Breakfast and tiffin
Calories in Semiya Upma
One bowl of semiya upma has about 158 kcal, with 3.3 g of protein, 17.9 g of carbohydrate and 7.9 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank bases this on a recipe in which 20 g of dry vermicelli and 7.5 g of oil go into each bowl, with onion, urad dal and lemon. It is a small serving.
Nutrition in 1 bowl of semiya upma
| Nutrient | 1 bowl of semiya upma | 2 bowls of semiya upma |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 158 kcal | 316 kcal |
| Protein | 3.3 g | 6.6 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 17.9 g | 35.8 g |
| Total fat | 7.9 g | 15.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3.4 g | 6.8 g |
| Sugars | 1.5 g | 3 g |
Of this energy, about 46% comes from carbohydrate, 46% from fat and 8% from protein.
1 bowl of semiya upma is about 7% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 10% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The recipe cooks 40 g of vermicelli with 30 g of onion, 5 g of urad dal, a squeeze of lemon and 15 g of oil, and serves it as 2 bowls. So one bowl starts as 20 g of dry semiya. Vermicelli stays in separate strands on the plate, which makes a home serving hard to judge by eye. Weigh or measure the dry vermicelli once: if one person's share is well above 20 g, the bowl holds proportionally more than 158 kcal. Canteen and tiffin-box portions are generally bigger than this recipe's.
Fat and carbohydrate supply 46% of the energy each, and protein the remaining 8%. The 7.5 g of oil in every bowl is what puts fat level with starch. Semiya is usually made from maida or suji, so nutritionally the dish is a close cousin of rava upma, and the two come out almost identical in the same set of recipes, 158 kcal against 157 kcal. Any difference a reader notices between them at home will come from the oil and the portion, not from choosing vermicelli over suji.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 2 bowls. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 bowl of semiya upma |
|---|---|---|
| Vermicelli | 40 g | 20 g |
| Black gram (urad) | 5 g | 2.5 g |
| Onion | 30 g | 15 g |
| Lemon | 5 g | 2.5 g |
| Oil | 15 g | 7.5 g |
What changes the number
- 01
Roasting the vermicelli in fat
Semiya is browned before it is cooked, often in ghee. The recipe's 7.5 g of oil per bowl covers both roasting and tadka. Buying ready-roasted vermicelli, or dry-roasting it at home, lets the oil drop to what the tadka alone needs.
- 02
Dry weight per bowl
Each bowl here is 20 g of dry vermicelli. It is easy to tip in more from the packet than intended, and the calories follow the dry weight, not the look of the plate.
- 03
The type of vermicelli
Vermicelli made from maida, from suji or whole wheat, and from millets such as ragi are all sold as semiya. They differ in fibre more than in calories, so check the ingredient list on the packet if fibre matters to you.
- 04
Vegetables, peanuts and ghee
Peas, carrot and beans stretch the bowl for little energy. Peanuts and cashew add fat and some protein. A teaspoon of ghee stirred through at the end takes the bowl to about 203 kcal.
How semiya upma compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idli | 1 idli | 34 | 1.2 |
| Rava Idli | 1 rava idli | 61 | 2.8 |
| Besan Chilla | 1 besan chilla | 71 | 4.1 |
| Pesarattu | 1 pesarattu | 76 | 3.3 |
| Dhokla | 1 piece of dhokla | 87 | 5.4 |
| Jowar Dosa | 1 jowar dosa | 97 | 2.8 |
| Egg Bhurji | 1 bowl of egg bhurji | 130 | 7.7 |
| Plain Dosa | 1 plain dosa | 138 | 3.7 |
| Omelette | 1 omelette | 144 | 6.8 |
| Upma | 1 bowl of upma | 157 | 3.5 |
| Semiya Upma | 1 bowl of semiya upma | 158 | 3.3 |
| Poha | 1 bowl of poha | 161 | 3.3 |
| Rava Dosa | 1 rava dosa | 167 | 5.4 |
| Uttapam | 1 uttapam | 174 | 4.2 |
| Oats Porridge | 1 bowl of oats porridge | 290 | 10.3 |
| Cornflakes With Milk | 1 bowl of cornflakes with milk | 326 | 10 |
| Meetha Dalia | 1 bowl of meetha dalia | 329 | 10.6 |
| Puttu | 1 puttu | 344 | 5.3 |
| Masala Dosa | 1 masala dosa | 345 | 6.9 |
| Vegetable Upma | 1 plate of vegetable upma | 345 | 11.1 |
| Namkeen Dalia | 1 plate of namkeen dalia | 346 | 9.7 |
| Stuffed Moong Dal Chilla | 1 stuffed moong dal chilla | 352 | 15.9 |
In a meal and in a day
On its own a bowl is a light breakfast or an evening tiffin: about 7% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 10% of a woman's. Two bowls come to 316 kcal with 6.6 g of protein, and three to 474 kcal with 23.7 g of fat. Protein is low at every size, so the useful addition is not more semiya but something beside it: curd, a boiled egg, a glass of buttermilk or a handful of roasted chana.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Buy roasted vermicelli or dry-roast it, and keep the oil for the tadka to one teaspoon.
- Add peas, carrot, beans and capsicum until the vegetables match the vermicelli in volume.
- Choose whole wheat or millet vermicelli for more fibre at about the same calories.
- Measure the dry vermicelli per person instead of pouring it straight from the packet.
Before you rely on the number
Do not read semiya upma as the lighter alternative to rava upma. In these recipes the two are almost identical, and both get nearly half their energy from oil. Most vermicelli is a refined-flour product with little fibre of its own. Readers who manage their blood sugar should have the portion and its accompaniments set by a doctor or dietitian.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Semiya Upma: common questions
How many calories are in 100 g of vermicelli upma?
The source gives the figure by the bowl, not by weight: about 158 kcal for a bowl cooked from 20 g of dry vermicelli. Cooked weight depends heavily on how much water the strands absorb, so a figure per 100 g would shift from one kitchen to the next. Weighing the dry vermicelli is the more dependable method.
Is semiya upma lighter than rava upma?
No. In the Indian Nutrient Databank recipes a bowl of semiya upma is 158 kcal and a bowl of rava upma is 157 kcal. Protein is close as well, 3.3 g against 3.5 g. Choose on taste, and control the oil in either.
How many calories are in 2 bowls of semiya upma?
Two bowls have about 316 kcal, with 6.6 g of protein, 35.8 g of carbohydrate and 15.8 g of fat. That corresponds to 40 g of dry vermicelli and 15 g of oil, which is the whole of the reference recipe eaten by one person.
Is semiya upma good for weight loss?
A small bowl at 158 kcal is easy to fit in, but it is neither very filling nor rich in protein, and 46% of its energy comes from fat. Bulking it with vegetables and trimming the oil improves it. Weight responds to overall intake across days, so the bowl counts for what it adds to that total.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Semiya Upma (Vermicelli Upma)
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Wheat (whole, suji and dalia): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Black gram (urad): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Indian breakfast for weight loss: what to change and what to keep
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.