Calories burned during cooking
Half an hour of cooking with real effort — chopping, moving between counter and stove — burns roughly 110–150 kcal for a 70 kg person, as a range because standing and stirring sits lower than a busy, multi-dish session. It’s gentle activity, not a workout. Enter your own weight and time below.
Enter your weight and how long you moved — the estimate comes back as a range, the same way our diary does it.
| Weight | 15 min | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 39–53 | 78–106 | 117–158 | 156–211 |
| 60 kg | 47–63 | 94–127 | 141–190 | 187–254 |
| 70 kg | 55–74 | 109–148 | 164–222 | 219–296 |
| 80 kg | 62–85 | 125–169 | 187–254 | 250–338 |
| 90 kg | 70–95 | 141–190 | 211–285 | 281–380 |
| 100 kg | 78–106 | 156–211 | 234–317 | 312–423 |
| 110 kg | 86–116 | 172–232 | 258–349 | 344–465 |
Each cell is a range (±15%). Read down for your weight, across for your time. These are population estimates, not a measurement of you.
| Intensity | 30 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking, standing · 2 MET | 62–85 | 125–169 |
| Cooking, moderate effort · 3.5 MET | 109–148 | 219–296 |
A 30-minute session at 70 kg — the pace changes the cost far more than a few kilos do.
Energy cost from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Herrmann, Willis, Ainsworth et al.). kcal = MET × 3.5 × weight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes; we show it as a band because a MET is a population average. Why a range, not one number →
How many calories does cooking burn?
It depends on your weight, how long you keep it up and — a lot — your pace and fitness, so there is no single true number. The table and the calculator give a range for your weight and time. Two people of the same weight can differ by 15–25% at the same activity.
Why show a range instead of one number?
Because a MET value is a population average. Your real burn shifts with fitness, technique, terrain and how hard you actually went. A single "347 kcal" reads as precise when it isn't — the honest answer is a band, and that is what we show.
Do calories burned mean I can eat that much back?
No. This is an estimate of energy spent, not calories you have to "earn" or a licence to eat more. Movement is worth doing for its own sake. If you track a day's balance, use the range — never treat the top of it as exact.
Where do the numbers come from?
MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, a public reference cited by researchers. We apply the standard MET formula and widen it into a ±15% band (±25% for strength work, which a MET barely captures).