Australian takeaway kilojoules compared: pies, kebabs, fish and chips, sushi and more
Sixteen takeaway orders ranked per serve and per 100 g, and why fat and portion size decide where each one lands.
How many kilojoules are in Australian takeaway?
In AUSNUT 2023, the FSANZ food nutrient database, common takeaway orders range from 395 kJ (94 Cal) for a regular chicken rice paper roll to 3,115 kJ (744 Cal) for a burger with the lot. Eleven of the 16 orders below land between 1,500 and 3,000 kJ.
The table ranks each order per serve and shows it per 100 g and as a share of 8,700 kJ. That is the average adult daily energy intake that NSW kilojoule menu boards use as a reference. It is a comparison point, not a personal target.
| Order (AUSNUT) | Serve | Per serve | Per 100 g | % of 8,700 kJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burger with the lot | 1 burger, 370 g | 3,115 kJ (744 Cal) | 842 kJ | 36% |
| Fried rice | 2 cups, 350 g | 2,894 kJ (692 Cal) | 827 kJ | 33% |
| Crumbed calamari | 10 rings, 220 g | 2,726 kJ (651 Cal) | 1,239 kJ | 31% |
| Steak sandwich | 1 sandwich, 390 g | 2,695 kJ (644 Cal) | 691 kJ | 31% |
| Battered fish | 1 medium fillet, 250 g | 2,562 kJ (612 Cal) | 1,025 kJ | 29% |
| Kebab wrap, meat with salad | 1 regular wrap, 300 g | 2,412 kJ (577 Cal) | 804 kJ | 28% |
| Supreme pizza | 1 small pizza, 240 g | 2,290 kJ (547 Cal) | 954 kJ | 26% |
| Laksa with noodles | 2 cups, 550 g | 2,106 kJ (503 Cal) | 383 kJ | 24% |
| Hot chips | 1 medium serve, 200 g | 1,994 kJ (477 Cal) | 997 kJ | 23% |
| Dim sims, deep-fried | 4 dim sims, 200 g | 1,946 kJ (465 Cal) | 973 kJ | 22% |
| Meat pie | 1 individual pie, 175 g | 1,666 kJ (398 Cal) | 952 kJ | 19% |
| Sausage roll | 1 roll, 130 g | 1,547 kJ (370 Cal) | 1,190 kJ | 18% |
| Potato cake (scallop) | 1 cake, 69 g | 947 kJ (226 Cal) | 1,373 kJ | 11% |
| Pork bao bun | 1 bao, 70 g | 746 kJ (178 Cal) | 1,066 kJ | 9% |
| Salmon sushi | 1 hand roll, 104 g | 673 kJ (161 Cal) | 647 kJ | 8% |
| Rice paper roll, chicken | 1 regular roll, 120 g | 395 kJ (94 Cal) | 329 kJ | 5% |
Heavy per serve or heavy per 100 g?
The two rankings tell different stories. Per 100 g, the densest orders are potato cakes (1,373 kJ), crumbed calamari (1,239 kJ) and sausage rolls (1,190 kJ). Per serve, the heaviest are the burger with the lot, two cups of fried rice and ten calamari rings, because those portions are large.
- Dense but small. A potato cake is the densest item in the table, yet one 69 g cake is 947 kJ (226 Cal), less than a meat pie. A pork bao is 1,066 kJ per 100 g but 746 kJ for a 70 g bun.
- Light but big. A steak sandwich is 691 kJ per 100 g, the fourth lowest in the table, but at 390 g it is 2,695 kJ (644 Cal), the fourth highest per serve. Laksa is 383 kJ per 100 g, the second lowest, yet two cups (550 g) come to 2,106 kJ (503 Cal).
- Light and small. Salmon sushi and rice paper rolls are low on both measures. Three regular rice paper rolls are 3 × 395 = 1,185 kJ (283 Cal), still less than one meat pie.
Why fat makes some takeaway kJ-heavy
Fat carries about 37 kJ per gram, more than twice the 17 kJ in a gram of protein or carbohydrate. Four of the five densest orders per 100 g are deep-fried or wrapped in pastry, and the fat column shows why.
| Order (AUSNUT) | Fat per 100 g | kJ from fat (× 37) | Share of energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potato cake | 21.6 g | 799 kJ | 58% |
| Crumbed calamari | 17.1 g | 633 kJ | 51% |
| Battered fish | 14.0 g | 518 kJ | 51% |
| Sausage roll | 14.6 g | 540 kJ | 45% |
| Hot chips | 11.6 g | 429 kJ | 43% |
| Fried rice | 5.2 g | 192 kJ | 23% |
| Rice paper roll | 1.8 g | 67 kJ | 20% |
| Salmon sushi | 3.2 g | 118 kJ | 18% |
Rice-based orders sit lower per 100 g. Fried rice gets about 23% of its energy from fat and salmon sushi 18%, so most of their kilojoules come from carbohydrate at 17 kJ per gram. They become heavy only when the portion grows, as two cups of fried rice show.
How portion size changes the takeaway total
The same food can be a snack or most of a day's reference intake, depending on the serve.
| Food (AUSNUT) | Smaller serve | Larger serve | Largest serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot chips | 100 g: 997 kJ (11%) | 200 g: 1,994 kJ (23%) | 545 g: 5,434 kJ (62%) |
| Supreme pizza | 1 slice, 70 g: 668 kJ (8%) | Small, 240 g: 2,290 kJ (26%) | Large, 640 g: 6,106 kJ (70%) |
| Battered fish | 150 g: 1,538 kJ (18%) | 250 g: 2,562 kJ (29%) | 300 g: 3,075 kJ (35%) |
A large serve of hot chips, 545 g in AUSNUT, is 5,434 kJ (1,299 Cal) on its own, 62% of the 8,700 kJ reference. A large supreme pizza is 6,106 kJ (1,459 Cal), more than the whole burger with the lot and a medium chips together (3,115 + 1,994 = 5,109 kJ).
Bigger portions also change how much people eat. In one controlled study, adults ate 30% more energy (676 kJ) when given the largest portion than the smallest, regardless of sex or body mass index.
Worked example: three lunch orders compared
| Order | Kilojoules | Calories | % of 8,700 kJ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat pie and sausage roll | 1,666 + 1,547 = 3,213 kJ | 768 Cal | 37% |
| Kebab wrap, meat with salad | 2,412 kJ | 577 Cal | 28% |
| 2 salmon hand rolls and 1 rice paper roll | 673 × 2 + 395 = 1,741 kJ | 416 Cal | 20% |
The pie and sausage roll come to 1,472 kJ more than the sushi order (3,213 − 1,741), about 352 Cal. The kebab sits in between and includes salad. Calories are the kJ total ÷ 4.184, so 3,213 ÷ 4.184 = 768 Cal.
Ideas for orders that still feel like takeaway are in lower-kilojoule takeaway swaps, and reading the numbers on chain menus is covered in kilojoules on menu boards.
What to do next
- Compare orders per 100 g, then check the serve. A dense food in a small portion can be the lighter order.
- Choose the serve size before the dish. A small chips instead of a medium saves 997 kJ.
- Log in Calories. Cal.AI shows energy in calories (kcal), not kJ, so divide by 4.184 or use the bracketed figures above.
- Photograph the order with Scan Food, and if the portion is bigger than the estimate, adjust it in Fix Results. The totals recalculate instantly.
- Look up the rest of your week's foods in the kilojoule counter.
Frequently asked questions
Which Australian takeaway has the most kilojoules?
Per typical serve, the burger with the lot is highest of the 16 orders compared here, at 3,115 kJ (744 Cal) for 370 g. A large serve of hot chips (5,434 kJ) or a large supreme pizza (6,106 kJ) beats it, because those portions are bigger. Per 100 g, potato cakes are densest at 1,373 kJ.
What is the lowest-kilojoule takeaway option?
Of these orders, a regular chicken rice paper roll is lowest at 395 kJ (94 Cal) for 120 g, or 329 kJ per 100 g. A salmon sushi hand roll is 673 kJ (161 Cal). Both stay low because they contain little fat, but several rolls add up, so count each one you eat.
What does % of 8,700 kJ mean?
NSW kilojoule menu boards state that the average adult daily energy intake is 8,700 kJ. Showing each order as a share of that figure makes orders easy to compare. It is not a personal target: your own needs depend on your size, age, sex and activity, and can sit well above or below it.
Is a kebab or a meat pie higher in kilojoules?
A regular 300 g meat kebab wrap with salad has 2,412 kJ (577 Cal) in AUSNUT 2023, more than a 175 g individual meat pie at 1,666 kJ (398 Cal). Per 100 g the pie is denser, at 952 kJ against 804 kJ, but the kebab is a much bigger portion.
Sources
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand. AUSNUT 2023 food nutrient database. FSANZ
- NSW Food Authority. Fast Choices program: nutritional information menu labelling. NSW Food Authority
- Rolls BJ, Morris EL, Roe LS. Portion size of food affects energy intake in normal-weight and overweight men and women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76(6):1207-1213. PubMed
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