Chicken stock calories come to 86 for 1 cup (240 g) and 36 per 100 g of home-prepared stock. Calories are the small number here. Sodium is the one to notice: a single cup carries 343 mg, which is 15% of the daily value, while its calories make up just 4%.
86kcal
1 cup · 240 g, home-prepared
29%protein
6 gProtein
8 gCarbs
2.9 gFat
How to burn off 86 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Home-prepared · per 240 g
Calories
86 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbohydrate
8.5 g
Fat
2.9 g
Saturated fat
0.8 g
Cholesterol
7 mg
Sodium
343 mg
Potassium
252 mg
Iron
0.5 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Chicken stock: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 cup (240 g)
86
6 g
8.5 g
2.9 g
343 mg
4%
4 oz portion (113 g)
41
2.8 g
4 g
1.4 g
162 mg
2%
100 g
36
2.5 g
3.5 g
1.2 g
143 mg
2%
3 × 1 cup (240 g)
259
18.1 g
1,030 mg
5 × 1 cup (240 g)
432
30.2 g
1,716 mg
A cup of stock is an 86-calorie ingredient
The standard serving is 1 cup (240 g). It comes to 86 calories and 6 g of protein. A smaller 4 oz portion (113 g), about what goes into a pan sauce or a pot of rice, has 41 calories. Neither amount will change your day much.
The total grows in a straight line. Two cups come to 173 calories, three cups to 259, and five cups (1,200 g) to 432. Five cups is a big batch of soup base, and the liquid itself still adds little. The noodles, rice, cream or cheese you add will set the final count.
Protein rises with the volume: 12.1 g at two cups, 18.1 g at three and 30.2 g at five. If you sip a mug on its own, you get warmth and a little protein for very few calories. If you cook with it, count the stock once for the whole pot and divide by the number of bowls you serve. That keeps the log honest without weighing every ladle.
The calories split almost evenly three ways
Per 100 g, home-prepared chicken stock has 2.5 g of protein, 3.5 g of carbs and 1.2 g of fat. Carbs supply 40% of the calories, fat 31% and protein 29%. No macro dominates, which is unusual for something made from chicken. Most of the meat's protein stays in the meat, and the liquid takes only a share.
Of the 3.5 g of carbs, 1.6 g are sugars, and fiber is 0 because the vegetable solids are strained out. Fat is low in absolute terms, with 0.3 g saturated per 100 g. Homemade stock often sets a layer of fat on top once it chills. Skimming it off lowers the fat share further.
These percentages can mislead if you ignore scale. The 6 g of protein in a cup is 12% of the daily value. That helps, but stock is not a protein source the way chicken breast is. Treat it as a flavor carrier with a small bonus, not as the protein anchor of a meal.
Sodium is the row to watch
One cup of chicken stock carries 343 mg of sodium, 15% of the daily value. Its calories cover only 4%, so the salt share is several times larger. The 4 oz portion brings 162 mg, or 7%, and 100 g has 143 mg.
Recipes rarely stop at one cup. Two cups mean 686 mg, three cups 1,030 mg and five cups 1,716 mg. Shared across a family pot, that is spread thin. If one person drinks three cups of stock in a day, the stock alone reaches 1,030 mg before any other food is counted.
The USDA figure is for home-prepared stock, where the cook decides how much salt goes in. Store-bought cartons vary a lot. If you watch sodium, compare labels such as Cento Low Sodium Chicken Stock or Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock for Cooking, then salt the finished dish to taste. Seasoning at the end gives you more control than starting with a salty base.
Stock works best as a swap for richer liquids
Stock earns its place when it replaces something heavier. Rice, grains or couscous cooked in stock instead of water get more flavor for few calories. If you deglaze a pan with stock instead of cream or butter, the sauce stays light. Potassium is 105 mg per 100 g and cholesterol only 3 mg, so neither row needs attention.
A cup of stock before a meal, or as the base of a vegetable soup, gives you a large, warm portion for 86 calories. If you want the bowl to carry real protein, add lean chicken, beans or eggs, since the stock alone gives 6 g per cup. Noodles and bread add more calories quickly, so portion those rather than the liquid.
BodyPal can log a bowl of soup from a photo. That way you can see what the noodles and toppings add on top of the stock.
How does chicken stock compare?
Here is chicken stock next to three other liquid or saucy ingredients, compared per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the lightest cooking liquid, pick chicken stock: 36 calories per 100 g, against 150 for alfredo sauce and 330 for coconut cream, which is 9.2 times as much. If sodium matters more than calories, coconut cream has just 4 mg per 100 g and cocktail sauce has 1,262 mg, so stock sits in between at 143 mg.
Most popular chicken stock brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock for Cooking1 cup · 240 ml12 kcal
3Cento Low Sodium Chicken Stock1 cup · 240 ml4 kcal
4Cento Ready to Use Chicken Stock1 cup · 240 ml2 kcal
5Swanson Chicken Stock1 cup · 240 ml8 kcal
6Schnucks Ready to Serve Chicken Stock1 cup · 245 g8 kcal
7Rachael Ray Chicken Stock1 cup · 240 ml4 kcal
Carton stock is thinner than stock simmered at home, so labels read 2 to 12 calories per 100 g instead of 36. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Chicken stock FAQs
How many calories are in a cup of chicken stock?
Home-prepared chicken stock has 86 calories per cup (240 g). That works out to 36 calories per 100 g.
Is chicken stock good for weight loss?
A cup is 86 calories with 6 g protein and 2.9 g fat. Carton stock is lighter still, 2 to 12 calories per 100 g, or 5 to 29 per cup.
Why does store-bought chicken stock have fewer calories?
Homemade stock is 36 calories per 100 g, while Swanson and Kitchen Basics labels list 8 to 12 calories per 100 g because the packaged version is thinner.
How much protein is in chicken stock?
About 2.5 g of protein per 100 g, so roughly 6 g in a cup (240 g). A cup also carries 343 mg of sodium and 3.5 g of carbs.
Does chicken stock have calories?
Yes, 86 calories per 1 cup (240 g) and 36 per 100 g for home-prepared stock. That is low but not zero. The calories come from small amounts of protein, carbs and fat that dissolve into the liquid while it simmers.
Is chicken stock fattening or high in calories?
No. At 36 calories per 100 g, a cup adds 86 calories, about 4% of the daily value. Even two cups total 173. Noodles, cream or cheese added to the pot matter far more than the stock.
What are the macros in chicken stock?
One cup (240 g) has 6 g of protein, 8.5 g of carbs and 2.9 g of fat. Calories split 40% carbs, 31% fat and 29% protein, with 3.8 g of sugars and no fiber.
What are the nutrition facts for 100 g of chicken stock?
Per 100 g, home-prepared chicken stock has 36 calories, 2.5 g protein, 3.5 g carbs, 1.2 g fat, 143 mg sodium, 105 mg potassium and 3 mg cholesterol. Fiber is 0.
How many calories are in a large batch of chicken stock?
Five cups (1,200 g) of chicken stock have 432 calories and 30.2 g of protein, and three cups have 259 calories. Sodium for five cups reaches 1,716 mg, so salt adds up faster than calories.
