How many calories are in mutabbaq?
Mutabbaq runs 157 to 310 kcal per 100g — but the real split isn't between one restaurant and another, it's between sweet and savory. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) published four official variants: the sweet ones read 290-310, and the savory ones read 201-208 kcal per 100g.
SFDA's four official variants
| Variant | kcal/100g | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Full recipe kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Banana | 290 | 7.1 g | 10.1 g | 44.0 g | 2170 |
| Sweet Cheese | 310 | 8.9 g | 12.9 g | 40.3 g | 2470 |
| Savory Meat | 201 | 9.7 g | 6.6 g | 27.0 g | 3990 |
| Savory Chicken | 208 | 10.1 g | 6.1 g | 28.3 g | 4210 |
SFDA per-100g and full-recipe figures — sources below.
Sweet or savory? That's the real difference
The split isn't between one restaurant and another — it's between a sweet filling and a savory one: the sweet variants (290-310) read about 50% higher than the savory ones (201-208) per 100g. The reason is that sugar and banana or cheese filling displace the moisture carried by meat or chicken filling, packing more energy into the same weight. Al-Faris's sample (a restaurant, savory meat mutabbaq) read 177 kcal, and Basaqr's software estimate read 157 — both below SFDA's entire savory range, a reminder that a street-bought mutabbaq isn't the same object as a lab-analysed published recipe. Note also that this Al-Faris sample was a restaurant sample, unlike its homemade jareesh and margoog samples in the same study.
If you're choosing between a sweet and a savory mutabbaq for calorie reasons, the real gap between them is bigger than any gap between restaurants.
Why every app gives you a different number
Saudi menu-labelling regulation (GSO 2604) permits a tolerance of up to ±20% around any declared calorie figure — its own published example: a lasagna declared at 400 kcal can legitimately read anywhere from 320 to 480. On top of that, mutabbaq itself genuinely covers four different variants — so make sure you know which one you're comparing before judging any number.
Your share of the mutabbaq tray — divided by four
Dividing each SFDA full recipe by four adults — our own division, not SFDA-published figures — your rough share: sweet banana about 543 kcal, sweet cheese about 618, savory meat about 998, savory chicken about 1053.
How many calories are in mutabbaq?
It depends on the variant: SFDA published four official versions — sweet banana mutabbaq (290), sweet cheese mutabbaq (310), savory meat mutabbaq (201), and savory chicken mutabbaq (208) kcal per 100g. The sweet variants run about 50% higher than the savory ones.
Is sweet mutabbaq heavier than savory?
Yes, per 100g — the sweet variants (290-310) read about 50% higher than the savory ones (201-208). The reason is that sugar and banana or cheese filling displace the moisture carried by meat or chicken filling, raising energy density.
Is the mutabbaq I buy at a restaurant the same as SFDA's number?
Not necessarily. Al-Faris's sample (a restaurant, savory meat mutabbaq) read 177 kcal, and Basaqr's software estimate read 157 — both below SFDA's entire savory range (201-208). A street-bought mutabbaq isn't the same object as a lab-analysed published recipe.
What's my share if a tray of mutabbaq is split four ways?
Dividing each SFDA full recipe by four — our own division, not a published figure — roughly: sweet banana ~543 kcal, sweet cheese ~618, savory meat ~998, savory chicken ~1053.
Four official mutabbaq variants: sweet banana (290), sweet cheese (310), savory meat (201), savory chicken (208) kcal per 100g.
Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) — Saudi Food Composition TablesRetrieved 2026-09-17
Pages 66 (sweet banana), 68 (sweet cheese), 70 (savory meat), 72 (savory chicken).
"Mutabak" restaurant sample (savory meat): 177 kcal per 100g.
Journal of Food and Nutrition Research — Al-Faris 2017 — Nutritional Evaluation of Selected Traditional Foods Commonly Consumed in Saudi ArabiaRetrieved 2026-09-17
An out-of-home (restaurant) sample, unlike this study's homemade jareesh and margoog samples. Open access — cite and link.
Software estimate for mutabbaq: 156.59 ± 35.54 kcal per 100g.
Frontiers in Nutrition — Basaqr et al. 2025Retrieved 2026-09-17
CC BY licensed.
Permitted tolerance of ±20% around any declared menu calorie figure.
Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) — Menu Calorie Labelling Regulation — GSO 2604Retrieved 2026-09-17
Section 7.1, page 11.
The information on this page is for general nutrition awareness, drawn from published lab data — it is not individual medical or dietary advice. Hadeed is a general-wellness product: Not a medical device.