How Many Calories in Meatballs? Nutrition Facts & Macros

A serving of 3 meatballs (85 g) contains approximately 243 calories. Per 100 g, frozen Italian-style meatballs have 286 calories. A single meatball (~28 g) has about 80 calories. Calories come from fat (22.21 g), protein (14.4 g), and carbs (8.06 g) — the carbs come mainly from breadcrumbs in the mix.

Meatballs contain 14.4 g of protein per 100 g. A serving of 3 meatballs (85 g) provides about 12.2 g of protein. While decent, this is lower than pure meat cuts like chicken breast (31 g) or steak (20 g) because meatballs contain breadcrumbs, egg, and seasonings that dilute the protein content.

Traditional meatballs are calorie-dense at 286 kcal per 100 g with 22.2 g of fat. For weight loss, consider chicken or turkey meatballs (~180 kcal per 100 g) which cut calories by over a third. You can also make homemade meatballs without breadcrumbs to reduce carbs and calories while boosting the protein-to-calorie ratio.

Frozen Italian-style meatballs have 22.21 g of total fat per 100 g, making fat the dominant macronutrient. A serving of 3 meatballs (85 g) contains about 18.9 g of fat. The fat content varies greatly by recipe and meat blend — beef/pork meatballs are fattiest, while chicken or turkey versions have roughly half the fat.

Per 100 g: meatballs have 286 kcal, 14.4 g protein, 22.2 g fat, 8.1 g carbs. Chicken breast has 151 kcal, 30.54 g protein, 3.17 g fat, 0 g carbs. Chicken breast delivers over twice the protein with a fraction of the fat and calories. Meatballs are a higher-calorie comfort food, while chicken breast is one of the leanest protein sources.

Standard meatballs have 8.06 g of carbs per 100 g (mostly from breadcrumbs), which can add up quickly on keto. A serving of 3 meatballs contributes about 6.9 g of net carbs. For keto, make homemade meatballs without breadcrumbs using almond flour or crushed pork rinds as a binder — this can reduce carbs to under 2 g per serving.