Homemade meatballs calories come to 80 for one 43 g meatball and 186 per 100 g, cooked with sauce. Fat supplies 60 percent of those calories and protein the other 40, with almost no carbs. The row that climbs fastest is sodium: three meatballs already carry 1,033 mg, 45% of the daily value.
80kcal
1 meatball · 43 g, homemade, 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
Homemade, 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
🛡️
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 →
Homemade meatballs: 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 meatballs (129 g)
240
23.2 g
0.2 g
15.5 g
1,033 mg
12%
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
Three meatballs make a 240-calorie plate
One meatball weighs 43 g and comes to 80 calories, so the count climbs in clean, predictable steps. Two land at 160, three at 240, and five at 400. That even rhythm makes meatballs one of the easier foods to log, as long as you count them instead of eyeballing a scoop from the pot.
The cup is where estimates drift. A 1 cup serving holds 235 g and 437 calories, which is 22% of the daily value for energy. That is more than five meatballs, which weigh 215 g and total 400. If you ladle straight from a slow cooker, a full cup is a main course, not a side.
Size matters as much as count. Homemade meatballs change with the cook's hand, and a big one can easily weigh double the 43 g used here. If yours look large, weigh one and scale from 186 per 100 g. BodyPal can also log them from a photo of the plate, which saves the guesswork on a busy night.
Fat is 60 percent of every meatball
Fat supplies 60 percent of the calories and protein the other 40, with carbs at 0 in the split. Per 100 g that works out to 12 g fat, 18 g protein and only 0.2 g carbs. The sauce in this USDA row barely registers: sugars sit at 0.1 g per 100 g, so this is a meat dish through and through.
The protein is substantial. One meatball gives 7.7 g, three give 23.2 g, and five reach 38.7 g. Three meatballs cover 46% of the protein daily value while using just 12% of the calorie daily value, a ratio few comfort foods can match.
Saturated fat runs 4.6 g per 100 g and cholesterol 97 mg, numbers that track the ground meat inside. The blend you buy is the lever here. Leaner ground meat pulls the fat share down and nudges protein up; a fattier blend, or extra cheese in the mix, pushes the other way.
Sodium is the row to watch
Sodium is 801 mg per 100 g, which is 35% of the daily value in a portion that brings only 9% of the calories. Per meatball that is 344 mg, or 15%. That gap between the sodium share and the calorie share is the single most notable thing on this label, while potassium stays a modest 212 mg per 100 g.
The total stacks quickly. Two meatballs reach 689 mg, three hit 1,033 mg, five carry 1,722 mg, and a 1 cup serving lands at 1,882 mg, or 82% of the daily value. All of that arrives before any pasta water, garlic bread or grated cheese joins the plate.
In homemade meatballs the salt comes from the seasoning, any breadcrumbs or cheese worked into the mix, and the sauce they simmer in. If you watch sodium, the recipe is your lever: go lighter on salt in the mix, choose a low-salt sauce, and keep the rest of the meal plainly seasoned.
The side decides what the meal becomes
With 0.2 g carbs per 100 g, these meatballs are close to pure protein and fat, so whatever sits next to them shapes the meal. Pasta, a roll or rice adds the starch. Vegetables add volume and fiber, which is 0 in the meatballs themselves.
For a lighter plate, three meatballs at 240 calories with a big pile of roasted or steamed vegetables makes a filling meal with 23.2 g protein. For a heartier one, the same three over pasta works well, but measure the pasta, since a generous bowl can rival the meatballs in calories.
Because sodium is already high, plain sides balance the plate: unsalted vegetables, a simple salad with oil and vinegar, or fruit afterward. If the meatballs go into a sub with melted cheese, count each layer, since the bread and cheese bring calories and salt of their own.
How does homemade meatballs compare?
Here is how homemade meatballs stack up against meatballs and spaghetti and homemade lasagna, both per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the most protein per bite, pick the meatballs on their own: 18 g per 100 g against 7.8 g for meatballs and spaghetti and 13.6 g for lasagna. For the lightest plate per serving, a 228-calorie cup of meatballs and spaghetti beats a 424-calorie piece of homemade lasagna, though it brings 15.5 g carbs per 100 g where the meatballs bring 0.2.
Homemade meatballs FAQs
How many calories are in one homemade meatball?
About 80 calories for a 43 g meatball. Three meatballs come to 240 calories and a full cup to 437.
Are homemade meatballs good for weight loss?
One meatball is 80 calories with 7.7 g protein and 5.2 g fat, so the portion decides: three meatballs are already 240 calories.
Homemade meatballs or spaghetti and meatballs: which has fewer calories?
Per 100 g the meatballs alone are 186 calories, while spaghetti and meatballs is 170 because the pasta and sauce are lighter per gram.
How much protein is in homemade meatballs?
18 g per 100 g, so a 43 g meatball has 7.7 g protein and three meatballs have 23.2 g.
How many calories are in three meatballs?
Three homemade meatballs (129 g) have 240 calories, 12% of the daily value. They also bring 23.2 g protein and 1,033 mg sodium, so the salt climbs faster than the calories.
How much protein is in three meatballs?
Three homemade meatballs provide 23.2 g protein, which is 46% of the daily value. That comes with 240 calories and 15.5 g fat, making them a protein-dense portion.
How many grams of protein are in a single meatball?
A single 43 g homemade meatball has 7.7 g protein, or 15% of the daily value. It comes with 80 calories and 5.2 g fat, so two make 15.5 g protein for 160 calories.
How many calories do meatballs have per 100 grams?
Homemade meatballs have 186 calories per 100 g, with 18 g protein, 12 g fat and 0.2 g carbs. That weight also carries 801 mg sodium, 35% of the daily value.
How many calories does a cup of meatballs have?
A 1 cup serving of homemade meatballs (235 g) has 437 calories, 22% of the daily value. It delivers 42.3 g protein but also 1,882 mg sodium, 82% of the daily value.
