Amsterdam-style falafel nutrition changes with size and toppings; a regular stuffed pita runs about 600–650 calories and 15–20 grams of protein.
Small Pita
Regular Pita
Overstuffed
Small Pita Build
- Three falafel balls
- Veg pile, light tahini
- Skip fries
Lower Cal
Regular Pita Build
- Five balls
- Pickles + slaw
- One or two sauces
Classic Load
Bowl / Salad Build
- No pita bread
- Falafel on greens
- Hummus scoop
Low Bread
What Makes This Falafel Shop Different
Step up to the counter at this D.C. falafel shop and the flow is fast: a scoop of chickpea batter drops into hot oil, the fritter puffs, then lands in a tray crisp and still steaming. Staff slices open a warm pita, tucks in those falafel balls, and slides your sandwich toward a toppings bar packed with marinated cabbage, cucumber salad, pickled carrots, jalapeños, olives, chopped herbs, and creamy sauces. You hear, “Build it how you like.” You also pick the base size. The shop sells a small pita with three balls, a regular pita with five balls, and a bread-free bowl that drops falafel on greens with the same toppings and sauces.
That self-serve finish is where calorie count, fat, carbs, and salt swing. Fried chickpea balls alone aren’t huge for the amount of food you get. One classic falafel patty sits around 57 to 83 calories with close to two grams of plant protein and almost no cholesterol. The big jump comes from fry oil on the crust, creamy tahini or garlic mayo, fries stuffed in the pita, and double scoops of hummus. A loaded five-ball pita from shops in this style often lands near the 600 to 650 calorie range with protein in the mid-teens.
The table below gives a ballpark view of calories, protein, and sodium for common builds. These ranges pull from public falafel sandwich panels in the 500 to 650 calorie band, sodium numbers in the high hundreds of milligrams, and data on falafel balls served in pita shops.
| Build | Calories & Protein | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Small Pita (3 Balls) | ~500 cal, ~15 g protein | ~700 mg |
| Regular Pita (5 Balls) | ~600–650 cal, ~18–20 g protein | ~800–900 mg |
| Bowl (No Pita) | ~550 cal, ~20 g protein | ~800–1000 mg |
Amsterdam-Style Falafel Nutrition Facts By Build Size
Now let’s break down why those numbers land where they land. This next part walks through the main parts of the sandwich: the chickpea balls, the bread or bowl base, the sauce load, and the salt hit. You’ll see how small tweaks at the toppings bar can make the meal feel heavy or lighter without changing the base falafel much at all. We’ll also point out where toppings add sneaky salt or oil so you can tweak the meal on the fly.
Falafel Balls, Protein, And Fiber
The fried chickpea balls are the heart of the meal. Classic falafel starts with soaked chickpeas, herbs, onion, garlic, and spices, then gets shaped and fried in oil. Chickpeas bring plant protein and fiber; a single patty gives around two grams of protein plus helpful fiber. Five balls in a regular pita push protein into the mid-teens or low twenties in grams, which matches nutrition panels that tag a falafel pita as a solid source of protein for the day. Published falafel nutrition facts call out protein and fiber from chickpeas.
Bread, Fries, And Carbs
Bread and fries change the carb story fast. A fluffy white pita adds around 150 to 200 calories on its own and brings most of the starch in the meal. The regular pita at spots modeled after the Amsterdam Falafelshop is larger than the small pita and can hold five balls plus scoops of hummus or a fistful of fries. That ups fat and carbs in seconds. Pickled cabbage, cucumber salad, and tomato salad barely move calories, so piling crunchy veg is the easiest way to add bulk without inflating the count.
Sodium, Sauces, And Daily Limits
Salt is the sleeper stat. Falafel balls, pickles, and sauces all come seasoned, and a regular order can cross 700 to 900 milligrams of sodium before you even reach for extra hot sauce. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says adults should try to stay under 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day and points out that many diners sit near 3,400 milligrams per day because restaurant food and packaged sauces run salty. The FDA sodium guidance spells out that limit and urges people to watch condiments, deli items, and fried snacks, not just the salt shaker.
How To Build A Lighter Sandwich Without Losing Taste
You can steer the meal without giving up taste or walking out hungry. The trick is to know which moves cut the heavy stuff and which swaps just move the heavy stuff someplace else. Swapping pita for extra hummus, for instance, can keep calories close to the same because hummus still brings tahini and oil. The ideas below are the usual tweaks fans use when they want a lighter falafel night but still crave that crispy chickpea crust.
Pick The Small Pita Or Go Bowl Style
A three-ball pita lines up near 500 calories instead of the 600-plus you get from five balls. If bread feels heavy, ask for the bowl. Shops built on the Amsterdam Falafel model keep the same toppings bar for the bowl, just without the pocket bread, so you’re getting greens, cabbage, cucumber salad, and sauce over falafel. Calories in a bowl can still sit in the mid-500s once hummus and tahini land on top.
Load Crunchy Veg And Fresh Herbs
That toppings bar is your friend. The pickled cabbage, tomato-cucumber salad, jalapeños, and herb mix add bulk and snap with almost no extra fat. Veg helps slow the meal down, which helps with fullness. Fiber from chickpeas and veg can also help with digestion and steady blood sugar, and falafel write-ups praise chickpea fiber for cholesterol and glucose control. You get that benefit without pouring more oil into the pita.
Spoon Sauce, Don’t Pour
Sauces are where fat and sodium stack fast. Peanut sauce, garlic mayo, and creamy tahini taste bold because they’re salty and rich. A hard squeeze can drown the pita and tack on spoonfuls of oil. Ask for a spoon, not a squeeze bottle. Drop a thin line over each bite instead of flooding the bread. You still get flavor hits from tahini and garlic without soaking the pocket. That single move can keep a regular pita closer to the low 600s in calories instead of creeping well past that mark.
High Protein Tweaks For A Filling Meal
Some guests don’t mind a heavier calorie total. They just want staying power for a long night shift or a late flight. Protein and fiber help with that job, and falafel does well in that lane because chickpeas bring both. Below are easy tweaks if you’re chasing more protein and staying power without deep frying new menu items.
Double Chickpea Balls Beats Extra Fry Sauce
If you’re hungry, ask for one extra ball instead of pouring extra sauce. One falafel patty brings plant protein with little to no cholesterol, and five balls together land around the mid-teens in protein grams. Most creamy sauce adds fat and sodium but barely any protein. Swapping sauce for one extra ball keeps crunch and spice while lifting protein per bite, which helps the meal feel steady for longer after you leave the counter.
Add Hummus Or Baba Instead Of A Side Of Fries
Fries at this style of shop are double fried and salty. They taste great dipped in curried ketchup or peanut sauce, but that cone can blow past a meal’s calorie target fast. Grab a scoop of hummus or baba ghanouj inside the pita or bowl instead. Blended chickpeas or eggplant bring creaminess and extra fiber without the full fry oil load from a paper cone of fries. You still get a rich mouthfeel and you still get to dunk in sauce, just with a better fiber tradeoff.
Here’s a cheat sheet that lines up common goals with simple order moves. This chart isn’t diet talk. It’s a quick way to match the order to your mood: lighter carbs, more protein, or salty comfort after a long day. Use it as a quick pre-order checklist while you stand in line and scan the toppings bar in real time.
| Goal | Order Move | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Cut Calories | Pick small pita or bowl, skip fries | Fewer balls or no bread trims fry oil and pita starch while keeping veg bulk |
| More Protein | Add one ball, add hummus | Extra chickpea scoop lifts protein and fiber without more mayo-style sauce |
| Lower Bread Load | Ask for bowl with extra salad and tahini drizzle | No pita means less starch, and greens fill the space that fries would take |
Final Takeaways For Your Order
Falafel made this Dutch-inspired pita counter stand out in D.C. because it feels indulgent yet still leans on chickpeas, herbs, and raw veg instead of meat. The catch is that a stuffed pita can slide from balanced street food to a heavy fried bomb in under a minute at the toppings bar. Think crisp chickpea balls, bread or greens, a rainbow of veg, and a measured splash of sauce. Nail that balance and you get bold taste, filling protein, and fiber without blowing through your whole sodium limit for the day.