Determining the calorie count for a prepared food like Costco’s coconut chicken curry requires looking at the complete nutritional information provided by the manufacturer. Costco helpfully provides nutrition facts online for the Kirkland Signature Organic Coconut Chicken Curry, sold refrigerated in their warehouse stores.
Nutrition Facts for Kirkland Coconut Chicken Curry
According to the Costco website, one 9 oz (255 g) container of Kirkland Signature Organic Coconut Chicken Curry contains the following:
| Nutrient | Per Container |
|---|---|
| Calories | 300 |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 55 mg |
| Sodium | 480 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
So in total, one container of Kirkland Signature Organic Coconut Chicken Curry contains 300 calories.
Breakdown of Calories
To understand where those 300 calories come from, it helps to break it down into the major macronutrients:
- Fat: 18g
- 1g fat = 9 calories
- 18g fat x 9 calories/g = 162 calories from fat
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- 1g carbs = 4 calories
- 12g carbs x 4 calories/g = 48 calories from carbs
- Protein: 24g
- 1g protein = 4 calories
- 24g protein x 4 calories/g = 96 calories from protein
Adding those up:
- Calories from fat: 162
- Calories from carbs: 48
- Calories from protein: 96
- Total calories: 306
So the total calorie count comes out to approximately 300 calories per container when you break it down by the major nutrient components.
Calorie Density
When looking at the calorie density, 300 calories per 255 grams comes out to around 1.18 calories per gram. Foods with a caloric density of less than 1.5 calories/gram are considered low-calorie dense foods. This means that Costco’s coconut chicken curry is a relatively low-calorie dense food for the amount you get.
For comparison:
- Vegetables: 0.2 – 0.8 calories/gram
- Fruits: 0.5 – 1.0 calories/gram
- Grains: 1.5 – 4 calories/gram
- Cheese: 3.5 – 4 calories/gram
- Nuts: 5 – 7 calories/gram
- Oils: 9 calories/gram
So at 1.18 calories/gram, this coconut curry contains a moderate amount of calories for the volume of food.
Contributing Nutrients
When looking at which nutrients contribute the most calories in this curry, the main sources are:
- Fat: 162 calories, over half the total calories comes from fat. The coconut milk likely contributes a significant amount of saturated fat.
- Protein: 96 calories from the chicken and other protein sources like chickpeas.
- Carbohydrates: 48 calories, mainly from the small amounts of rice and starchy vegetables.
Estimated Calories for Different Servings
The nutrition information listed is for the entire 9 oz container. But what if you eat a different portion size? Here are some estimates:
| Serving Size | Estimated Calories |
|---|---|
| 1/2 container (4.5 oz) | 150 calories |
| 3/4 container (6.75 oz) | 225 calories |
| Full container (9 oz) | 300 calories |
To estimate the calories for different serving sizes, you can divide the total calories proportionally. So if a full container is 300 calories, then half the container would contain roughly 150 calories.
Cooking Method and Ingredients
When estimating calories, it’s also helpful to consider the cooking method and ingredients used in the dish:
- This curry is prepared fresh and refrigerated, not canned or frozen, so there is minimal processing.
- It’s cooked in a stew-like fashion involving simmering the ingredients together in coconut milk and spices.
- Ingredients include chicken breast, onion, carrots, chickpeas, tomato, rice, coconut milk, and spices.
- The ingredients are all whole foods without adding refined sugars or oils.
This cooking method and use of whole food ingredients results in a relatively fresh, lower-calorie curry compared to some pre-made frozen varieties or curries made with higher fat meats and added oils.
Effect of Coconut Milk on Calories
One thing that adds notable calories and saturated fat to this dish is the coconut milk. Coconut milk contains a blend of coconut cream and water. Per cup:
- Coconut milk contains about 550 calories and 57g fat.
- Light coconut milk contains 250-300 calories and 30g fat.
So coconut milk and cream are high-fat, high-calorie ingredients. However, the coconut flavor paired with the chicken and vegetables nicely complements the spices in a Thai curry dish.
Costco Coconut Chicken Curry vs. Homemade
How does this pre-made version compare to homemade? Let’s compare to a basic homemade version of chicken curry made with similar ingredients:
| Coconut Chicken Curry | Costco (9 oz) | Homemade (9 oz) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 300 | 200-250 |
| Total Fat | 18g | 8-12g |
| Carbs | 12g | 15-20g |
| Protein | 24g | 20-25g |
The homemade version has a similar nutrition profile but is slightly lower in calories and fat when made from scratch. However, the Costco version offers convenience while still providing a relatively fresh, all-natural curry option.
Tips for Lightening Up This Curry
If you want to lighten up this curry, here are some tips that can help decrease the calories, fat, and carbs:
- Use light coconut milk instead of regular – cuts calories and fat roughly in half.
- Increase veggies like cauliflower and bell peppers – adds fiber, nutrients, and fewer net carbs.
- Serve over spiralized zucchini noodles instead of rice – reduces starchy carbohydrates.
- Boost protein with extra chicken or chickpeas – increases satiety.
- Use minimal added oils when cooking – reduces overall fat.
- Flavor with herbs, spices, vinegars, citrus – adds zest without calories.
With some simple substitutions and additions, you can easily modify this coconut chicken curry to be lower in calories without sacrificing flavor.
Costco Coconut Chicken Curry Nutrition Facts
To summarize the key nutrition facts:
- Serving Size: 1 container (9 oz)
- Calories per container: 300
- Calories from Fat: 162
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 2g
- Protein: 24g
So each 9 oz container of Kirkland Signature Organic Coconut Chicken Curry from Costco provides 300 total calories, with over half coming from the fat content. It has moderate amounts of protein and carbs, and minimal sugars.
Conclusion
In summary, a full 9 oz container of Costco’s pre-made coconut chicken curry contains approximately 300 calories. This comes primarily from the high fat coconut milk used in the recipe. The calorie count is moderate compared to many Indian-style curries, and can be lowered by using lighter coconut milk or making it from scratch. Overall, Costco’s version provides a convenient lower-calorie curry option rich in flavor from tender chicken thighs and aromatic spices.