Please explain: HOW do you make it fit your calories?

jwcanfield

lorrpb wrote: »

Lots of people say you can eat any food you want as long as it fits within your calorie goal. I understand the concept but How, in reality, do you do this? Please be specific. For example:

Potato chips & dip. If you eat 10 chips and a spoonful of dip, do you throw out the rest?

A package of cinnamon rolls. You have one or split one, do you let the rest go to waste? Even if I planned one per day, which I don't necessarily want to do, they would go stale first.

A glass of wine at home-do you keep the unused portion of the bottle on hand for weeks or months, then throw it out when it gets too old?

A cake or pie-you have one small piece that you want, then throw out the rest?
A loaf of homemade bread, you have one or two slices then the rest goes stale?

There are only two of us & we're both watching what and how much we eat, so its not like I would just nibble off a stash that someone else will eat up.

Helpful suggestions only, please. No sarcasm and no attacks. Thx.

I have a freezer that works great for breads, cakes/pies and such, soups, stews, ... In fact, sliced bread keeps better frozen than refrigerated anyway (refrigerator storage stales breads). Potatoes don't freeze well, but beans do.

Wine - if both you have a glass of wine do you really plan to budget another one weeks or months out? You'll get approximately six servings per bottle using a 4-ounce wine glass or five servings using a 5-ounce glass. Or you can find what we used to call small airline bottles - not always upscale but they work.

You can find 100 calorie packs of chips and such these days. Dips - a couple of Tablespoons of light sour cream with seasoning is controllable and tasty.

It Is stressful - and it's all manageable. And a freezer can be your best friend.

rileysowner

Sweets1954 wrote: »

I have had box wine in the refrigerator for much longer than 4 weeks and it is still good. I toured a winery several years ago (more than 25) and at that time I was told that box wine will stay fresh for 6 months, even after opening. As I am the only one who drinks wine, and that very occasionally, I will either by a box or I will buy the small bottles that come in a four pack. There have been many other suggestions above on how to plan ahead.

Boxed wine is actually wine in a bag. What makes wine go bad is mainly oxidation from the air that replaces the wine volume in the bottle. In the bag, the bag contracts as the wine comes out, no air, no oxidation. That is different if it is a tetra pack, then the oxidation issue remains.

DearestWinter

lorrpb wrote: »

Thank you for your thoughts, to most of you who were kind enough to be helpful. Pretty much now I don't eat most of that stuff at all, especially at home, because I haven't figured out how to make it fit into my 1700 and maintain the level of nutrition I desire. I don't have a lot of wiggle room to eat a few hundred "empty" calories every day for a week to use up something that I want only a taste of one day. I can't eat 1200 one day so I can splurge on 500 extra calories the next. By "can't" I mean my body does not respond well to large swings in calories, lots of sugar or junk at once, etc. It's just not worth it to go there for me. You can agree or disagree with this approach, but I'm not here to argue or discuss that. It's one of my "givens".

I've never really cared for frozen baked goods because they seem to dry out, especially if reheating something like cinnamon rolls (and do you freeze the frosting separately, how do to that for one roll? If you frost it before you freeze it and wrap tightly to keep it fresh, what a mess when it thaws!) But I could try again.

A few asked what we did "before". Yes, two of us could eat a pan of brownies in a few days, a bag of chips and dip in one evening, maybe two. After a few days they get stale, IMO. The same thing with bread. It's never as good as the first day!

Of course, all of this is in addition to the mental/psychological aspect of not eating the food when you know it's in the house, but that's a different issue and not what I'm asking about. I think I'm at the point where I can handle that aspect a bit better than initially, which is why I'm asking about the practical side of the question.

And to those who think this is not a valid or serious question, please stay away.

I want to elaborate on freezing baked goods. Freeze it right away. Don't wait for a few days until it's borderline stale to freeze it. This makes a big difference.

I would be too lazy to freeze the frosting separately. Put the frosted cinnamon rolls on a cookie sheet and do not cover it. Put it in the freezer. Check on it the next morning - that frosting should be frozen solid and you can then put the rolls in a ziplock freezer bag without a mess. Leaving something in the freezer overnight without a cover shouldn't cause freezer flavor unless you need to clean the freezer.

For the cinnamon rolls I recommend pulling them them out the day before and leaving them on the counter to thaw. To reheat a product that tends to go stale, put a damp paper towel on a plate under the rolls and microwave for 5-10 seconds. My favorite rolls go stale really quickly and they are just as good as fresh baked when I do that.

Lastly, if you're going to store things in the freezer and don't have an airtight storage container then I swear by the freezer ziplocks. They retain moisture and prevent flavor clash really well. Sandwich bags or plastic wrap cause my food to dry out and it's no good.

DearestWinter

enterdanger wrote: »

LOL @dearestwinter...My favorite on that list has to be "Bites of Crap" I'm hiding at my desk at work still giggling over that one.

And now we know that crap is only 20 calories a bite!

amusedmonkey wrote: »

DearestWinter wrote: »

Serah87 wrote: »

heatherwartanyan wrote: »

I don't eat that kind of crap. Sorry. I get my calories from nutrient dense foods. I eat healthy fats. And get full fast. Besides your body better uses whole food calories for energy then things that are overly processed that can get turned to sugar and fat.

I don't think anybody here on MFP eats crap.

I didn't think they did either but the food database says otherwise.

Wait, so if imitation food is considered crap, what do we consider imitation crap?

...plastic?

veggiecanner

there weere 25 cent bags of chips last time I went shopping.

shadowfax_c11

Potato chips & dip. If you eat 10 chips and a spoonful of dip, do you throw out the rest?
Usually if want chips I buy a single serving size bag. But if I get a big bag I weigh out the portion I want to eat and save the rest for another day. Usually I want more than one portion. I decide how many calories I want to "spend" on the snack and weigh out what fits. Personally I almost never have dip but I do have salsa which is low in calories and can be used in other recipes.

A package of cinnamon rolls. You have one or split one, do you let the rest go to waste? Even if I planned one per day, which I don't necessarily want to do, they would go stale first.

I don't buy these but if I did I would eat what I want and freeze the rest in single serving portions. Baked good freeze very well.

A glass of wine at home-do you keep the unused portion of the bottle on hand for weeks or months, then throw it out when it gets too old?

One bottle of wine has been known to last a couple of months in my refrigerator. If it should actually go bad I dump it. Usually I get the smaller bottles. Also hard liquor has a much longer shelf life.

A cake or pie-you have one small piece that you want, then throw out the rest? Freeze what I am not going to eat right away. Mostly I just have a serving every day until it is gone.


A loaf of homemade bread, you have one or two slices then the rest goes stale? I buy bread from a local bakery once or twice a month. Either I buy a small loaf and incorporate it into most of my meals for the week or I freeze what I am not going to eat in a couple of days.

Having a chest freezer or other large dedicated freezer space is a great way to save a lot of money on food. You can buy in bulk and freeze in individual meal portions. You can batch cook and freeze meal portions, you can take advantage of great sales and farmers markets....

fishshark

i NEVER throw away chips. thats just wrong. ha. I eat my amount of whatever it is and put it away. Or my husbands eats the rest. Wine lasts a good amount of time in the fridge after opening. We will drink the whole bottle in a day or two anyway. no need to throw away uneaten food because u cant eat the entire thing in one sitting. thats crazy.

vikinglander

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

vikinglander wrote: »

My recommendation is if you know anyone who opens a bottle of wine has any left over, un-friend them immediately...

I'm sure you mean well, but making mocking jokes about moderation in drinking supports the idea that it's OK to use peer-pressure and social bullying to get people to drink more than they should or more than they want. Yes, people are responsible for their own behavior, but that shouldn't be an excuse for bullying and peer pressure.

Lynn, I only meant to be funny. BTW, did you read my second post? I'm not here to be mean or bully anybody. All the best...

rileysowner

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

vikinglander wrote: »

My recommendation is if you know anyone who opens a bottle of wine has any left over, un-friend them immediately...

I'm sure you mean well, but making mocking jokes about moderation in drinking supports the idea that it's OK to use peer-pressure and social bullying to get people to drink more than they should or more than they want. Yes, people are responsible for their own behavior, but that shouldn't be an excuse for bullying and peer pressure.

Lynn, you are taking a light comment far to seriously. This was not social bullying. Perhaps you are simply reading more into this because of bullying you have experienced.

vixtris

lorrpb wrote: »

Potato chips & dip. If you eat 10 chips and a spoonful of dip, do you throw out the rest?

Put them in a sealed container and they should keep for a few weeks at the very least.

lorrpb wrote: »

A package of cinnamon rolls. You have one or split one, do you let the rest go to waste? Even if I planned one per day, which I don't necessarily want to do, they would go stale first.

You mean the ones you bake, or prepackaged, ready to eat? Baked goods can be frozen and then unthawed and still taste great. Packaged goods usually stay good for a few weeks at least.

lorrpb wrote: »

A cake or pie-you have one small piece that you want, then throw out the rest?
A loaf of homemade bread, you have one or two slices then the rest goes stale?

Cut them into small portions and freeze them. Move a piece to the fridge a day before you plan to eat it.

pebble4321

I'm on my own a lot at the moment as my husband is working away for four weeks at time. So I understand the dilemma around enjoying a little bit of a treat without wasting the rest. I have a few strategies:

- I buy or make smaller quantities if possible. For example, I made hommus a while ago and didn't use it all, so had to throw some away which annoyed me. Next time I will open a tin of chickpeas, make a half quantity and then either use the remaining chickpeas in a casserole or other meal or put them in the freezer for another day.
Or if I'm buying dip, I buy a smaller container. Once I open it, I portion out the amount I want, then make an effort to include that item in my meals for the next few days - eg, take some to work with veggies for a snack instead of taking a muesli bar or fruit.

- Over easter, I wanted hot cross buns (yum!) for breakfast but instead of buying a 6 pack from the supermarket I bought 2 single ones from the bakery. Yes, this is a little more expensive, but I didn't waste anything.

- Crackers or other purchased biscuits are fine for ages if they are in an airtight container. I've spent a bit on well-sealed containers recently so things don't get wasted.

- If I bake treats (like brownies or muffins) I put the rest in the freezer. Maybe you need to rethink your baking and choose things that freeze well (eg. brownies, they are great frozen!) or that can be reheated in the micro for a few seconds (eg. muffins) to freshen them up a little.

- I love homemade bread - so if I make it, I just pay attention to what I'm going to eat that week and include a bit more bread so it doesn't get wasted. The last batch I made was fig, hazelnut and fennel bread and it was delicious! I ate some fresh, took some to work as a snack, and used up the last few pieces in a bread pudding - it made three servings of dessert so I ate it over three days.
- I also want to experiment with freezing unbaked dough so I can cook just a little bit of bread at a time. If anyone has suggestions or info on this, I'd love to hear it!

- Sometimes in the past I've cooked treats when I have a function happening - so I left a few brownies at home for me, a couple in the freezer for later and took the rest to the party. Or I know I could take the leftovers to work, everyone would be very happy!

- I usually only cook dessert when I have visitors coming for a meal. That way I can enjoy some treats but I don't have too many left.

- Wine doesn't go off in a hurry. I usually use a bit in cooking (included in my recipes in the recipe builder!) so that's where my leftovers go.

Overall, I think the key is around planning - cook things in quantities that you can enjoy in moderation, and either find a way to store the surplus or to share them around. Spread the love!

lorrpb

pebble4321 wrote: »

I'm on my own a lot at the moment as my husband is working away for four weeks at time. So I understand the dilemma around enjoying a little bit of a treat without wasting the rest. I have a few strategies:

- I buy or make smaller quantities if possible. For example, I made hommus a while ago and didn't use it all, so had to throw some away which annoyed me. Next time I will open a tin of chickpeas, make a half quantity and then either use the remaining chickpeas in a casserole or other meal or put them in the freezer for another day.
Or if I'm buying dip, I buy a smaller container. Once I open it, I portion out the amount I want, then make an effort to include that item in my meals for the next few days - eg, take some to work with veggies for a snack instead of taking a muesli bar or fruit.

- Over easter, I wanted hot cross buns (yum!) for breakfast but instead of buying a 6 pack from the supermarket I bought 2 single ones from the bakery. Yes, this is a little more expensive, but I didn't waste anything.

- Crackers or other purchased biscuits are fine for ages if they are in an airtight container. I've spent a bit on well-sealed containers recently so things don't get wasted.

- If I bake treats (like brownies or muffins) I put the rest in the freezer. Maybe you need to rethink your baking and choose things that freeze well (eg. brownies, they are great frozen!) or that can be reheated in the micro for a few seconds (eg. muffins) to freshen them up a little.

- I love homemade bread - so if I make it, I just pay attention to what I'm going to eat that week and include a bit more bread so it doesn't get wasted. The last batch I made was fig, hazelnut and fennel bread and it was delicious! I ate some fresh, took some to work as a snack, and used up the last few pieces in a bread pudding - it made three servings of dessert so I ate it over three days.
- I also want to experiment with freezing unbaked dough so I can cook just a little bit of bread at a time. If anyone has suggestions or info on this, I'd love to hear it!

- Sometimes in the past I've cooked treats when I have a function happening - so I left a few brownies at home for me, a couple in the freezer for later and took the rest to the party. Or I know I could take the leftovers to work, everyone would be very happy!

- I usually only cook dessert when I have visitors coming for a meal. That way I can enjoy some treats but I don't have too many left.

- Wine doesn't go off in a hurry. I usually use a bit in cooking (included in my recipes in the recipe builder!) so that's where my leftovers go.

Overall, I think the key is around planning - cook things in quantities that you can enjoy in moderation, and either find a way to store the surplus or to share them around. Spread the love!

These are really good tips. Mostly I guess I need to get over my fear of freezing things.

rankinsect

Chips and dip - I don't use dip, but I have a lot of chips. If you clip the bag shut they last just fine for weeks. Not a problem to get rid of them. If I did use dip I'd either refrigerate or freeze the rest, or make smaller portions.

Bread and cake - for bread, which I love to make, I usually plan one or two sandwiches a day until it's gone. Yeah, it's a lot of sandwiches, but homemade bread is so dang good I don't mind. Even without preservatives I don't have a problem with refrigerating it for a week, don't even need to freeze unless it's longer.

For cake, one piece a day until it's gone. I portion my cakes (scale down recipe and pan size) until I get no more than eight pieces. I actually don't have a problem with my cakes after eight days, but I'll refrigerate and I make cakes that stay moist. Don't really have a problem with mold in only 8 days.

For cinnamon rolls, again I'd plan for a portion size I could finish in a week or so.

cwolfman13

lorrpb wrote: »

Lots of people say you can eat any food you want as long as it fits within your calorie goal. I understand the concept but How, in reality, do you do this? Please be specific. For example:

Potato chips & dip. If you eat 10 chips and a spoonful of dip, do you throw out the rest?

A package of cinnamon rolls. You have one or split one, do you let the rest go to waste? Even if I planned one per day, which I don't necessarily want to do, they would go stale first.

A glass of wine at home-do you keep the unused portion of the bottle on hand for weeks or months, then throw it out when it gets too old?

A cake or pie-you have one small piece that you want, then throw out the rest?
A loaf of homemade bread, you have one or two slices then the rest goes stale?

There are only two of us & we're both watching what and how much we eat, so its not like I would just nibble off a stash that someone else will eat up.

Helpful suggestions only, please. No sarcasm and no attacks. Thx.

A bag of potato chips is going to be fine for quite awhile if you seal it back up...but when we do chips we tend to get the small snack bags. I generally indulge in this kind of stuff when I'm camping or something...rarely at home.

For a cinnamon roll, I'm likely to walk down to the bakery down the street and get a fresh one...but this would be extremely infrequent for me...so much so that I wouldn't even worry about whether or not it "fit".

I drink wine pretty regularly...that's factored into most days.

I'm not a big cake or pie guy so really, I only eat it when someone else is providing it for a birthday or whatever special occasion...usually if someone leaves it behind like my mom did at Easter, it goes stale and gets tossed...just not a big cake and pie guy.

We like to make sourdough at home and we eat it regularly. Sometimes I'll have some sourdough toast in lieu of my oats for example...or I'll take a sandwich for lunch...or we'll have a slice or two with our soup, etc. We eat a variety of carbs from oats, lentils, legumes, potatoes, quinoa, etc and bread fits right in there with those.