Most people are either in or out when it comes to bratwurst — with bratwurst calories and nutrition facts not mattering much to hardcore brat devotees — but it’s always good to know what you are eating the next time you grill up some brats.
We’ll give you the basic bratwurst calories information below but keep in mind that it’s for a standard pork and beef bratwurst.
Different bratwurst recipes will vary as far as calories and nutrition, as the type of meat used and the amount of salt and other spices used can change the equation.
Like any food, also be sure to account for anything that goes on your brat when counting calories such as stone ground mustard and the bun you eat it on.
Bratwurst Calories
One serving of a pork and beef bratwurst (2.33 oz or 66 g) has about 196 calories.
The fat content in a brat isn’t as high as you might think, with 17 g of total fat and just 4 g of saturated fat.
Compare that to a Big Mac at 23 g of fat and 8 g of saturated fat and you shouldn’t feel too bad about eating that bratwurst.
Bratwurst also fares reasonably well with just 51 mg of cholesterol and it has very little potassium, for anyone on a potassium-restricted diet.
Brats have hardly any carbs and are sugar free.
You will need to watch the sodium, as a single serving of bratwurst contains roughly 25% of your daily recommended sodium intake.
Mustard is pretty negligible as far as adding calories or anything other than salt, while a standard bun is typically around 100 calories.
On average, a plain Bratwurstgives 270 calories. This may vary between 250-290, depending upon the type of meat included, the country it is being made in, cooking method, size, and grams per serving. This count is without the addition of a bun.
A sausage form of Bratwurst is around 297 calories. This increase is due to the addition of oil while cooking it.
If a bun is added to a Bratwurst with two of its slices placed above it, there will be a change in the total calorie count.
A typical bun consists of 150 calories. Adding this to a single sausage of 270, the total comes around 420 calories, one-fourth of a sedentary person’s daily calorie intake. And for a Bratwurst sausage, the total will go about 447 calories.
Different Varieties of Bratwurst and their Calories
When the sausage filling is bird meat, like chicken or turkey, the protein content is low. So, the protein-based calorie contribution is low, i.e., 70 and 180 calories.
If beef and pork are taken in red meat, the calorie count is 253 and 92, while the famous Johnsonville Bratwurst has 260 calories in its typical servings.
The ooey-gooey cheesy cheddar Bratwurst ties with the Johnsonville Bratwurst for the exact 260 calories, and along with it, the chilled beer one gives about 220 calories.
The grilled category of Bratwurst cuts down the calories to 225 calories because of slow heating done due to grilling.
(All the calories mentioned above are without a bun, meaning the values are of the sausage filling selected)
Bratwurst Nutrition Information and Facts
Bratwurst is more suitable for a protein-focused diet, that is, for building muscle.
The fat-based calories produced on consuming Bratwurst also contribute but not more than the protein-based ones. However, fat takes credit for contributing calories, for more than half the total count, i.e., over 60%.
The ‘Empty Calories’ from the sugars of Bratwurst are not of many benefits. They rapidly increase calorie intake, but they immediately undergo digestion and have no nutritional benefit when taken into the body.
The extremely low fiber content in Bratwurst is not of much use either. Fibre aids in easy digestion and this absence in Bratwurst is precisely the reason for heartburn and acidity.
Bratwurst is a food option that is on the borderline. One side of it is too healthy, and the other side is too junk.
Nevertheless, it is in your hands to decide which side of the line you want to be by planning out the number of times it is consumed in your eating schedule.
All in all, bratwurst calories shouldn’t be a huge concern and it’s reasonably well-balanced meat as far as total fat, cholesterol, and sodium content.