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Calorie Burn Calculator
Calculate how many calories you burn during cooking, baking, grocery shopping, washing dishes, and other kitchen and food-related activities based on your body weight and activity duration.
Cooking and kitchen activities burn more calories than most people realize. An hour of active cooking burns 150-200 calories — similar to a slow walk. Grocery shopping, baking, and meal prepping all contribute to your daily calorie expenditure. This calculator uses MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values to estimate burn.
Formula
Calories Burned = MET × Body Weight (kg) × Duration (hours) | MET varies by activity intensity
Calories Burned in Kitchen Activities
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values represent energy expenditure relative to sitting quietly (MET=1.0). Activities with higher MET values burn more calories. Cooking has a MET of approximately 2.0-3.5 depending on intensity — comparable to slow walking.
Activity
MET Value
Notes
Sitting/reading recipe
1.3
Minimal activity
Standing (food prep, chopping)
2.0
Light standing work
Active cooking (stirring, moving)
2.5
Continuous movement
Baking (kneading, mixing)
3.0
More physical effort
Grocery shopping (with cart)
2.5
Walking + carrying
Grocery shopping (carrying bags)
3.5
Higher load bearing
Washing dishes
2.3
Light upper body work
Mopping/cleaning kitchen
3.5
More vigorous movement
Canning/food preservation
2.5
Extended kitchen work
Carrying groceries upstairs
4.0
Highest kitchen activity MET
How MET Values Work
Calories burned = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours). A 70 kg person cooking actively (MET 2.5) for 1 hour: 2.5 × 70 × 1 = 175 calories. The same person sitting at a desk for 1 hour: 1.3 × 70 × 1 = 91 calories. Cooking burns nearly twice as many calories as desk work — one reason people who cook more tend to have better weight management outcomes independent of the food choices.
Daily Kitchen Calorie Expenditure
A person who prepares all their meals spends roughly 45-90 minutes per day in kitchen activity. At MET 2.5 and 70kg: 1.25 hours × 2.5 × 70 = 219 calories per day — over 80,000 calories per year, equivalent to 23 lbs of fat. Non-exercisers who cook all their meals have a meaningful calorie expenditure advantage over those who rely on prepared foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
At MET 2.5 for active cooking: 70 kg person burns 2.5 × 70 × 1 = 175 calories/hour. 90 kg person: 225 calories/hour. 55 kg person: 138 calories/hour. This is comparable to walking at 2 mph. More active cooking (baking bread, kneading dough) burns up to 210-280 calories/hour at MET 3.0.
Cooking is a light physical activity (MET 2.0-3.5) comparable to slow walking or light household work. It does not provide cardiovascular or strength training benefits of formal exercise, but contributes meaningfully to total daily energy expenditure. Regular home cooking can contribute 150-300 calories of daily activity, supporting weight management goals.
Grocery shopping burns approximately 130-260 calories per hour (MET 2.5-3.5 depending on walking speed and cart weight). A 45-minute shopping trip at 70 kg: 2.5 × 70 × 0.75 = 131 calories. Carrying heavy bags, navigating large stores, and climbing stairs increases the calorie burn significantly.
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) measures physical activity intensity relative to sitting quietly (MET=1.0). A MET of 2.0 means the activity burns twice as many calories as sitting. Light activities: 1.5-3.0 MET. Moderate: 3.0-6.0 MET. Vigorous: 6.0+ MET. Formula: Calories = MET × weight (kg) × hours. MET values are established by the Compendium of Physical Activities.
Washing dishes has a MET of approximately 2.3. A 70 kg person washing dishes for 30 minutes: 2.3 × 70 × 0.5 = 80.5 calories. For an hour: 161 calories. This is comparable to very light walking or slow household cleaning. Standing burns approximately 50% more calories than sitting for the same duration.
Research shows people who cook at home more frequently have better diet quality, lower calorie intake, and healthier weight. Three mechanisms: 1) Activity calories from cooking itself, 2) Portion control (restaurants serve 2-3× recommended portions), 3) Ingredient control (less added fat, sugar, and sodium than restaurant food). Cooking at home 5+ nights/week is associated with 50% lower risk of obesity in population studies.