VoltraCalories in saloona (marag): chicken, meat and fish stew
Saloona, the Gulf stew that Kuwait calls marag, has about 83 to 92 kcal per 100 g with chicken, 81 to 99 with meat and 54 to 83 with fish, in lab analyses from Kuwait and Bahrain [1][2][3].
For example, a 350 g bowl of chicken saloona is about 290–320 kcal (calculated). A cup of white rice with it adds about 205 kcal (calculated) [4].
Calories per 100 g
| Kuwait [1] | Chicken | Meat | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 92 | 81 | 54 |
| Protein | 8.7 g | 6.4 g | 5.5 g |
| Fat | 3.6 g | 3.7 g | 2.8 g |
| Carbs | 6.1 g | 5.4 g | 1.6 g |
| Bahrain | Chicken [2] | Meat [3] | Fish [3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 83 | 99 | 83 |
| Protein | 7.3 g | 9.5 g | 5.9 g |
| Fat | 4.4 g | 4.3 g | 4.6 g |
| Carbs | 3.6 g | 6.0 g | 6.0 g |
Per 100 g as served. The Kuwaiti lab removed the bones before analysis [1], and Musaiger's figures are for the edible part [2]. Kuwait's saloona was cooked from recipes collected from Kuwaiti households [1]. In Bahrain, the chicken saloona is from Musaiger's 2011 tables [2]; the meat and the fish (shaari) saloona were analysed for Bahrain's health ministry in 2025, and their carbohydrate includes 1.6 g and 2.8 g of fibre [3]. Musaiger's tables also list a fish saloona at 82 kcal, with 7.0 g of protein and 5.8 g of fat per 100 g [2], and Bahrain's 2025 chicken saloona repeats the Kuwaiti figures [3].
A bowl of saloona, and the rice
Abu Dhabi's photographic food atlas shows meat saloona, which it uses for chicken saloona too, in portions from 93 g to 546 g, bones included, and boiled white rice from 39 g to 362 g [5]. Weigh your bowl, or use these examples:
| Amount | Chicken (kcal) | Meat (kcal) | Fish (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 g | 210–230 | 200–250 | 140–210 |
| 350 g | 290–320 | 280–350 | 190–290 |
| 500 g | 420–460 | 410–490 | 270–420 |
Calculated from the lowest and highest figures per 100 g above [1][2][3]. Add the rice: a cup (158 g) of cooked white rice is about 205 kcal, calculated from USDA's 130 kcal per 100 g [4].
What changes the number
- Fish, chicken or meat. Fish saloona was the lightest in every table: 54 kcal per 100 g in Kuwait, 82 and 83 in Bahrain [1][2][3].
- Meat and oil in the pot. Bahrain's lab-analysed meat saloona was cooked with 1,000 g of meat on the bone and 60 g of oil in 1,000 g of water; the Kuwaiti one with 450 g of meat on the bone and 15 g of fat in 1,250 g of water [1][3]. The Bahraini saloona came out with more protein, 9.5 g per 100 g against 6.4 g, and more calories, 99 against 81.
- What you ladle out. The fish or meat is richer than the broth. In Bahrain's tables, fish pieces cooked in saloona came to 141 to 182 kcal per 100 g, and shrimp to 121, with 23 to 25 g of protein [2], against 54 to 83 for fish saloona as a whole. A bowl with more fish and less broth has more of both.
- The rice. If you eat it with rice, count the rice too: a cup of cooked white rice (158 g) is about 205 kcal (calculated) [4], about as much as a 250 g bowl of chicken saloona.
- Bones. Abu Dhabi's atlas puts the edible part of its meat saloona portions at 87%, the rest being bone [5]. The figures per 100 g are for the edible part [1].
Making it lighter
- More vegetables. Qatar's dietary guidelines say: "Eat more vegetable based dishes such as saloona." [8] Oman's guide suggests adding tomatoes, lentils or vegetables to meat stews, so that you eat less meat and more vegetables [6].
- Leaner meat. Oman's guide names meat saloona among the dishes for which to choose lean or extra-lean cuts, and suggests beef or veal over lamb, which it says are lower in total and saturated fat. It also suggests trimming visible white fat before cooking and draining any fat that appears while cooking [6].
- Chicken without the skin. For chicken, it suggests breast rather than thigh, and removing the skin before cooking [6].
- No added fat. Bahrain's dietary guidelines suggest not adding any fat to traditional dishes such as saloona [7].
We found no lab analysis of a lighter saloona, so we can't say how many calories these changes save.
In Voltra
Search saloona or صالونة in the Eat tab: Voltra's built-in entry is chicken saloona, with the Kuwaiti chicken marag figures above, 92 kcal per 100 g. For meat or fish saloona, tap Describe and type it, for example fish saloona, 350 g, with a cup of white rice, or tap Scan a meal and photograph the bowl. Check the grams, then tap Log.
Frequently asked
How many calories are in a bowl of saloona?
About 290–320 kcal for 350 g of chicken saloona, 280–350 kcal for meat and 190–290 kcal for fish, calculated from lab analyses. Rice is extra: a cup of cooked white rice (158 g) adds about 205 kcal.
Which saloona has the fewest calories?
Fish saloona: 54 to 83 kcal per 100 g in the analyses from Kuwait and Bahrain, against 83 to 92 for chicken and 81 to 99 for meat.
Is saloona the same as marag?
Yes. Kuwait's food composition tables call it marag, Bahrain's call it saloona, and Abu Dhabi's food portion atlas lists both names together.
Is saloona good for losing weight?
It can fit easily: per 100 g it had 54 to 99 kcal in these analyses, against 158 to 192 for biryani in Kuwait's and Bahrain's food tables. Qatar's dietary guidelines suggest eating more vegetable-based dishes such as saloona, and Bahrain's suggest cooking it without added fat. Watch the rice.
Sources
- Eid N, Al-Awadi F, et al. (1989). National Food Composition Table, I: Kuwaiti Composite Dishes (report 3267). Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. Table 3, codes M7, C2 and F3 (marag laham, dajaj and samak); recipes in Appendix II.
- Musaiger AO (2011). Food Composition Tables for Kingdom of Bahrain. Arab Center for Nutrition. Composite dishes, Nos. 37–38, pp. 72–73; cooked fish, Tables 5–6, pp. 118–119.
- Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain (2025). Bahrain Food Composition Tables, 1st edition. Items 3.4, 4.4 and 5.7; recipes, pp. 66–68.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (2019). FoodData Central, SR Legacy: rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked (168878). 1 cup = 158 g.
- Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (2014). A photographic atlas of food portions for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi: user guide. In Arabic. Items 2, 23 and 55, pp. 6–7, 17 and 20. Archived copy of the official file.
- Ministry of Health, Sultanate of Oman (2026). The Omani Guide for Healthy Eating 2026. Box 8.3, pp. 86–87.
- Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain. Food Based Dietary Guidelines for the Kingdom of Bahrain. p. 90.
- Supreme Council of Health, Qatar (2015). Qatar Dietary Guidelines. Vegetables, p. 12.
Sources checked on 30 September 2026.
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