus a teaspoon of honey (21 calories, about 6 g sugar) gives you control over how sweet it gets.
Oatmeal with water vs milk
Per 1/2 cup of liquid, from USDA. A typical bowl uses about 1 cup of liquid for 1/2 cup of oats, so double these if you use milk for all of it.
| Liquid, 1/2 cup | Calories | Protein (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unsweetened almond milk | 18 | 0.5 | 1.2 |
| Unsweetened soy milk | 40 | 3.5 | 2.0 |
| Skim milk | 42 | 4.1 | 0.1 |
| 2% milk | 61 | 4.0 | 2.4 |
| Whole milk | 74 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
Skim milk adds the most protein per calorie. Our milk calories comparison covers every dairy and plant milk per cup.
Oatmeal toppings: calories
| Topping | Amount | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueberries | 1/2 cup (74 g) | 42 | 1.8 g fiber |
| Chia seeds | 1 tbsp (12 g) | 58 | 4.1 g fiber, 2 g protein |
| Banana | 1 medium (118 g) | 105 | 3.1 g fiber |
| Peanut butter | 1 tbsp (16 g) | 96 | 3.6 g protein |
| Walnuts | 1 oz (28 g) | 185 | 18.5 g fat |
| Honey | 1 tsp (7 g) | 21 | 5.7 g sugar |
| Maple syrup | 1 tbsp (20 g) | 52 | 12 g sugar |
| Brown sugar, packed | 1 tbsp (13.8 g) | 52 | 13 g sugar |
A worked example: 1/2 cup oats cooked with 1/2 cup 2% milk and 1/2 cup water, topped with half a banana and 1 tbsp peanut butter, comes to about 363 calories and 13.5 g protein. Weighing the peanut butter matters most, since a heaped spoon can be twice a level one.
Is oatmeal good for weight loss?
Plain oatmeal suits a calorie deficit: 1/2 cup of oats gives 4 g of fiber and a large, warm bowl for about 150 calories. Oats are also one of the few foods with an FDA-authorized heart health claim. Foods that provide at least 0.75 g of oat beta-glucan per serving can state that 3 g a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.
To keep oatmeal working for you:
- Measure the oats. Pouring from the bag is the easiest way to drift from 40 g to 70 g.
- Add protein, not just sugar. Oats alone have 5 g of protein. Cook them in milk or stir in Greek yogurt to make the bowl more filling.
- Count the toppings. Nut butter and syrup are where most of the extra calories come from.
For a week of oat-based breakfasts, see our meal prep breakfast ideas. The calorie deficit calculator sets your daily target, and the macro calculator shows where a bowl of oatmeal fits. If you manage diabetes or high cholesterol, talk to your doctor about how oats fit your plan.
Nutrify lets you log a bowl of oatmeal from a photo or by typing each ingredient. It has a 7-day free trial, then a paid subscription.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, oats: oats, regular and quick, dry, FDC 173904; oats, cooked with water, FDC 173905; oats, steel cut, FDC 2346397; instant oats, plain, dry, FDC 171661; Quaker Instant Oatmeal, maple and brown sugar, FDC 173907.
- USDA FoodData Central, liquids: whole milk, FDC 171265; 2% milk, FDC 171267; skim milk, FDC 171269; almond milk, unsweetened, FDC 174832; soymilk, unsweetened, FDC 175215.
- USDA FoodData Central, toppings: banana, FDC 173944; blueberries, FDC 171711; peanut butter, FDC 174266; walnuts, FDC 170187; chia seeds, FDC 170554; honey, FDC 169640; maple syrup, FDC 169661; brown sugar, FDC 168833.
- U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 101.81, soluble fiber from certain foods and risk of coronary heart disease.
- U.S. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label.
