Prepared foods
Beef empanada
Beef empanada packs 335 kcal into 100 g (3.5 oz), so a typical 90 g (3 oz) serving already adds up to about 302 kcal.
Estimated satietyHow it is calculated
Estimated satiety: 1 out of 5
| Starting point | +1 |
|---|---|
| High energy density: 335 kcal/100 g | −1 |
| Protein: 3.4 g/100 kcal | 0 |
| Fiber: 0.6 g/100 kcal | 0 |
| Solid food with 37.5 g of water, under 70 | 0 |
| 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
- 9 primary
- Data
- USDA FDC 167660
No clinical review. No advertising from drug companies and no affiliate links.How we work
Nutrition facts
- Calories
- 302 kcal per serving
- 335 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Protein
- 10.2 g per serving
- 11.3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Carbohydrates
- 28.1 g per serving
- 31.2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- of which sugars
- 1.7 g per serving
- 1.8 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Fiber
- 1.8 g per serving
- 2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Fat
- 16.6 g per serving
- 18.4 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- of which saturated
- 4.6 g per serving
- 5.2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Water
- 33.8 g per serving
- 37.5 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Source: USDA FoodData Central: Restaurant, Latino, empanadas, beef, prepared (FDC ID 167660), accessed September 23, 2026.
A typical 90 g (3 oz) serving provides about 302 kcal, 10.2 g of protein, and 1.8 g of fiber.
What it is and how to eat it
The Dictionary of Americanisms, which records it from Central America and the Caribbean to Argentina and Uruguay, defines the empanada as a small, flat pastry made by folding the dough over itself to cover a filling of ground meat or another food, and lists local variants such as Ecuador's empanada de morocho, made of corn flour, filled with meat and vegetables and fried. This page uses the restaurant beef empanada analyzed by USDA, with 335 kcal, 11.3 g of protein and 18.4 g of fat per 100 g; dough, filling and baking or frying vary a lot, and a homemade baked one may have considerably less fat.
A 90 g (3.2 oz) empanada, close to the 89 g piece USDA weighs, provides 302 kcal, 10.2 g of protein and 16.6 g of fat, and fat makes up almost half its calories. The 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy suggests avoiding fatty foods in the first few days of treatment and notes that vomiting is more likely with large meals, so in those days and after a dose increase one empanada, or half, with salad usually sits better than several in a row. If you want more protein, the same advisory suggests eating protein-rich foods first, and a little chicken, egg or legumes on the side provide more than a second empanada.
What the evidence says
According to USDA it has 5.16 g of saturated fat and 440 mg of sodium per 100 g, about 4.6 g and 396 mg per empanada, a fifth of the 2,000 mg of sodium a day the WHO recommends not exceeding. With the 2.7 mg of iron per 100 g USDA reports it exceeds 2.1 mg, 15% of the EU reference value, so it qualifies for the authorized claim "Iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin", and protein supplies about 13.5% of its energy, slightly above the 12% for "source of protein" (Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006, (EU) No 1169/2011 and (EU) No 432/2012). The NIDDK, part of the US National Institutes of Health, notes that high-fat foods can increase bloating in some people, and in the Wegovy trials, according to its label, nausea affected 43.9% of patients, against 16.1% on placebo.
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 beef empanada
How much protein is in a 90 g (3 oz) serving of beef empanada?
100 g (3.5 oz) of beef empanada has 11.3 g of protein. A typical 90 g (3 oz) serving has about 10.2 g of protein. That is 3.4 g of protein per 100 kcal.
How many calories does a 90 g (3 oz) serving of beef empanada have?
100 g (3.5 oz) of beef empanada has 335 kcal. A typical 90 g (3 oz) serving has about 302 kcal. That is a high energy density.
Does beef empanada have fiber?
100 g (3.5 oz) of beef empanada has 2 g of fiber. A typical 90 g (3 oz) serving has about 1.8 g of fiber.
Is beef empanada filling?
Barely filling for the calories it provides: our estimated satiety score is 1 out of 5. Calculation: 1 (base) − 1 (high energy density: 335 kcal/100 g) + 0 (protein: 3.4 g/100 kcal) + 0 (fiber: 0.6 g/100 kcal) + 0 (solid food with 37.5 g of water, under 70) = 0; raised to the minimum of 1. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.
How does beef empanada sit with nausea from a GLP-1 medication?
Based on our tags, this is what matters about beef empanada on a GLP-1 medication. “High energy density”: a lot of energy in a small volume; when your appetite is very low, a small serving can help you meet your needs. “May worsen nausea”: a fatty or fried food; fatty meals are digested more slowly and can make nausea and heaviness worse. These are general guidelines, not medical advice: everyone tolerates foods differently.
What counts as a normal serving of beef empanada?
We use 90 g (3 oz) as a typical serving. That amount provides about 302 kcal, 10.2 g of protein, and 1.8 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.
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: Restaurant, Latino, empanadas, beef, prepared (FDC ID 167660).accessed .
- InstitutionAssociation of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE).Diccionario de americanismos (Dictionary of Americanisms): "empanada" (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 .
- InstitutionWorld Health Organization.Sodium reduction.accessed .
- RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods (Annex).accessed .
- RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (Annex XIII, nutrient reference values).accessed .
- RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods.accessed .
- InstitutionNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH).Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Gas in the Digestive Tract.accessed .
- Drug labelEuropean Medicines Agency.Wegovy (semaglutide): EU Summary of Product Characteristics, section 4.8 (undesirable effects), current version.accessed .