Calories in Risotto

As we all know any food or dish that tastes good, inadvertently has loads of calories that is bad for our health as well as our waistline. One such dish is the creamy risotto. This Italian dish is the quintessential comfort food, that has all the characteristic that a comfort food should have. It has loads of cheese and butter, and is hot and delicious in its creaminess.

There are many types of risottos available, and the calorific content varies accordingly. The ones with mushroom or lemon have comparatively less calories, than those with lobster or shrimp. You might be tempted to think that the dish is simply a plate of rice, and is therefore safe to indulge in. However, any dish that has so much of butter, cheese, and olive oil is bound to have a very high calorific content.

Risotto (1 serving) : Cheese Risotto
Calories : 356
Fats (g) : 13.12
Proteins (g) : 14.02
Carbohydrate (g) : 44.25

The main ingredient in the dish is the rice. Risotto rice is a very special type of short-grained rice. The special characteristic of this rice is that, it becomes a little sticky when cooked, and also has a high starch content.

No other rice can be substituted for cooking risotto, as no other rice has the required starch content that is essential for cooking this dish. Three main rice varieties used for its preparation are Carnaroli, vialone nano, and arborio.

Thus, we have seen that carnaroli risotto rice has the highest amount of calories followed by vialone nano, and arborio. Purists believe that carnaroli is the best rice for making a creamy risotto, but if you are looking for a healthy option, then arborio is your best bet.

Although the calorific content of the rice is considerable, the main calories of the dish come from Parmesan cheese and butter. If you are on a diet and are still tempted to eat this dish, ask for the Parmesan cheese to be served on the side, instead of putting it into the dish when it is prepared.

That way you can control the amount of cheese that you eat. Another trick is to have small helpings of the dish, instead of a plate full. You can also order only vegetarian risottos like asparagus and zucchini, instead of lobster or cheese.

Risotto Type (1 serving i.e. ½ cup) : Asparagus
Calories : 200
Carbohydrates (g) : 23.00
Protein (g) : 5.00
Fats (g) : 9.00

Risotto Type (1 serving i.e. ½ cup) : Garlic Primavera
Calories : 280
Carbohydrates (g) : 58.00
Protein (g) : 8.00
Fats (g) : 2.00

Risotto Type (1 serving i.e. ½ cup) : Tomato
Calories : 199
Carbohydrates (g) : 27.00
Protein (g) : 7.7
Fats (g) : 4.6

Risotto Type (1 serving i.e. ½ cup) : Lobster
Calories : 1103
Carbohydrates (g) : 102
Protein (g) : 21.90
Fats (g) : 25.05

Risotto Type (1 serving i.e. ½ cup) : Chicken
Calories : 515
Carbohydrates (g) : 64.8
Protein (g) : 6.8
Fats (g) : 16.7

Risotto Type (1 serving i.e. ½ cup) : Shrimp and Clam
Calories : 275
Carbohydrates (g) : 20
Protein (g) : 2.5
Fats (g) : 15.1

As we have seen, risotto is a high calorie dish, and so you should only have it occasionally. Calories in the pudding, which is made by boiling the risotto rice in full fat milk, is about 204 per serving.

Having risotto in moderation, and controlling the portion will help you avoid piling on weight after having this dish. Try not to indulge too much into it, and only have small helpings of the dish once a week.