Meatball calories come to 80 for one 43 g meatball with sauce, and 186 per 100 g. The number to notice is sodium. A single meatball carries 344 mg, or 15% of the daily value, so a plate of five reaches 1,722 mg before any pasta or bread is added.
80kcal
1 meatball with sauce · 43 g, cooked, with sauce
40%protein
7.7 gProtein
0 gCarbs
5.2 gFat
How to burn off 80 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Cooked, with sauce · per 43 g
Calories
80 kcal
Protein
7.7 g
Carbohydrate
0.1 g
Fat
5.2 g
Saturated fat
2 g
Cholesterol
42 mg
Sodium
344 mg
Potassium
91 mg
Iron
0.8 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 →
Meatball: 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 meatball (43 g)
80
7.7 g
0.1 g
5.2 g
344 mg
4%
3 oz portion (85 g)
158
15.3 g
0.1 g
10.2 g
681 mg
8%
1 cup (235 g)
437
42.3 g
0.4 g
28.2 g
1,882 mg
22%
100 g
186
18 g
0.2 g
12 g
801 mg
9%
3 × 1 meatball (43 g)
240
23.2 g
1,033 mg
5 × 1 meatball (43 g)
400
38.7 g
1,722 mg
One meatball is 80 calories, a cup is 437
A single 43 g meatball with sauce has 80 calories, 7.7 g of protein and 5.2 g of fat. That is small enough that nobody bothers counting one. The catch is that meatballs rarely arrive alone.
Two meatballs add up to 160 calories and three reach 240. Five, a normal restaurant plate, come to 400 calories, 38.7 g of protein and 1,722 mg of sodium. A 3 oz portion lands at 158 calories, almost the same as two meatballs, which makes it a handy mental shortcut.
A full cup, about 235 g, is 437 calories, or 22% of a 2000-calorie day. That cup also holds 42.3 g of protein and 28.2 g of fat. If you serve from a pot, count the meatballs instead of eyeballing the scoop. Size varies from cook to cook, so treat the 43 g figure as a guide, not a guarantee.
Fat supplies 60% of the calories
Per 100 g, meatballs with sauce carry 18 g of protein, 12 g of fat and just 0.2 g of carbohydrate. In calorie terms, fat supplies 60% and protein 40%. Carbs barely register at 0%, and sugars sit at 0.1 g.
That makes the meatball a protein food with a fat surcharge. The protein is solid: one meatball covers 15% of the daily value, and a 3 oz portion covers 31%. Still, fat is the bigger calorie source, and 4.6 g of it per 100 g is saturated.
The near-zero carb count describes the meatballs, not the meal. This USDA entry, meatballs of unspecified meat with sauce, shows almost no carbohydrate. Pasta, a sub roll or polenta is where the carbs come in, and the side can easily carry more calories than the meatballs themselves.
Sodium is the row to watch
At 801 mg per 100 g, sodium is the number that sets meatballs apart. One meatball has 344 mg, which is 15% of the daily value. A 3 oz portion has 681 mg, or 30%.
Scale up and it climbs fast. Three meatballs carry 1,033 mg, five carry 1,722 mg, and a cup reaches 1,882 mg, which is 82% of the daily value from the meatballs alone. Pile on grated cheese, garlic bread or extra sauce, and one dinner can cover most of a day's sodium.
Cholesterol is the second row worth a glance: 97 mg per 100 g, set against a 300 mg daily value. Potassium is modest at 212 mg per 100 g. If you watch sodium, keep the count to two or three meatballs and build the rest of the plate from unsalted sides.
Meatballs need a lighter partner
Meatballs bring protein and fat but no fiber, with 0 g per 100 g. The rest of the plate should supply what they lack. Vegetables, a green salad or beans add fiber and volume for few calories, and a smaller scoop of pasta keeps the dish familiar without doubling the total.
In a sandwich, two meatballs at 160 calories make a reasonable filling, and the roll and cheese decide the rest. For a protein-forward lunch, three meatballs give 23.2 g of protein for 240 calories. That is a fair trade if the sides stay simple.
Store-bought meatballs, such as Aidells Italian Style Chicken Meatballs or Casual Gourmet Chicken Meatballs, follow their own recipes, so read the label rather than assuming they match the classic. BodyPal can log meatballs from a photo, which helps when the real question is how many ended up on the plate.
How does meatball compare?
Here is how classic meatballs with sauce stack up against chicken, turkey and spaghetti meatballs, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories, pick turkey meatballs at 165 per 100 g; chicken meatballs, at 200, are actually heavier than the classic at 186. For staying full, the classic meatball wins with 18 g of protein per 100 g, while spaghetti meatball dilutes that to 7.8 g.
Packaged meatballs are weighed without sauce, so their labels count only the meat, unlike the with-sauce numbers above. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Meatball FAQs
How many calories are in one meatball?
One meatball with sauce (43 g) is about 80 calories. Three meatballs come to 240 calories and a full cup to 437.
Are meatballs good for weight loss?
One meatball is 80 calories with 7.8 g protein and 5.2 g fat, so three of them fill a 240-calorie slot.
Meatballs vs chicken meatballs: which is lighter?
Per 100 g, mixed-meat meatballs with sauce are 186 calories and chicken meatballs 200, so they land close together.
How much protein is in a meatball?
Meatballs have 18 g of protein per 100 g, which is about 7.8 g in one 43 g meatball and 42.3 g in a cup.
How many calories are in three meatballs?
Three meatballs come to 240 calories, based on 43 g each with sauce. They also provide 23.2 g of protein and 1,033 mg of sodium, so the protein is good but the salt adds up quickly.
How many calories do meatballs have per 100 g?
Meatballs with sauce have 186 calories per 100 g. That amount holds 18 g of protein, 12 g of fat, 0.2 g of carbs and 801 mg of sodium, which is 35% of the daily value.
How many grams is one meatball?
One meatball weighs about 43 g in the USDA data used here, for 80 calories. Homemade and restaurant meatballs vary in size, so weighing one of yours is the quickest way to check.
What are the macros of meatballs?
Per 100 g, meatballs have 18 g of protein, 0.2 g of carbs and 12 g of fat. By calories that works out to 60% fat and 40% protein, with carbs at about 0%.
How much sodium is in a serving of meatballs?
A 3 oz portion of meatballs has 681 mg of sodium, 30% of the daily value. One meatball has 344 mg, and a full cup reaches 1,882 mg, or 82%.
