How Many Calories in Meatloaf?
One medium slice of beef meatloaf is 215 calories, which works out to 199 calories per 100 g. Cut it thin and you are at 171; cut it thick and you are at 287. That 116-calorie spread between two slices off the same loaf is bigger than the gap between beef meatloaf and turkey meatloaf.
You'd need to walk about 43 minutes to burn the 215 calories in a medium slice (108 g).
How long does it take to burn off meatloaf?
A medium slice (108 g) is 215 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 215 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 43 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 27 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 31 min |
| Jogging | 25 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 48 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (108 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Meatloaf quick facts
- Why the slice size decides everything
- The glaze paradox
- Turkey meatloaf and what it really saves
- Every other kind of meatloaf
- Sodium is the number to watch
- The dinner plate: meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy
- How does meatloaf compare?
- Most popular meatloaf brands
- FAQ
Meatloaf quick facts
The reference here is the plain, unglazed article: USDA's Meat loaf made with beef (FNDDS record 2706499), the ground-beef-and-breadcrumb loaf most American kitchens turn out.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 medium slice (108 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 199 | 215 | — |
| Total fat | 10.72 g | 11.6 g | 15% |
| Saturated fat | 3.957 g | 4.3 g | 21% |
| Carbohydrate | 7.2 g | 7.8 g | 3% |
| Dietary fiber | 0.4 g | 0.4 g | 2% |
| Total sugars | 1.84 g | 2.0 g | — |
| Protein | 17.48 g | 18.9 g | 38% |
| Sodium | 416 mg | 449 mg | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 76 mg | 82 mg | 27% |
| Potassium | 273 mg | 295 mg | 6% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
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 →
There is no added sugars row, and that is not an oversight. USDA does not publish an added sugars figure for any of its meatloaf records, so total sugars is the only honest number to give. Total sugars carry no Daily Value on the FDA label rules, which is why that cell is empty too.
Two rows earn their keep. Protein at 18.9 g is 38% of the day in one slice, which is a genuinely good return for 215 calories. Sodium at 449 mg is 20% of the day before anybody reaches for the gravy boat.
Why the slice size decides everything
USDA lists three slice sizes for the same loaf, and the difference between them is the single biggest variable on this page.
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 thin slice | 86 g | 171 |
| 1 medium slice | 108 g | 215 |
| 1 large slice | 144 g | 287 |
| 2 medium slices | 216 g | 430 |
| 3 oz | 85 g | 169 |
| 4 oz | 113 g | 225 |
| 1 cup, crumbled or diced | 140 g | 279 |
| 1 medium patty | 101 g | 201 |
| 1 large patty | 134 g | 267 |
A large slice is 67% more meatloaf than a thin one. Nobody weighs dinner, so most people log "a slice" and quietly absorb a swing of a hundred calories either way. If you only ever fix one habit with this food, make it looking at the slice before you log it: thin, medium or thick is the question, not beef or turkey.
The cup row deserves a warning of its own. Meatloaf is not a cup food, but USDA measures a cup of it crumbled at 140 g, so logging "1 cup meatloaf" charges you 279 calories, about 30% more than the medium slice you probably ate. Apps that default to cups for everything will do this to you silently.
A large slice pushes the other numbers with it: 287 calories, 25.2 g of protein (50% DV), 15.4 g of fat (20%), 5.7 g of saturated fat (28%) and 599 mg of sodium (26%).
The glaze paradox
Here is the strangest thing in the USDA data, and it trips up every calorie chart that quotes a single figure.
Meatloaf with a tomato-based glaze (record 2706500) is 159 calories per 100 g. The plain loaf is 199. On paper the glazed version looks 20% lighter, and ketchup on top somehow reads as a calorie saving.
It is not. Tomato glaze is mostly water, so it dilutes the density while adding weight to the slice. USDA is consistent about this: the medium slice of the glazed loaf is 137 g, not 108 g. Run the arithmetic and a glazed slice is 218 calories against 215 for the plain one. Practically identical.
| Glazed meatloaf serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 thin slice | 109 g | 173 |
| 1 medium slice | 137 g | 218 |
| 1 large slice | 183 g | 291 |
| 1 cup | 178 g | 283 |
| 1 medium patty | 128 g | 204 |
Never pair the 159 figure with a 108 g slice. That mismatch is where the "glazed meatloaf is lighter" myth comes from, and it undercounts the slice by about 45 calories.
What the glaze does change is sodium and sugar. A glazed slice carries 588 mg of sodium (26% DV) against 449 mg, and 3.1 g of total sugars against 2.0 g. The rest of the profile holds steady: 18.9 g of protein (38% DV), 11.4 g of fat (15%), 4.2 g of saturated fat (21%), 1.0 g of fiber and 81 mg of cholesterol.
Building the glaze yourself from the bottle lands in the same place. Two tablespoons of ketchup (34 g) spread over one slice add 37 calories, 7.3 g of sugars and 316 mg of sodium.
Turkey meatloaf and what it really saves
Ground turkey is the standard swap, and it saves less than its reputation suggests. USDA's meat loaf made with chicken or turkey (record 2706547) is 172 calories per 100 g, so the same 108 g medium slice comes to 186 calories.
That is 29 calories off a 215-calorie slice. About 13%, not half. The breadcrumbs, egg and milk stay exactly where they were, and plenty of cooks use ground thigh meat rather than breast, so the loaf never gets as lean as the label on the package promised.
The real win sits one row down. Saturated fat drops from 4.3 g to 2.1 g per slice, which is 21% of the Daily Value against 10%. That is the halving people expected in the calorie column, and it is the number the Dietary Guidelines for Americans actually asks you to watch.
Two things move the wrong way. Sodium goes up, not down: 482 mg per slice (21% DV) against 449 mg. Cholesterol rises too, 91 mg against 82 mg. Protein improves to 20.3 g, or 41% of the day.
Turkey slices scale the same way beef does: 148 calories thin (86 g), 186 medium (108 g), 248 large (144 g), 241 for a cup (140 g). Glazed turkey meatloaf works out at 199 calories for its 137 g medium slice.
Every other kind of meatloaf
| Version (USDA record) | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat loaf, type of meat unspecified (2706579) | 202 | 1 medium slice, 108 g | 218 |
| Beef and pork (2706581) | 196 | 1 medium slice, 108 g | 212 |
| Beef and pork, tomato glaze (2706583) | 157 | 1 medium slice, 137 g | 215 |
| Ham loaf (2706504) | 179 | 1 medium slice, 108 g | 193 |
| Venison (2706525) | 166 | 1 medium slice, 108 g | 179 |
| Puerto Rican style (2706468) | 325 | 1 serving, 95 g | 309 |
| Vegetarian loaf or patties (SR Legacy 169888) | 197 | 1 slice, 56 g | 110 |
| Meatloaf sandwich (2706946) | 217 | 1 sandwich, 135 g | 293 |
| Frozen meat loaf dinner (2707121) | 134 | 1 meal, 11 oz, 312 g | 418 |
Three of these rows are worth a second look.
The plant-based loaf is not the light option. At 197 calories per 100 g it matches beef almost exactly. What it changes is the rest of the profile: zero cholesterol and 4.6 g of fiber per 100 g, eleven times the meat version's 0.4 g. Swap for the fiber and the cholesterol, not for the calories.
Ham loaf looks like a bargain at 193 calories a slice until you check the sodium, which is 879 mg per 100 g. That is 38% of the day's limit from 100 g, less than a quarter pound of anything.
The Puerto Rican style loaf is the outlier at 325 calories per 100 g, and it is a different dish rather than a heavier version of the same one.
Sodium is the number to watch
Calories bring people to this page. Sodium is the reason to stay.
- 1 medium slice, plain: 449 mg (20% DV)
- 1 medium slice, tomato glaze: 588 mg (26% DV)
- 1 large slice, plain: 599 mg (26% DV)
- Ham loaf, per 100 g: 879 mg (38% DV)
The FDA Daily Value is 2,300 mg, roughly a teaspoon of table salt across the whole day. A plain slice spends a fifth of that before it reaches the plate, and that is with no gravy, no ketchup and no side.
Saturated fat is the other line to keep an eye on. One slice holds 4.3 g, or 21% of the day, which sits alongside the rest of what you eat rather than replacing it.
The protein side stands up well against all of that. Meatloaf gives 18.9 g in a slice for 215 calories, and MyPlate counts ground meat squarely in the protein group. Per calorie it is a stronger protein food than most people give it credit for, which is exactly why the sodium is worth managing rather than avoiding the dish.
The dinner plate: meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy
Meatloaf rarely arrives alone, and the plate is where the numbers get real.
| Plate component | Serving | Calories | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meatloaf | 1 medium slice, 108 g | 215 | 449 mg |
| Mashed potatoes, made with milk | 1 cup, 250 g | 285 | 525 mg |
| Beef gravy | ¼ cup, 60 g | 32 | 380 mg |
| Whole plate | 532 | 1,354 mg |
That plate is 532 calories and 59% of the day's sodium in one sitting, our sum of three separate USDA rows rather than a single published meal. The gravy is the sleeper: 32 calories, which is nothing, but 380 mg of sodium, which is almost as much as the meat.
One clarification, because searches for "meatloaf with gravy" go unanswered everywhere. USDA has no combined record for it. The 247 calories you get for a slice plus a quarter cup of gravy is our arithmetic from two separate USDA rows, not a published value, and anyone quoting it as one is guessing. A tablespoon of ketchup instead is 19 calories and 158 mg of sodium.
How does meatloaf compare?
| Food | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meatloaf, beef | 199 | 1 medium slice (108 g) | 215 |
| Turkey meatloaf | 172 | 1 medium slice (108 g) | 186 |
| Salisbury steak with gravy | 149 | 1 steak with gravy (129 g) | 192 |
| Ground beef patty, cooked | 272 | 1 quarter-pound patty (85 g) | 231 |
| Meatballs with sauce | 186 | 1 meatball with sauce (43 g) | 80 |
| Hamburger | 288 | 1 hamburger (145 g) | 418 |
Meatloaf reads as the heavy comfort food of that list and it is nothing of the sort. Per 100 g only Salisbury steak, meatballs with sauce and turkey meatloaf come in lighter, and a slice at 215 calories is half a hamburger.
The comparison that matters is the patty. Cooked ground beef runs 272 calories per 100 g with 25.5 g of protein; meatloaf runs 199 with 17.5 g. Breadcrumbs, egg and milk dilute the fat, and they dilute the protein by the same logic, so a lower calorie count per gram does not mean a better plate of protein. Our take: for a lower-calorie dinner that still fills the plate, meatloaf with vegetables beats the burger by a wide margin. For protein per calorie the plain cooked patty beats the beef slice, and meatloaf's advantage is that a slice of it is a portion you can actually see.
Most popular meatloaf brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Hormel Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce | 157 cal |
| Walmart Deli Meatloaf | 212 cal |
| Fresh Foods Market Homestyle Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce | 200 cal |
| Stouffer’s Meatloaf Family Size | 128 cal |
| Ahold Turkey Meatloaf (deli) | 136 cal |
| Signature Cafe Turkey Meatloaf (Safeway) | 120 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Meatloaf FAQs
How many calories in meatloaf?
215 calories in one medium slice of beef meatloaf, weighing 108 g, at 199 calories per 100 g. A thin 86 g slice is 171 calories and a thick 144 g slice is 287. Turkey meatloaf is 186 calories for the same medium slice.
How many calories in a slice of meatloaf?
It depends entirely on the cut: 171 calories for a thin slice (86 g), 215 for a medium slice (108 g) and 287 for a large one (144 g). USDA lists all three sizes for the same loaf, so the thickness of the knife cut is worth more than the choice of meat.
How many calories in turkey meatloaf?
186 calories in a medium 108 g slice, or 172 per 100 g. That saves 29 calories against beef, about 13%. The bigger difference is saturated fat, which drops from 4.3 g to 2.1 g a slice, though sodium goes up slightly to 482 mg.
How much protein is in meatloaf?
18.9 g in a medium slice, which is 38% of the Daily Value for 215 calories. Per 100 g that is 17.48 g. A turkey slice does better at 20.3 g, or 41% of the day, and a large beef slice reaches 25.2 g.
How many calories in meatloaf with a ketchup glaze?
218 calories for a medium slice of glazed meatloaf, because USDA weighs that slice at 137 g rather than 108 g. The glazed loaf is 159 calories per 100 g, which looks lighter only until you notice the slice is bigger. Sodium climbs to 588 mg.
How many calories in meatloaf and mashed potatoes?
532 calories for a classic plate: one medium slice at 215, a cup of mashed potatoes made with milk at 285 and a quarter cup of beef gravy at 32. The sodium totals 1,354 mg, which is 59% of the Daily Value in one meal.
Is meatloaf healthy?
A slice gives 18.9 g of protein for 215 calories, which is a strong ratio, alongside 449 mg of sodium (20% DV) and 4.3 g of saturated fat (21% DV). The calories are moderate; the sodium is the line to manage, especially once gravy adds another 380 mg.
How many calories in 4 oz of meatloaf?
225 calories in 4 oz (113 g) of beef meatloaf. That carries 19.8 g of protein (40% DV), 12.1 g of fat (16% DV) and 470 mg of sodium (20% DV). A 3 oz portion (85 g) is 169 calories.
Similar foods
- T-Bone Steak — 537 cal per steak
- Salmon — 350 cal per fillet, 6 oz cooked
- Shrimp Fajita — 227 cal per cup
- Dosa — 326 cal per large dosa
- Flat iron steak — 391 cal per steak
- Shrimp Shumai — 180 cal for 6 pieces
Log it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal reads the slice, the gravy and the sodium in one shot.
