Diwali sweets calories: a chart for kaju katli, ladoo, gulab jamun and more
Updated: Oct 19
Diwali is for celebrating, not for counting every bite. But it helps to know roughly what a piece of your favourite sweet adds, so you can enjoy it and still stay close to your plan. Here are 11 Diwali sweets and snacks, with the piece size each figure is based on.
Calories in Diwali sweets and snacks
Sweet or snack | Portion | Calories | Protein |
Kaju katli | 1 piece (15 g) | 70–80 kcal | 2 g |
Chakli | 1 medium (15 g) | 65–80 kcal | 1 g |
Rasgulla | 1 piece with a little syrup (50 g) | 90–110 kcal | 3 g |
Soan papdi | 1 piece (20 g) | 100–115 kcal | 1 g |
Gulab jamun | 1 piece with syrup (40 g) | 110–130 kcal | 2 g |
Milk (khoa) barfi | 1 piece (30 g) | 115–135 kcal | 3 g |
Motichoor ladoo | 1 small (30 g) | 130–150 kcal | 2–3 g |
Shakarpara | 1 small handful (30 g) | 135–150 kcal | 1–2 g |
Poha chivda | 1 katori (30 g) | 135–150 kcal | 2–3 g |
Gujiya / karanji | 1 piece (35 g) | 150–170 kcal | 2–3 g |
Besan ladoo | 1 medium (35 g) | 165–185 kcal | 3–4 g |
How these were worked out: from standard home recipes, using ingredient values from the ICMR-NIN Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 and USDA FoodData Central. Shop sweets are often bigger or richer, so they can be 10–25% higher. Weigh one piece once and you'll know your own sizes.
A simple sweet budget
Use the calorie deficit calculator to find your daily number.
On a festival day, keep about 150–200 kcal of it for sweets: that's one besan ladoo, or a piece of kaju katli plus a gulab jamun.
The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) advise keeping added sugar under 5% of daily calories. At 1,400 kcal, that's about 70 kcal, or roughly 4 teaspoons of sugar. One or two pieces of most sweets use up half or more of that.
Have your sweet after a meal rather than on an empty stomach, and choose one you really love instead of tasting everything on the plate.
If you have PCOS
Sweets aren't banned. The same budget works, and one piece a day after a balanced meal is a sensible limit.
Keep the rest of the day's meals regular, with protein at each one.
The PCOS calculator gives you a daily calorie and protein target to plan around.
Easy swaps for the festive week
Choose kaju katli or rasgulla over besan ladoo or gujiya: that saves about 60–100 kcal a piece.
Choose roasted chana or roasted makhana over fried chivda.
Share a sweet: half a piece is still the full taste.
Drink water or plain chaas between snacks.
After Diwali
One heavy day doesn't undo weeks of progress. Go back to your usual meals the next morning; there's no need to skip meals or "detox". The 7-day Indian diet chart is an easy way to restart.
Want a plan that fits festivals, not one that fights them? I coach women online, or in person in Powai, Mumbai. Book a call.
Sources
ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017
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