Drinks
Atole
Each 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of atole has 86 kcal and 13.9 g of sugars, and as a drink those calories tend to fill you up less than the same calories from solid food.
Estimated satietyHow it is calculated
Estimated satiety: 1 out of 5
| Starting point | +1 |
|---|---|
| Low energy density: 86 kcal/100 g | +1 |
| Protein: 2.0 g/100 kcal | 0 |
| Fiber: 0.2 g/100 kcal | 0 |
| Liquid with sugars: 13.9 g, 8 or more | −2 |
| Sum | 0 |
| Raised to the minimum of 1 | 1 |
Our own estimate from the values per 100 g: useful for comparing foods with each other, not a measurement in people. Holt index (1995): this food was not measured.
- Prepared by
- Alex Gonzalez
- Last updated
- Next review
- Sources
- 7 primary
- Data
- USDA FDC 2710607
No clinical review. No advertising from drug companies and no affiliate links.How we work
Nutrition facts
- Calories
- 215 kcal per serving
- 86 kcal per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
- Protein
- 4.2 g per serving
- 1.7 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
- Carbohydrates
- 40.7 g per serving
- 16.3 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
- of which sugars
- 34.7 g per serving
- 13.9 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
- Fiber
- 0.5 g per serving
- 0.2 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
- Fat
- 3.9 g per serving
- 1.5 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
- of which saturated
- 2 g per serving
- 0.8 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
- Water
- 200.1 g per serving
- 80.1 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
Source: USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021-2023): Atole (FDC ID 2710607), accessed September 23, 2026.
A typical 250 ml (8.5 fl oz, about 1 cup) serving provides about 215 kcal, 4.2 g of protein, and 0.5 g of fiber.
What it is and how to eat it
The DLE, the Spanish-language dictionary, records atole as a word from Honduras and Mexico meaning atol, which it defines as a hot drink of corn flour dissolved in water or milk, to which sweetening flavors can be added, and marks atol as a word from Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela. This page covers USDA's "Atole" entry, a recipe with water, whole milk, sugar and masa harina (corn flour for masa), with 86 kcal, 13.87 g of sugars, 1.54 g of fat and 1.69 g of protein per 100 g. According to that recipe, about 11.7 g of those sugars are added sugar and about 2.2 g are milk sugar (my calculation).
A 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) glass, counting 1 ml as 1 g, provides about 215 kcal, 34.7 g of sugars, about 29 g of them added, and 4.2 g of protein. It is warm, thick and easy to drink, but the 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy advises avoiding sugar-sweetened drinks and suggests eating protein-rich foods first, so if you feel like it, a small cup with a meal that includes protein fits better than a large glass on its own. At home, making it with milk only and less sugar raises the protein and lowers the added sugar.
What the evidence says
WHO counts added sugar as free sugar, but not the sugars naturally present in milk, and recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy, about 50 g on a 2,000 kcal diet; the roughly 29 g of added sugar in a glass is almost three fifths of that maximum (my calculation). With USDA's figures and Mexico's NOM-051, I calculate that a packaged atole with this composition would carry "EXCESO CALORÍAS" (excess calories), because its 86 kcal per 100 g, slightly more per 100 ml, exceed the 70 kcal per 100 ml the standard sets for drinks, and "EXCESO AZÚCARES" (excess sugars), because its added sugar provides about 55% of the energy, but not "EXCESO GRASAS SATURADAS" (excess saturated fat), because saturated fat provides 8.6%, below 10%. For powdered atole mixes, the standard assesses the product as consumed, prepared according to the label instructions.
Satiety
The 1 to 5 score is our own estimate: it starts at 1 point, adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for the water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is useful for comparing foods with each other; it is not a measurement in people.
What to keep in mind on a GLP-1 medication
Frequently asked questions about atole
How much protein does a 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) serving of atole have?
100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of atole has 1.7 g of protein. A typical 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) serving has about 4.2 g of protein. That is 2 g of protein per 100 kcal.
How many calories are in a 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) serving of atole?
100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of atole has 86 kcal. A typical 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) serving has about 215 kcal. That is a low energy density.
How many grams of fiber are in a 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) serving of atole?
100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of atole has 0.2 g of fiber. A typical 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) serving has about 0.5 g of fiber.
How filling is atole?
Barely filling for the calories it provides: our estimated satiety score is 1 out of 5. It is based on: our rule adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.
Is atole a good choice on a GLP-1 if I have nausea?
Based on our tags, this is what matters about atole on a GLP-1 medication. “Easy to digest”: a soft or low-fat food that many people tolerate well when they feel nauseous or get full quickly. “Low energy density”: plenty of volume for few calories; make sure it does not push protein foods off your plate. These are general guidelines, not medical advice: everyone tolerates foods differently.
How many milliliters or fluid ounces are in a serving of atole?
We use 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) as a typical serving, about 1 cup (1 ml is treated as about 1 g). That amount provides about 215 kcal, 4.2 g of protein, and 0.5 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.
Compare with…
Similar foods
Sources
Sources for the data on this page, with the access date.
- Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021-2023): Atole (FDC ID 2710607).accessed .
- Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D (FDC ID 171265).accessed .
- InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "atole" (in Spanish).accessed .
- InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "atol" (in Spanish).accessed .
- Clinical guidelineObesity (Wiley).Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity. 2025;33(8):1475-1503. doi:10.1002/oby.24336.accessed .
- Clinical guidelineWorld Health Organization.Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children (2015).accessed .
- RegulatorDiario Oficial de la Federación (Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Health, Mexico).Modificación a la Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 (Mexico's labeling standard for prepackaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages), Diario Oficial de la Federación, March 27, 2020; sections 4.5.3 and 4.5.3.2, Table 6 and second transitory article (in Spanish).accessed .