Udon Calories: How many calories are in udon?

March 10, 2026

Udon is one of the most recognizable Japanese noodle dishes, famous for its thick wheat noodles and simple dashi-based broth. But how many calories are actually in a bowl of udon?

Plain cooked udon noodles contain about 280 calories per 200g serving, which is roughly the amount used in a typical restaurant bowl. A simple preparation like kake udon stays relatively light at around 300–360 calories, while versions with fried toppings or rich sauces such as tempura udon or curry udon can easily reach 600–700+ calories.

The key factor behind udon calories isn’t the noodles themselves. It’s the broth, cooking method, and toppings that determine whether the bowl stays a light meal or becomes a heavier one. In this guide, we break down udon calories by dish type, common toppings, and how udon compares nutritionally to ramen, soba, pho, and pasta.

What Is Udon?

Udon is a traditional Japanese noodle made from wheat flour, water, and salt. The noodles are thick, soft, and chewy, usually much wider than ramen or soba noodles. Unlike ramen, udon dough does not contain alkaline kansui or eggs, which gives the noodles their pale color and smooth texture.

Udon is typically served in a light dashi-based broth made from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes), though it can also appear in cold dishes with dipping sauce or in stir-fried preparations like yaki udon.

Because the noodles themselves are simple and relatively neutral in flavor, udon works as a base for many different toppings from eggs and tofu to beef, shrimp tempura, or vegetables. This flexibility is the reason why udon calorie counts vary widely depending on how the dish is prepared.

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Base Udon Noodle Calories and Macros

Udon noodles are made from just three ingredients: wheat flour, water, and salt. They are among the simplest noodles in any cuisine — no eggs, no alkaline salts, no oil in the dough. This makes their calorie profile clean and predictable. The thick, chewy texture comes entirely from the high-gluten wheat flour and the extended kneading process, not from added fat or enriching agents.

280kcal200g cooked udon~1 restaurant noodle portion. Plain, no broth or toppings.
140kcal100g cooked udonReference: 100g cooked. About half a standard serving.
105kcal75g dry udonDry weight. Roughly doubles in weight when cooked.
35kcalper 25g cookedPer-piece reference for thinner udon varieties.

Full Macros — 200g Cooked Udon Noodles (Plain)

280kcalCalories
58gtotalCarbohydrates
8gtotalProtein
1gtotalFat
2gtotalFiber
480mgSodium

📌 Udon noodle sodium is inherent, not added in cooking. The salt used in the udon dough (typically 2–3% of flour weight) contributes to the 480mg sodium per 200g cooked portion. This is before any broth, soy sauce, or dipping sauce. Udon noodles contain more sodium per gram than ramen noodles (which derive their characteristic flavor from alkaline kansui rather than salt) or plain soba. Always count noodle sodium alongside broth sodium for a realistic total.

Udon noodles are almost entirely carbohydrate — 83% of their calories come from carbs, with minimal fat (about 3% of calories) and modest protein (about 11% of calories). They have essentially no vitamins or minerals worth noting: the milling removes most of the wheat's nutritional content. This makes udon noodles a high-carb, low-nutrient base — nutritionally, they function like white rice or plain pasta. The nutritional value of a bowl of udon comes almost entirely from what goes into the broth and on top, not from the noodles themselves.

🍜 Dry vs cooked weight: Udon noodles roughly double in weight when cooked — 100g dry becomes approximately 200g cooked. If you're calculating calories from a dry packet, the calories listed are for dry weight. A 100g dry serving (which becomes 200g cooked) has about 280 calories. Fresh pre-cooked udon (sold in vacuum packs at Asian grocery stores) can be used as a cooked-weight reference directly.

Calories by Dish: Every Major Udon Preparation

The noodle itself stays constant at about 280 calories per serving. What changes the calorie count dramatically is the broth, cooking method, and toppings. The estimates below reflect typical restaurant portions in Japan and Japanese restaurants in North America.

Kake Udon (かけうどん) — ~320 Calories per Bowl

The simplest udon preparation: thick noodles served in a hot dashi-based broth made from kombu and bonito flakes. It is usually topped only with sliced scallions and sometimes a pinch of shichimi togarashi.

Calories come mostly from the noodles:

Noodles: ~280 calories
Broth: ~30–50 calories

Kake udon is the lightest and most traditional udon dish. The main nutritional concern is sodium rather than calories, since the broth can contain 900–1,200mg sodium.

Category: Lightest option · High sodium

Zaru Udon / Hiyashi Udon (ざるうどん) — ~350 Calories per Serving

Zaru udon is served cold on a bamboo tray and dipped into a chilled tsuyu sauce made from concentrated dashi, soy sauce, and mirin.

Because the noodles are served without broth, this preparation can be lower in sodium than kake udon if you dip moderately and do not drink the remaining sauce.

Estimated calories:

Noodles: ~280 calories
Dipping sauce consumed: ~50–70 calories

Typical garnishes include nori strips, grated ginger, and scallions.

Category: Low calorie · Lower sodium (if sauce is used moderately)

Tsukimi Udon (月見うどん) — ~420 Calories per Bowl

Tsukimi udon is essentially kake udon with a raw egg cracked into the hot broth. The egg gently poaches in the soup, and the yolk resembles the moon reflected in water—hence the name “moon-viewing udon.”

A large egg adds:

~70–80 calories
~6g protein
~5g fat

This is one of the best ways to add protein to udon without dramatically increasing calories.

Category: Moderate calories · Good protein addition

Kitsune Udon (きつねうどん) — ~440 Calories per Bowl

Kitsune udon features a kake udon base topped with aburaage, a fried tofu pouch simmered in sweet soy broth until tender and flavorful.

A typical piece of aburaage (around 40g) adds:

~80–120 calories
Mostly from absorbed frying oil

“Kitsune” means fox in Japanese folklore, as foxes are said to love fried tofu. This dish is especially popular in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto).

Category: Moderate calories · Adds protein and fat from tofu

Tanuki Udon (たぬきうどん) — ~460 Calories per Bowl

Tanuki udon is topped with tenkasu, the crunchy bits of tempura batter left over from frying tempura.

A small handful (around 20g) of tenkasu adds:

~80–100 calories
Mostly from fat

The crispy texture contrasts with the soft noodles and broth but adds calories quickly.

Category: Moderate calories · Fat-heavy topping

Niku Udon (肉うどん) — ~530 Calories per Bowl

Niku udon features thin slices of braised beef simmered in a sweet soy sauce mixture and served on top of udon noodles.

A typical portion of beef (80–100g) adds:

~180–250 calories
Significant protein and fat

This preparation is particularly popular in Osaka and the Kansai region and is considered a more substantial meal than basic udon.

Category: Moderate-high calories · High protein

How many calories are in udon

Ebi Tempura Udon (海老天うどん) — ~420–640+ Calories

This popular version of udon is topped with shrimp tempura.

Each shrimp tempura adds approximately:

~100–130 calories
Shrimp itself: ~30 calories
Batter and frying oil: most of the remaining calories

Typical totals:

1 shrimp: ~420–450 calories
2 shrimp: ~530–570 calories
3 shrimp: ~640–700+ calories

Category: High calories · Scales with topping count

Kakiage Udon (かき揚げうどん) — ~680 Calories per Bowl

Kakiage udon is topped with a large mixed vegetable tempura fritter made from onions, carrots, burdock root, and sometimes shrimp.

A standard kakiage fritter (80–100g) adds: ~200–280 calories

Because it is larger and absorbs more oil than shrimp tempura, this is often the highest-calorie tempura udon option.

Category: High calories · Heaviest tempura topping

Yaki Udon (焼きうどん) — ~540 Calories per Serving

Yaki udon is a stir-fried version of udon cooked with vegetables and a protein such as pork, chicken, or shrimp.

Typical calorie breakdown:

Noodles: ~280 calories
Cooking oil: 100–150 calories
Protein: 80–150 calories
Vegetables: 30–50 calories

Unlike soup udon dishes, yaki udon contains no broth, which means lower sodium but higher fat from oil.

Category: Moderate-high calories · Lower sodium

Curry Udon (カレーうどん) — ~580 Calories per Bowl

Curry udon features udon noodles served in a thick Japanese curry broth made with curry roux.

Japanese curry blocks contain flour and fat, making them relatively calorie-dense. A restaurant bowl can add: ~250–350 calories from curry broth alone

This makes curry udon one of the richest and most calorie-dense udon dishes.

Category: High calories · Rich, thick broth

Topping Calories: Build Your Own Bowl

Every udon bowl starts with approximately 280 calories of noodles and 30–60 calories of broth. Everything else is topping math. Use this table to calculate your bowl's actual calorie count based on what you add.

Topping	Typical Portion	Calories Added	Main Macro Impact	Worth It?
Scallions (negi)	2 tbsp chopped	+5 kcal	Negligible	Yes — flavor for free
Shichimi togarashi	½ tsp	+5 kcal	Negligible	Yes — zero cost, adds heat
Nori (seaweed)	2 sheets	+10 kcal	Negligible	Yes — minerals, flavor
Kamaboko (fish cake)	3 slices (30g)	+30 kcal	+4g protein	Yes — low calorie protein addition
Raw egg (tsukimi)	1 large egg	+75 kcal	+6g protein, +5g fat	Yes — best protein per calorie
Soft-boiled egg (ajitsuke tamago)	1 egg	+80 kcal	+6g protein, +5g fat	Yes — protein, flavor from marinade
Aburaage (fried tofu pouch, kitsune)	1 large piece (40g)	+100 kcal	+5g protein, +7g fat	Good — protein + satisfying richness
Tenkasu (tempura crumbs)	20g (small handful)	+90 kcal	+8g fat	Low — texture only, pure fat addition
Tofu (silken or firm)	80g cube	+50 kcal	+5g protein	Yes — efficient protein addition
Shrimp tempura (ebi ten) — 1 piece	1 large shrimp in batter	+120 kcal	+8g fat, +5g protein	High flavor cost — batter is most of the calories
Kakiage (vegetable tempura fritter)	1 standard piece (90g)	+230 kcal	+15g fat	Lowest value per calorie — mostly batter and oil
Chicken (poached)	80g sliced	+110 kcal	+22g protein, +2g fat	Yes — best protein density of any topping
Thinly sliced beef (braised)	80g	+180 kcal	+16g protein, +10g fat	Good — high protein but higher fat
Pork chashu	2 slices (60g)	+160 kcal	+12g protein, +11g fat	Moderate — rich, lower protein efficiency than chicken
Mentaiko (spicy cod roe)	1 lobe (30g)	+40 kcal	+5g protein, high sodium	Low calorie but very high sodium addition
Mushrooms (shiitake, enoki)	60g	+20 kcal	+2g protein, fiber	Yes — volume, fiber, umami for almost no calories
Spinach / komatsuna	50g blanched	+15 kcal	Iron, vitamins	Yes — nutritional addition at negligible calorie cost

💡 Protein strategy for lighter udon: If you want to add protein without major calorie impact, the best options in order of protein efficiency are: poached chicken (+110 cal / 22g protein), soft-boiled egg (+80 cal / 6g protein), tofu (+50 cal / 5g protein), kamaboko fish cake (+30 cal / 4g protein). A tsukimi udon (kake + egg) at ~400 calories gives you a complete bowl with meaningful protein for minimal calorie cost. Compare this to one piece of shrimp tempura (+120 cal / only 5g protein) — the egg is vastly more efficient.

Udon vs Ramen, Soba, Pho, and Pasta

How does udon stack up against other major noodle dishes? The answer differs between noodle-only calories (relatively close across types) and complete dish calories (varies enormously based on broth richness and toppings).

Noodles Only — 200g Cooked

Udon

wheat + salt

280 kcal
Ramen noodles

wheat + kansui

360 kcal
Soba

buckwheat blend

224 kcal
Pho rice noodles

rice flour

260 kcal
Spaghetti

semolina wheat

310 kcal
Steamed rice

white rice

260 kcal

Complete Bowl — Comparable Preparations

Kake udon

dashi broth, scallions

320 kcal
Shoyu ramen

soy broth, chashu, egg

580 kcal
Tonkotsu ramen

pork bone broth

700 kcal
Zaru soba

cold, dipping sauce

300 kcal
Pho (beef)

bone broth, sliced beef

420 kcal
Tempura udon

1 shrimp + kakiage

680 kcal

🍜 The key takeaway: Simple udon (kake, zaru) is one of the lowest-calorie noodle bowl options available — comparable to a simple bowl of pho and significantly lighter than any standard ramen. The moment tempura enters the equation, udon surpasses ramen in calorie density. The reputation of udon as "heavy" comes from tempura udon specifically — not from the noodle or broth itself, which is genuinely light. Soba's slight calorie advantage comes from buckwheat's higher fiber and protein content, not from the noodle being smaller — restaurant portion sizes are similar.

One important nuance: ramen noodles are denser and more calorie-rich per 100g than udon because they are made with alkaline water (kansui), which creates a more compact, protein-bonded gluten network. 200g of cooked ramen noodles contains roughly 360 calories vs 280 for udon — a meaningful difference if you are calorie-counting. But ramen's heavier broth (particularly tonkotsu, which uses rendered pork fat) adds 200–350 calories beyond what even tempura udon's broth contributes. The broth is the decisive variable in comparing ramen to udon, not the noodle.

The Sodium Problem: What No One Tells You About Udon Broth

⚠️ Restaurant Udon Sodium Can Approach a Full Day's Recommended Intake

The FDA recommends a daily sodium intake of no more than 2,300mg for healthy adults. Health Canada uses the same guideline. A typical restaurant bowl of kake udon — just noodles in broth with scallions — contains 1,200–1,800mg sodium. A bowl of curry udon or tempura udon can reach 2,000–2,500mg sodium, which meets or exceeds the entire daily recommended limit in a single meal.

The sodium in udon comes from three sources: the noodles themselves (salt is a fundamental ingredient in udon dough — about 480mg per 200g cooked), the broth (dashi is seasoned with soy sauce, which is extremely high in sodium, and sometimes additional salt), and the toppings (braised meats, kamaboko fish cake, aburaage, and pickled vegetables all add sodium). Tsuyu dipping sauce is particularly concentrated — a small bowl of tsuyu for zaru udon can contain 600–800mg sodium in just 50–60ml of liquid.

For people managing hypertension, kidney disease, or heart conditions, the sodium content of udon is a more pressing concern than the calorie count. The calorie number on udon is relatively benign — the sodium number is not. Practical strategies: don't drink the broth (saves 700–1,000mg sodium without changing the noodle or topping experience), ask for less soy sauce in stir-fried preparations, and be conservative with dipping sauce consumption in zaru udon.

Restaurant vs Homemade Udon Calories

Restaurant Udon

Noodle portion200–250g cooked noodles is standard. Some restaurants use 300g, particularly for kake udon. Larger portions than most people realize.
BrothRich, heavily seasoned dashi. Soy sauce and mirin quantities are commercial-scale — typically 30–50% more seasoning than home cooking. Broth alone: 60–100 calories, 900–1,400mg sodium.
TempuraDeep-fried in large commercial fryers at precise temperatures — batter is light, oil uptake is moderate. A restaurant shrimp tempura is actually lower in oil than homemade tempura fried in a small pot at imprecise temperature.
Calorie estimate accuracyHard to know. Online databases vary 20–30% for the same named dish. Chain restaurants (丸亀製麺 Marugame, for example) post calorie information — single-location restaurants do not.
Typical kake udon320–400 kcal · 1,200–1,600mg sodium

Homemade Udon

Noodle portionEasier to control — use a kitchen scale. 150–180g cooked is a lighter but still filling portion. Reducing noodles by 25% saves 70 calories with minimal satiety impact.
BrothFull control over sodium. Using less soy sauce, substituting low-sodium soy sauce (50% less sodium), or using a lighter dashi base can cut broth sodium by 40–60% — from 1,000mg to 400–600mg. Flavor is minimally affected with good dashi as the base.
ToppingsChoose the calorie-efficient toppings: egg, poached chicken, tofu, mushrooms, leafy greens. Skip kakiage and tenkasu entirely if watching calories.
Calorie estimate accuracyHigh — you control every ingredient and quantity. Use a scale for noodles and measure broth seasoning.
Optimized kake udon240–280 kcal · 500–700mg sodium

💡 The Marugame reference: Marugame Seimen (丸亀製麺), the largest udon chain in Japan with locations in Canada, posts calorie information for all menu items. Their kake udon (regular size) is listed at 339 calories. Their shrimp tempura udon (kake + 2 ebi ten) is 594 calories. These are reliable benchmarks for restaurant udon portions and useful for calibrating your estimates at other Japanese restaurants that don't post nutrition info.

6 Ways to Reduce Udon Calories Without Ruining the Bowl

Reduce noodle portion by 25%

Order or cook 150g cooked udon instead of 200g. The bowl looks and feels nearly the same — udon noodles are dense — but saves 70 calories. In a restaurant, ask for a smaller noodle portion or eat about three-quarters of the noodles and stop.Save ~70 kcal

Swap tempura for egg or tofu

Replacing one piece of shrimp tempura (+120 cal) with a soft-boiled egg (+80 cal) saves 40 calories while actually adding more protein. Replacing kakiage (+230 cal) with silken tofu (+50 cal) saves 180 calories. The bowl remains satisfying — the egg or tofu provides the protein anchor the tempura was delivering.

Save 40–180 kcal

Don't drink the broth

Leaving the broth in the bowl after finishing the noodles saves 700–1,000mg sodium and about 30–50 calories. This is the highest-impact sodium reduction strategy and has zero effect on the noodle-eating experience. In Japan, finishing the broth is not a cultural expectation the way drinking ramen broth is.Save 30–50 kcal, 700–1,000mg sodium

Choose zaru udon over kake

Zaru (cold, dipped) udon with moderate dipping sauce consumption is both lower in sodium and roughly similar in calories to kake udon — without the broth's sodium load. If you don't refill your tsuyu cup multiple times, the sodium stays manageable. The cold preparation also gives a better showcase of the noodle's chewy texture.Save 500–900mg sodium vs kake

Load up on vegetable toppings

Blanched spinach, enoki mushrooms, shiitake, bean sprouts, and wakame seaweed add almost no calories (10–25 kcal total) while significantly increasing volume, fiber, and satiety. Adding 100g of mixed vegetables to any udon preparation increases fullness by a measurable amount while adding fewer than 30 calories. Mushrooms specifically add umami that compensates for reduced seasoning.+10–30 kcal, major satiety gain

Make broth with low-sodium soy sauce

Low-sodium soy sauce contains roughly 40% less sodium than regular — the flavor difference in a dashi-based broth is minor because the dashi itself provides umami depth. Making udon broth at home with low-sodium soy sauce cuts broth sodium from ~1,000mg to ~600mg without a perceptible taste difference when dashi quality is good. Use more kombu and katsuobushi; use less soy sauce.Save 400mg sodium in broth

6 Ways to Reduce Udon Calories Without Ruining the Bowl

Frequently Asked Questions: Udon Calories

How many calories are in udon?

Plain cooked udon noodles contain about 280 calories per 200g serving (one standard restaurant portion of noodles). A complete bowl of kake udon (noodles in dashi broth with scallions) is 300–360 calories. Tempura udon with one shrimp is 420–450 calories; with two shrimp, 530–570; with kakiage (mixed vegetable fritter), 640–700+. Yaki udon (stir-fried) runs 480–600 calories depending on protein choice and oil used. The noodle itself is a modest 280 calories — the calorie range in full dishes reflects topping and preparation choices entirely.

Is udon high in calories?

Simple udon preparations (kake, zaru) are genuinely low in calories — 300–360 for a full bowl. This makes plain udon one of the lighter noodle dish options, comparable to a simple pho and significantly lighter than ramen (580–700+ calories). Udon gains a reputation for being heavy or high-calorie primarily from tempura preparations, where the fried toppings add 200–400+ calories beyond the noodle base. If you eat kake or zaru udon, it is a legitimately light meal. If you eat kakiage udon, it is not.

How does udon compare to ramen in calories?

Simple udon (kake) at 320–360 calories is significantly lower than any typical ramen bowl (shoyu ramen ~580 calories, tonkotsu ~700 calories). The udon noodle itself has fewer calories than ramen noodles (280 vs ~360 per 200g cooked). Ramen's heavier broth — particularly tonkotsu, which uses rendered pork fat — adds 200–350 calories beyond what udon's dashi broth contributes. Tempura udon can exceed simple ramen in calorie count, but the two are generally not compared in that configuration.

Is udon good for weight loss?

Udon in simple preparations (kake, zaru, tsukimi with egg) is a reasonable choice for calorie-conscious eating — 300–420 calories for a filling bowl is a decent calorie-to-satiety ratio. The concerns: udon noodles have a high glycemic index (the starchy carbs are digested quickly, which may lead to faster return of hunger), low protein content in the noodles themselves, and very high sodium in restaurant preparations. Adding protein toppings (egg, tofu, poached chicken) and limiting broth consumption significantly improves udon's profile for weight management goals.

What is the lowest-calorie udon dish?

Kake udon with no additional toppings is the lowest-calorie udon option at approximately 300–340 calories. Zaru udon (cold, with moderate dipping sauce) is comparable at 320–360 calories and is significantly lower in sodium if you don't drink the tsuyu. Tsukimi udon (kake + one raw egg) at ~400 calories is the best low-calorie option that also adds meaningful protein. All other preparations — kitsune, tanuki, tempura, curry, yaki — are higher in calories.

Is udon healthier than ramen?

In simple preparations, yes — kake udon is lower in calories, lower in fat (dashi broth vs ramen's fatty broth), and lower in sodium than most ramen. The udon noodle is also simpler in composition (wheat + water + salt) than ramen noodles (which include alkaline salts). However, udon has less protein and fiber than a well-topped ramen bowl, and both dishes have significant sodium content. Neither is a nutritionally complete meal on its own — the healthiness of either depends heavily on the toppings chosen. Adding protein (egg, lean meat, tofu) to udon and avoiding tempura moves it toward a nutritionally reasonable meal.

How many calories in frozen udon?

Frozen udon noodles (the type sold in individual vacuum-sealed portions at Asian grocery stores — Sanuki-style, already cooked) are essentially the same calorie content as freshly made or restaurant udon: approximately 270–290 calories per 200g portion when reheated. The freezing process doesn't change the calorie content. Check the package nutrition label, which will list calories per 100g (multiply by 2 for a standard 200g serving). Brand variation is minimal — most frozen udon falls between 130–145 calories per 100g cooked weight.

Conclusion

Udon noodles themselves are relatively moderate in calories, with about 280 calories per standard 200g serving. This means a simple bowl like kake udon or zaru udon can stay surprisingly light at around 300–360 calories, making it one of the lower-calorie options among popular noodle dishes.

What changes the calorie count is everything built around the noodles. Tempura toppings, rich curry broth, stir-frying oil, and fatty meats can quickly raise a bowl of udon into the 600–700+ calorie range. In other words, udon works as a neutral base—its nutritional profile depends almost entirely on how it is prepared.

For a lighter bowl, choose simple broths and toppings such as egg, tofu, chicken, or vegetables, and avoid large tempura additions. With the right choices, udon can remain a balanced, satisfying meal while still fitting comfortably into most calorie goals.