I'm confused about avocados.

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xxxTiaxxx
xxxTiaxxx Posts: 304 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know avocados are high in good fats but as I was trying to log my lunch in my diary the amounts of calories varied so much for a small Hass avocado. I took to Google and searched some sites and it was the same deal. Some saying 140 another one saying 250 for the same thing. How am I supposed to get it right?

And is there a such thing as eating too many avocados? I've heard of eating one a day but would 2 actually make you gain weight? I only got into them recently and is still learning about them.
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Replies

  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Use a food scale and measure the actual amount of avocado you used. Then use this site to find it:
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

    For avocado you should find:
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2176?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=avocado

    If you used 50 grams of avocado, put "0.5" in the column that says "per 100g" and click "apply changes."

    You'll get about 84 calories.

    Food scale is important. Buy one. You can get them cheap.

    To lose weight, keep your calorie intake at your goal. And make sure to get enough protein and exercise.
  • demonlullaby
    demonlullaby Posts: 499 Member
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    I'd like to see the answers to this as well!
  • Textmessage
    Textmessage Posts: 387 Member
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    Do you use a scale? If so, when you search the food database, try entering this: "raw avocado g" that'll let you chose the amount of weight in grams of the avocado.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    To determine the correct nutritional values, including calories, for your particular avocado, you'll need to actually weigh it. Sounds like it's time to invest in a digital kitchen scale :)

    And no, eating two a day won't necessarily cause you to gain weight - eating calories in excess of your TDEE will cause you to gain weight, it doesn't matter what the source of the calories is.
  • singer201
    singer201 Posts: 560 Member
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    I find the avocado entry that has ounces, and I weigh the portion I put on my salad--usually 1-1.5 ounces.
  • Lifting_Knitter
    Lifting_Knitter Posts: 1,025
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    Food scale is important. Buy one. You can get them cheap.

    yep, I was guessing before and I thought a food scale would be a stupid investment....I use mine all the time and my recipes come out better with baking. It will take the guesswork out of it.
  • xxxTiaxxx
    xxxTiaxxx Posts: 304 Member
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    Oh man... a kitchen scale lol. Looks like it's time for me to go all out. I've never used one and definitely don't have one but I think I'll be investing in it. I guess there's no general calories for one.
  • rmchapman4
    rmchapman4 Posts: 152 Member
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    I love avocados! They are generally 250 calories. I don't see how you can gain weight by eating such a natural and wholesome product. I normally eat at least one a day. They are very high in fiber!
  • Textmessage
    Textmessage Posts: 387 Member
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    Oh man... a kitchen scale lol. Looks like it's time for me to go all out. I've never used one and definitely don't have one but I think I'll be investing in it. I guess there's no general calories for one.

    The entries on MFP that list avocados by size are close, but not as accurate as weighing it yourself. Get a scale, it's a great investment.
  • twoboysnmygirl
    twoboysnmygirl Posts: 161 Member
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    I can only tell you my personal experience. I was a raw vegan (just fruits, veggies, & nuts) for 5 years and guess what? I was overweight the WHOLE TIME. I could not lose weight for the life of me. No one understood how I could stay overweight eating salad three times a day and only fruits and veggies. Well, after I changed my diet and found MFP, I logged one of my salads with Avocado's mashed up for dressing (2-3 salads a day!) or tahini dressing (sesame seed paste) and I saw with my own eyes what was keeping me overweight! I think I was eating 2000 calories a day just in avocados and tahini! So yes, it might hinder your weight loss but only if you overindulge. It's just like anything else, you still have to count the calories. I would weigh them.
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
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    Food scale is important. Buy one. You can get them cheap.

    yep, I was guessing before and I thought a food scale would be a stupid investment....I use mine all the time and my recipes come out better with baking. It will take the guesswork out of it.
    Yup, as mentioned, a food scale is probably the best cheap investment I ever made, and it's your best-friend when it comes to learning what portions are best for your diet.
  • xxxTiaxxx
    xxxTiaxxx Posts: 304 Member
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    I love avocados! They are generally 250 calories. I don't see how you can gain weight by eating such a natural and wholesome product. I normally eat at least one a day. They are very high in fiber!

    Cause I don't know for sure I'm going by about 250. I'm going to try eating the one a day. I just have to find enough stuff to mix it into. I can't eat it alone. lol
  • Mom4Liz
    Mom4Liz Posts: 55
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    I bought a digital kitchen scale for $10 so it's possible to get one without investing a lot. It was at a surplus store. I use it a lot. If I bake I prefer recipes that give you the ingredients in grams. Way more precise.
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
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    I love avocados! They are generally 250 calories. I don't see how you can gain weight by eating such a natural and wholesome product. I normally eat at least one a day. They are very high in fiber!
    ... you only gain weight from eating avocado if you're eating (overall) more than you expend in calories... The avocado itself can't be blamed for anyone's weight gain ... excess calories are the culprit.
  • xxxTiaxxx
    xxxTiaxxx Posts: 304 Member
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    I can only tell you my personal experience. I was a raw vegan (just fruits, veggies, & nuts) for 5 years and guess what? I was overweight the WHOLE TIME. I could not lose weight for the life of me. No one understood how I could stay overweight eating salad three times a day and only fruits and veggies. Well, after I changed my diet and found MFP, I logged one of my salads with Avocado's mashed up for dressing (2-3 salads a day!) or tahini dressing (sesame seed paste) and I saw with my own eyes what was keeping me overweight! I think I was eating 2000 calories a day just in avocados and tahini! So yes, it might hinder your weight loss but only if you overindulge. It's just like anything else, you still have to count the calories. I would weigh them.

    How many were you eating a day?
  • xxxTiaxxx
    xxxTiaxxx Posts: 304 Member
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    I bought a digital kitchen scale for $10 so it's possible to get one without investing a lot. It was at a surplus store. I use it a lot. If I bake I prefer recipes that give you the ingredients in grams. Way more precise.

    I had no idea that a scale would make baking measurements more precise. I bake almost every weekend. I think the scale would be good for more then one reason.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    :heart: avocados! A food scale is the way I go. Avocados vary in size so much and I want a accurate measurement. :smile:
  • bettyann55
    bettyann55 Posts: 87 Member
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    I love avocados! They are generally 250 calories. I don't see how you can gain weight by eating such a natural and wholesome product. I normally eat at least one a day. They are very high in fiber!
    Avocsdos need to be weighed as 250 calories is not right for all avocados. And yes you can gain weigh if you over eat anything even if it is naturel. Stick to your daily calories intake and you will have no problem, however with that being said natural and homesome is bad if you exceed you intake of calories.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    I am not sure about cals but i want some avacado
  • MadameMC
    MadameMC Posts: 63 Member
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    I bought a digital kitchen scale for $10 so it's possible to get one without investing a lot. It was at a surplus store. I use it a lot. If I bake I prefer recipes that give you the ingredients in grams. Way more precise.

    I got mine for $10 on Amazon.com - it's a really nice one. It's black with a tempered glass platform, it holds up to 11lbs, auto-shuts off after 3 minutes, and can weigh in a bunch of different measurements. It only took me so long to get one because I thought they'd be expensive - boy was I wrong!

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