How many calories in ceviche
A starter portion of ceviche has about 200 kcal, and most of that is protein from the fish.
Portion
To burn it off
Ceviche is raw white fish or prawns sitting in lime juice until it turns firm and white, with red onion, chilli and coriander. No oven, no oil to speak of.
That's why the numbers are so tidy: 25 g of protein, 12 g of carbs and 5 g of fat. The carbs come from the onion, the lime and whatever sweetcorn or sweet potato it's served with.
You'll meet it in Peruvian places in London and on any beach menu from Lima to Tulum. The tortilla chips on the side are where the evening changes shape.
Tips
- 1Eat it with a fork and let the tortilla chips stay in the basket for a bit.
- 2Order it as a starter before something heavier and you'll often want less of the main.
- 3Drink the leftover lime juice, the tiger's milk, if you're brave. It's mostly citrus.
Where it comes from
Ceviche comes from the coast of Peru, where fishing peoples such as the Chincha ate raw fish. The Spanish brought limes and lemons, and fish marinated in citrus became the dish we know. The name may come from the Arabic sakbāj, meat cooked in vinegar, the root of escabeche, or from a Quechua word. In 2023 UNESCO added it to its intangible heritage list.
Where does our food come from? · Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ceviche
Just type it
ceviche with sweet potato
In Caltype you type what you ate like a note to yourself, and it's counted for you. No weighing, no scrolling through a database.
Share
Questions
Is ceviche high in protein?
Yes. A portion has about 25 g, which is a decent chunk of a meal's worth.
How many calories in two portions of ceviche?
About 400 kcal, if it's a main rather than a starter.
Is the fish actually cooked?
Not with heat. The lime juice firms the fish up, which is why it needs to be very fresh.
Does the lime juice in ceviche kill bacteria?
Not the way heat does. The acid firms up the fish but doesn't make it as safe as cooking, so use very fresh fish from a good fishmonger, keep it cold and eat it the day it's made. Pregnancy advice is usually to skip it.
How many calories in ceviche with sweet potato and corn?
A chunk of sweet potato (about 100 g) adds around 90 kcal and a few spoonfuls of corn about 50, so the plate comes to around 340 kcal.
