Poha Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Dry poha (flattened rice) contains 346 calories per 100g ^[1]. But once rinsed and soaked for 2–3 minutes, poha absorbs roughly its own weight in water, effectively doubling in mass. The soaked poha now provides approximately 168 kcal per 100g — less than half the dry value for the same measured volume.

This dry-to-soaked weight transformation is the single biggest source of calorie miscounting with poha. If a recipe calls for "1 cup poha" (100g dry), and you measure after soaking, you are looking at approximately 200g of soaked poha. Always clarify whether your recipe or food log entry is for dry or soaked weight before calculating ^[1].

After cooking with tempering, vegetables, and peanuts, the final dish density further changes. A standard plate of kanda poha (200g served) contains approximately 316 calories — significantly less than the 692 calories you would get by multiplying 200g by the dry poha calorie density. The calculator above lets you select the exact form (dry, soaked, or cooked) for accurate tracking.

Poha contains 3.4mg iron per 100g of dry thin flattened rice ^[2] — higher than most would expect from a refined rice product. This relatively elevated iron content is partly attributed to the traditional manufacturing process, where parboiled rice is pounded in iron vessels (mortar and pestle or iron rollers), which contributes trace amounts of metallic iron to the final product.

Modern mechanized production may yield slightly lower iron values than traditional hand-pounding methods. However, even commercially produced poha retains meaningful iron content, making it a practical dietary iron contributor in regions where it is consumed daily as a staple breakfast food ^[3].

Pairing poha with lemon juice (a standard garnish in most recipes) is nutritionally synergistic — vitamin C from lemon can enhance absorption of non-heme iron from plant-based sources. A squeeze of lemon (about 1 tsp juice) adds 3.5mg vitamin C with virtually no calories.

Kanda poha (Maharashtra's signature breakfast) uses onions, peanuts, curry leaves, turmeric, and minimal oil. A standard plate (200g) delivers approximately 316 calories, 7.6g protein, and 51.6g carbs. The peanuts contribute most of the fat and a meaningful protein boost.

Indori poha (from Indore, Madhya Pradesh) adds a distinctive finishing layer of sev (fried chickpea noodles), extra peanuts, and a generous squeeze of lemon. This pushes calories to roughly 385 per 200g plate — about 22% more than plain kanda poha — primarily from the sev topping and additional oil during cooking ^[1].

Aval upma (South Indian poha preparation) uses coconut oil for tempering and often includes grated coconut, yielding a slightly different fat profile with more saturated fat (1.5g/100g vs 0.8g in kanda poha) but fewer total calories at 145 kcal/100g due to lighter seasoning.

Poha chivda (fried snack mix) is a fundamentally different product from cooked breakfast poha. Deep-frying transforms dry poha from 346 kcal/100g to 458 kcal/100g, adding 18.5g fat per 100g ^[1]. A typical snack handful (30g) provides 137 calories — roughly equivalent to an entire plate of [idli](/tools/idli-nutrition-calculator).

The sodium content also jumps dramatically: dry poha has just 5mg sodium per 100g, while chivda reaches 420mg/100g due to added salt and seasonings. This makes chivda one of the higher-sodium traditional Indian snacks, worth noting for those monitoring salt intake.

For a lower-calorie snack alternative, dry-roasted poha (355 kcal/100g) maintains the crunch without the frying fat. Roasting adds minimal calories (about 3% increase from the dry form) while enhancing flavor and shelf life.

Per standard serving, poha sits in the moderate calorie range among Indian breakfasts. A plate of kanda poha (200g, 316 cal) is lower than [upma](/tools/upma-nutrition-calculator) from a similar serving (200g, ~350 cal), comparable to 2 [idlis with sambar](/tools/idli-nutrition-calculator) (~310 cal), and significantly lower than a [masala dosa](/tools/dosa-nutrition-calculator) plate (~390–500 cal at restaurants).

Poha's advantage as a quick meal is preparation speed — from dry poha to finished dish in under 10 minutes, versus 8+ hours of batter fermentation for dosa or idli. This convenience factor makes it practical for consistent breakfast tracking in a food journal.

Nutritionally, poha is lower in protein and fiber compared to [oats](/tools/oats-nutrition-calculator) (6.6g vs 13.2g protein; 1.5g vs 10.6g fiber per 100g dry). However, with the addition of peanuts, green peas, and sprouts, a well-constructed poha dish can approach 8–10g protein per plate. For higher-fiber options, [brown rice poha](/tools/poha-nutrition-calculator) provides 4.5g fiber per 100g — 3x the standard white poha.