Wondering how many calories are in a cup of corn? This calculator gives you a fast, reliable answer for sweet yellow corn, white corn, canned corn, frozen corn, and even air-popped popcorn. Just enter the number of cups, pick the type that matches your meal, and you will get total calories along with protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber.
Corn is a staple grain used in everything from sides and salads to soups and snacks, and its calorie content changes significantly depending on how it is prepared. A cup of cooked sweet corn kernels has around 143 calories, while a cup of air-popped popcorn has only about 31. Understanding these differences helps you track portions accurately and plan balanced meals.
Whether you are counting calories, following a macronutrient plan, or just curious about your favorite vegetable, this tool simplifies the math so you can stay on track.
🌽 Corn Calorie Calculator
Estimate calories and macros for any cup amount of corn.
How This Corn Calculator Works
This calculator uses standard nutrition data per one US cup (about 145 grams) of corn kernels. When you enter a number of cups and choose a corn type, it multiplies the per-cup calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber by your serving size. The values come from the USDA FoodData Central reference database and reflect how corn is commonly prepared and consumed.
Because different forms of corn have very different calorie densities, the calculator lets you switch between cooked sweet yellow corn, cooked white corn, canned sweet corn (drained), cooked frozen sweet corn, and air-popped popcorn. This is important: a cup of cooked sweet corn delivers around 143 calories, while a cup of air-popped popcorn contains only about 31 calories. Using the right type prevents you from under- or overestimating your intake.
Calorie Reference Table
The table below summarizes the nutritional values used by the calculator for 1 US cup (240 ml) of each corn form. Values are rounded to one decimal place.
| Corn type | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Fat (g) | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet yellow corn, cooked | 143 | 5.4 | 31.3 | 2.2 | 3.3 |
| Sweet white corn, cooked | 132 | 4.7 | 29.3 | 1.5 | 3.0 |
| Canned sweet corn, drained | 133 | 4.5 | 30.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 |
| Frozen sweet corn, cooked | 134 | 4.8 | 32.0 | 1.5 | 3.1 |
| Air-popped popcorn | 31 | 1.0 | 6.2 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
Note that these values apply to plain corn with no added butter, oil, salt, or seasoning. Prepared corn with added fats or sauces will have higher calories.
Step-by-Step Example
Example: How many calories are in 1.5 cups of canned sweet corn?
Using the reference value for canned sweet corn drained: 133 kcal, 4.5 g protein, 30.5 g carbs, 1.6 g fat, and 3.0 g fiber per cup.
Multiply each value by 1.5:
- Calories: 133 × 1.5 = 199.5 kcal
- Protein: 4.5 × 1.5 = 6.75 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.5 × 1.5 = 45.75 g
- Fat: 1.6 × 1.5 = 2.4 g
- Fiber: 3.0 × 1.5 = 4.5 g
So a 1.5-cup serving of canned sweet corn provides about 200 calories. The calculator performs this multiplication automatically for any cup amount.
Tips for Accurate Portion Tracking
Use a measuring cup for kernels. When measuring cooked or canned corn, spoon the kernels into a dry measuring cup and level the top. Do not pack them down unless your recipe calls for packed corn.
Measure after cooking. The weight and volume of corn can change when cooked. Frozen corn, for example, absorbs some water during boiling or steaming, so a cup of cooked frozen corn may weigh slightly more than a cup of raw kernels. For most home tracking, the difference is small, but using cooked measurements is more accurate.
Drain canned corn. If you use canned corn, drain and rinse it before measuring. The liquid adds sodium but almost no calories; however, pack labels sometimes list values for the whole can including liquid. The values here assume drained kernels.
Watch out for added butter and oil. A tablespoon of butter adds about 102 calories, and a tablespoon of olive oil adds about 119 calories. A corn dish that looks similar to a plain cup of kernels can be much higher in calories once toppings are included. If your corn is prepared with fat, add those calories separately or use the calculator as a base estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it matter whether I choose yellow or white corn?
Yellow and white sweet corn are nutritionally similar, but yellow corn contains slightly more calories in the USDA database. Sweet yellow corn provides about 143 kcal per cup, while white sweet corn provides about 132 kcal. The difference comes from small variations in starch and sugar content as well as the specific cultivar tested.
Is air-popped popcorn really only 31 calories per cup?
Yes, plain air-popped popcorn is very low in calories per volume because it is mostly air. However, most people eat more than one cup of popcorn, and adding butter, oil, or caramel quickly raises the calorie count. If your popcorn is pre-packaged, check the label because many microwave and movie-theater popcorns have significantly more calories per cup.
How does this compare with a gram-based calculation?
Cups are convenient for recipes, but grams are more precise for calorie tracking. If you know the weight of your serving, a gram-based tool such as Corn Carbs per 100g Calculator can help you estimate nutrients more accurately. The per-cup values here assume an average kernel density; actual cup weights can vary depending on how tightly the kernels fill the cup.