Prepared foods
Pupusa with cheese
Per 100 g (3.5 oz), pupusa with cheese provides 11.7 g of protein, 2.9 g of fiber, and 256 kcal, a moderate energy density.
Estimated satietyHow it is calculated
Estimated satiety: 2 out of 5
| Starting point | +1 |
|---|---|
| Moderate energy density: 256 kcal/100 g | 0 |
| Protein: 4.6 g/100 kcal | +1 |
| Fiber: 1.1 g/100 kcal | 0 |
| Solid food with 50.4 g of water, under 70 | 0 |
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
- 11 primary
- Data
- USDA FDC 167662
No clinical review. No advertising from drug companies and no affiliate links.How we work
Nutrition facts
- Calories
- 294 kcal per serving
- 256 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Protein
- 13.5 g per serving
- 11.7 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Carbohydrates
- 25.8 g per serving
- 22.4 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- of which sugars
- 1.4 g per serving
- 1.2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Fiber
- 3.3 g per serving
- 2.9 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Fat
- 15.2 g per serving
- 13.2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- of which saturated
- 7.5 g per serving
- 6.5 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Water
- 58 g per serving
- 50.4 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Source: USDA FoodData Central: Restaurant, Latino, pupusas con queso (pupusas, cheese) (FDC ID 167662), accessed September 23, 2026.
A typical 115 g (4 oz) serving provides about 294 kcal, 13.5 g of protein, and 3.3 g of fiber.
What it is and how to eat it
The Dictionary of Americanisms records the pupusa in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua as a tortilla made of corn or rice flour, cooked or fried, usually filled with ground chicharrón (fried pork), cheese or loroco flowers. In 2005 El Salvador's Legislative Assembly declared it the national dish for its native origin and popular acceptance and set the second Sunday of November as National Pupusa Day; FAO describes it as fresh cheese between two layers of lime-cooked corn dough, cooked like a tortilla. This page uses the restaurant cheese pupusa analyzed by USDA, with 256 kcal, 11.7 g of protein and 13.2 g of fat per 100 g; size, cheese and griddle fat vary from place to place.
A 115 g (4.1 oz) pupusa, close to the 117 g piece USDA weighs, provides 294 kcal, 13.5 g of protein and 15.2 g of fat, 7.5 g of it saturated. The 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy suggests eating protein-rich foods first, small, frequent meals when hunger is low and avoiding fatty foods in the first few days of treatment, so in those days and after a dose increase a single pupusa is usually more than enough. Served with pickled cabbage or salad it adds volume with few calories, and if you want more protein, an egg or shredded chicken on the side adds less fat than a second pupusa.
What the evidence says
With 325 mg of calcium per 100 g according to USDA it exceeds the 240 mg the EU requires for a "high in calcium" claim, and one pupusa provides 374 mg, almost half the 800 mg reference value, so it qualifies for the authorized claim "Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones" (Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006, (EU) No 1169/2011 and (EU) No 432/2012). With the same figures, protein supplies about 18% of its energy, above the 12% for "source of protein", but fat supplies 46%, and it has 400 mg of sodium per 100 g, about 460 mg per pupusa, almost a quarter of the 2,000 mg a day the WHO recommends not exceeding. 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 pupusa with cheese
How much protein is in a 115 g (4 oz) serving of pupusa with cheese?
100 g (3.5 oz) of pupusa with cheese has 11.7 g of protein. A typical 115 g (4 oz) serving has about 13.5 g of protein. That is 4.6 g of protein per 100 kcal.
How many calories does a 115 g (4 oz) serving of pupusa with cheese have?
100 g (3.5 oz) of pupusa with cheese has 256 kcal. A typical 115 g (4 oz) serving has about 294 kcal. That is a moderate energy density.
Does pupusa with cheese have fiber?
100 g (3.5 oz) of pupusa with cheese has 2.9 g of fiber. A typical 115 g (4 oz) serving has about 3.3 g of fiber.
Is pupusa with cheese filling?
Not very filling for the calories it provides: our estimated satiety score is 2 out of 5. Calculation: 1 (base) + 0 (moderate energy density: 256 kcal/100 g) + 1 (protein: 4.6 g/100 kcal) + 0 (fiber: 1.1 g/100 kcal) + 0 (solid food with 50.4 g of water, under 70) = 2. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.
How does pupusa with cheese sit with nausea from a GLP-1 medication?
Based on our tags, this is what matters about pupusa with cheese on a GLP-1 medication. “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 pupusa with cheese?
We use 115 g (4 oz) as a typical serving. That amount provides about 294 kcal, 13.5 g of protein, and 3.3 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, pupusas con queso (pupusas, cheese) (FDC ID 167662).accessed .
- InstitutionAssociation of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE).Diccionario de americanismos (Dictionary of Americanisms): "pupusa" (in Spanish).accessed .
- RegulatorLegislative Assembly of the Republic of El Salvador.Decreto Legislativo n.º 655 (Legislative Decree No. 655 of 1 April 2005 declaring pupusas the national dish of El Salvador; Diario Oficial No. 73, volume 367, 20 April 2005; in Spanish).accessed .
- InstitutionFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).Maize in human nutrition (FAO, 1992), chapter 4: post-harvest technology, processing.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 .
- 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 .
- InstitutionWorld Health Organization.Sodium reduction.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 .