Foods you thought had fewer calories and discovered they didn't when you paid attention

Trish12a

BodyByButter wrote: »

Snapeas. Delicious, but same calories as chips.

OMG!! Seriously?? That is unbelievable. I never knew that.

carrieous

grapes! 20 grapes are 110 calories. what theheck

emilyc525

- Dates - I am so surprised, I knew they would be calorie dense but was still surprised.
- Honey, same deal as with dates.
- Pre mixed coffee sachets compared to instant coffee + milk powder - I thought they would be similar but the pre mix has way more calories.

I still eat the honey and the dates because, well honey and dates are delicious especially in a smoothie with banana.

MysticRealm

Naan Bread.
I used to have 2 with my supper. Turns out they are 190 for HALF of ONE!! So I was having nearly 800 calories in JUST Naan Bread for supper.

AndrewWood97

mavers1 wrote: »

Today, I went to Wawa and grabbed the salad I normally grab, I looked at the back of dressing packet and saw that the dressing alone was 210 calories! Wow, what you eat when you're not paying attention.

Does anybody have any foods that surprised you once you started paying attention to what you were eating?

*modified the title as language was confusing or uncomfortable for others

I got a salad from Marcos Pizza with ranch dressing--The dressing had 240 calories and 22 grams of Fat! I changed it to light italian dressing.

emilyc525

@tomatoey‌ - haha love how you USED to like the burrito place. Dang health ruining our fun with "mexican" food

tomatoey

emilyc525 wrote: »

@tomatoey‌ - haha love how you USED to like the burrito place. Dang health ruining our fun with "mexican" food

haha that burrito is the size of a baby! I do have one now and then anyway

LazyCatPame

Well... When I read "light" (diet) on some stuff packages, I considered it having waaaaaaay less calories than the regular stuff, but apparently that only applies to diet sodas lol. When I first started counting I tried to switch to the light versions, only to discover that sometimes it either referred to "sugar free" (not low cal), sweetened with other stuff that was not sugar (again not low cal) or that the amount of calories you saves by eating the "light" thing was... miserable.
That's basically when I learned to practice moderation, besides some of the light stuff tastes like cardboard haha

HeySwoleSister

Trish12a wrote: »

BodyByButter wrote: »

Snapeas. Delicious, but same calories as chips.

OMG!! Seriously?? That is unbelievable. I never knew that.

I think she means those Snappea Crisps. Not actual sugar snap peas.

sizesixorbust

cheese for sure. peanut butter too. anything with high carbs- i just never made the connection to calorie density! and those granola bars filled with sugar...totally not worth it compared to the other food i can have for approx the same. also, sad about bagels

seltzermint555

MysticRealm wrote: »

Naan Bread.
I used to have 2 with my supper. Turns out they are 190 for HALF of ONE!! So I was having nearly 800 calories in JUST Naan Bread for supper.

I agree. Naan is a shocker.

Same with tortillas, actually. I buy and eat them still, especially some of the smaller fajita size ones, there's even a good flour variety called Mama Lupe's with ~77 cal per tortilla and I like those. But I used to throw together quesadillas and easily eat 4 tortillas (small ones)...would never do that now I realize it's so many cals. I'd rather just have 1-2 and fill 'em up with stuff instead.

Pasta and rice though...I was surprised to see those two named here. I guess maybe a lot of my friends really demonize both, so when I started really tracking my food on MFP I was pleasantly surprised at their calories and the macros associated with each of them. Surprisingly, I've always eaten pretty small portions of pasta & rice but the difference for me now (with MFP) is mainly the toppings/sauces I choose.

neveragain84

corinic91 wrote: »

I was shocked what a serving of cereal was once I weighed it

This! Oh man, I used to load up a bowl (or two) thinking it wasn't too bad... it was.

Not really dealing with calories, but I found some Special K and Fiber One bars, although seen as healthier alternatives, have trans fats... I even found gum with trans fats.

neveragain84

TheVirgoddess wrote: »

Muffins. The calorie count in them makes me sad.

This whole thread makes me sad... all the deliciousness and all the calories!

For me it was milk. I used to think a "cup" was the large thing I used for beverages.... nope.

I shudder at the number of calories I used to drink, let alone eat.

lakhena

I can't remember the brand since I don't buy it any more, but it was a super thick and creamy yogurt from Whole Foods that tasted like heaven in a small, white plastic container. I used to eat it religiously. Sadly, I checked the label one day and it was over 250 calories! They must have injected flavor boosting calories into it somehow. So deliciously sneaky, but now I have to find something else to worship. Hopefully, with fewer calories.

PrizePopple

seltzermint wrote: »

I am a big fan of Steak N Shake when it comes to fast food diner stuff...used to get the Frisco Melt, no fries & water to drink. Then I realized it's 750 cal, and 53g fat (although I don't make a point to eat low fat that is a lot).

I still opt for no fries and water to drink when I go there...but getting a double steakburger no cheese (390 cal, 21g fat) or if I'm hungrier even a triple (510 cal, 30g fat) is just as good and just as greasy-indulgent and satisfying to me. So I can get a double, plus cottage cheese with pineapple and it's still not even remotely close to the Frisco Melt calories.

Totally had a Frisco with bacon, fries, and a cookie dough shake tonight for dinner. My caloric intake for the day is like 2 days worth now.

Spaghetti. Just shy of a cup cooked is a serving. I think that was my biggest downfall in the past. Cereal serving sizes too. Some of the salads at Trader Joe's are obscene, tasty as hell, but total calorie killers.

Nikkei74

I have to agree with sushi and sashimi. That was a big surprise to me. And nuts are crazy packed full of calories, too. But on the positive side, I've been pleasantly surprised by the numbers for white potatoes, eggs and full fat lattes. It's a massive relief to not have to switch to skim milk coffee.

kimw91

paulaviki wrote: »

I love the salads from Pret a Manger here in the UK. I am still shocked about this, but they display the calories for them in the shop, only these calories don't include the tub of dressing in the salad. They also don't tell you that's the calories minus the dressing, which I think is another 100-200 on its own. To me they should display the calories including dressing! Grrr!

They do give you the calorie count with and without the dressing online, so you can work out how much it is. Generally it is indeed anywhere between 100 and 200, which is why I never use the dressing, or just dip my fork into it.

Foods I was surprised by were edamame beans, blueberries, mango and pineapple, flaxseed, dried fruit, what a single serving of muesli really is (how does anyone live on that?!), avocado, hummus, falafel and doughnuts (which luckily I don't eat anyway but I loved them when I was younger).

ashleycde

DvlDwnInGA wrote: »

Once I started weighing everything, I was shocked in a lot of ways.

This, completely. Buying and using a good scale monumentally revisited my idea of portions. As for calories in a specific food: nuts. The calories in a small pack of pistachios makes me want to cry.

Francl27

Bread and agreed on sushi... even the regular stuff without sauce... one roll of maki, 350-400 calories. Yikes.

Azexas

pepperdove wrote: »

I work at Starbucks, and I will tell you that any of our foods are pretty much going to kill your diet for the day. It's brutal.

When I started counting calories I sadly gave up my peppermint mochas.