Lychees are small tropical fruits with a floral, sweet flavor, but their calories can add up quickly if you're snacking straight from the bowl. A single lychee contains only about 6–7 calories, yet a loose handful of five or six fruits, or a generous cup of sliced flesh, can pack close to 40–130 calories depending on portion size. This calculator converts your serving into calories using standard nutrition data for fresh lychee.
Whether you're tracking every calorie for weight management, planning a fruit-based dessert, or simply curious about how your snack fits into your daily intake, this tool gives you a quick estimate. Choose a serving unit — handfuls, individual lychees, grams, or cups — and optionally adjust for canned lychees in syrup to see the calorie impact of added sugar.
The calculation also breaks down carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, and sugar so you can use the numbers in flexible dieting, macro tracking, or general healthy eating plans.
🍈 Lychee Calories per Handful
Serving Amount
📊 Results
Step-by-Step Guide
Using this calculator takes less than a minute. Start by choosing the unit that matches how you're measuring your snack: handfuls, individual lychees, grams, or cups. A standard handful in this calculator is based on about five medium lychees and 50 grams of edible flesh — approximately the amount you can comfortably hold in one palm. If you have a kitchen scale, grams give you the most precise result.
- Enter the number of servings in the amount field. You can use decimals such as 0.5 for half a handful or 1.5 cups.
- Pick the unit from the dropdown. The calculator will convert it to grams automatically using the reference values below.
- If you are eating canned lychees in syrup, tick the checkbox to raise the calorie density from 66 to 80 kcal per 100 g.
- Press Calculate Calories to see your total, plus a macro breakdown and an approximate fruit count.
Use the quick-pick buttons for common portions: one handful, two handfuls, ten lychees, or 100 grams. If you want to compare lychees with another fruit you often eat by the handful, try our apricot calories per handful calculator.
How the Calculation Works
The calorie estimate is built on a simple proportional formula: calories = (serving weight in grams × calories per 100 g) ÷ 100. For fresh lychee, the reference value is 66 kcal per 100 g of edible flesh. For lychees canned in syrup, the value rises to about 80 kcal per 100 g because the syrup adds sugar.
Since lychees are almost always eaten without the skin and seed, the calculator uses edible-flesh weights only. The default conversions are:
- 1 medium lychee ≈ 10 g flesh
- 1 handful ≈ 5 lychees ≈ 50 g flesh
- 1 cup of pitted, sliced lychees ≈ 190 g flesh
- 100 g = 100 g of flesh
For the macro breakdown, the calculator uses typical values per 100 g of fresh lychee: 16.5 g carbohydrates, 15.2 g sugar, 1.3 g fiber, 0.8 g protein, and 0.4 g fat. When the canned-in-syrup option is selected, the sugar and carbohydrate values are scaled upward by the same ratio as the calorie increase, giving a reasonable approximation for a syrup-packed product. Values are based on data from USDA FoodData Central.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Snacking on two handfuls of fresh lychees.
Two handfuls is 100 g. Using the formula: 100 × 66 ÷ 100 = 66 kcal. The macro breakdown is roughly 16.5 g carbs, 0.8 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 1.3 g fiber, and 15.2 g sugar.
Example 2: Counting individual fruits.
If you eat 12 lychees while watching a movie, that's 120 g of flesh. Calories = 120 × 66 ÷ 100 = 79 kcal. This is useful if you don't want to weigh a portion and prefer counting pieces.
Example 3: One cup of canned lychees in syrup.
One cup is 190 g, and the syrup option raises the value to 80 kcal per 100 g. Calories = 190 × 80 ÷ 100 = 152 kcal. The sugar content will also be noticeably higher than fresh lychees.
Reference Table: Lychee Serving Sizes
The table below summarizes the portions used in this calculator. Because lychee size varies by variety and growing conditions, treat these as close estimates rather than exact lab values.
| Serving | Approx. Edible Weight | Fresh Calories | Canned in Syrup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lychee | 10 g | 7 kcal | 8 kcal |
| 1 handful | 50 g | 33 kcal | 40 kcal |
| 100 g | 100 g | 66 kcal | 80 kcal |
| 1 cup | 190 g | 125 kcal | 152 kcal |
For a savory snack with a very different nutrient profile, see our hummus per handful calculator.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Including skin or seed weight. The peel and central seed are not edible and add no calories. Weigh only the translucent flesh after peeling.
- Using dried lychee values. Dried lychee, sometimes called lychee nuts, is much more calorie-dense because water is removed and sugar concentrates. Do not use this calculator for dried lychee.
- Overfilling a handful. A heaping handful can be 80–100 g, almost double the 50 g reference. If you are counting strictly, weigh your first few handfuls to see what your hand actually holds.
- Ignoring syrup. Canned lychees are often packed in sugar syrup. Check the label; if it says light syrup, heavy syrup, or added sugar, choose the syrup option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are lychees good for weight loss?
Yes, in moderate portions. Fresh lychees are about 66 kcal per 100 g, which makes them a relatively low-calorie fruit. The main caveat is portion size: because they are sweet and easy to eat quickly, calories can add up if you eat several cups. Pairing them with a handful of nuts or a spoon of yogurt can improve satiety.
Why do different sources show slightly different calories?
Lychee nutrition depends on variety, ripeness, and growing region. Values in this calculator are based on the standard USDA raw lychee entry. Another source such as Wikipedia's lychee page gives similar figures. Small differences of 2–5 kcal per 100 g are normal and not meaningful for daily tracking.
Can I track lychees by volume instead of weight?
You can, but be aware that cup measurements depend on how tightly the fruit is packed. Sliced lychees settle differently from whole ones. The 190 g per cup figure assumes loosely packed, pitted, sliced flesh. Weighing is always the most accurate method.