High calorie meal but low in carbs/sugar, still healthy?

Irishfaerie86
Irishfaerie86 Posts: 34 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I always have a hard time finding a filling meal for lunch since I'm on the low carb diet. I usually go to quick check for lunch but I'm always careful to look at the nutrition facts and log them in to my food diary. I ordered a regular salad with tuna and oil and vinegar yet it goes from 250 calories to 670 and all I add to it is maybe the oil and vinegar and veggies. It comes out low carb and low sugar which is great but I don't understand why it's so high in calories! I guess from the fat which is good since I'm on a low carb diet, but I am wondering is it okay to eat foods high in calories if they are low in areas like carbs and sugar?

Replies

  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    As long as it fits within your daily allotted calories / macros for the day, that's all that matters for weight loss purposes.
  • s_pekz
    s_pekz Posts: 340 Member
    If you are simply looking for weight loss then all that matters is calorie deficit. If you are looking at health you can take into account other things. But a low carb/sugar meal taht is 600 calories can make your deficit less as opposed to a high carb/sugar meal that is 200 calories. Its all calories in vs calories out for weight loss


    Also oil has a lot of calories but its delish and needed so enjoy it. Also things like density can increase calories and teh volume etc.
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    Its mostly the oil (fats). The same thing would happen if you added avocado.

    Ive never seen an avocado hurt anyone.

    ETA: But 400 calories just from oil seems kinda odd. I question the specific calculations on your food item. However to answer your question there are lots of foods high in calories low in carbs/sugar. One of my favorites is steak.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
    Oil is high in calories so if it is being poured on your salad, it will add a ton. If your goal is to lose weight, try using a oil sprayer like a "misto".
  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member
    If you do a lot of HIIT, are a marathon runner, do marshal arts, or really just push your cardio limits to the max, then get *some* carbs in or you /can/ stifle progress or normal routine.

    Otherwise, carbs that are obtained through fruit/vegetables are normally low and have a better nutrient ratio then say a muffin.

    Edit: Yeah ok I drifted off somewhere in reading.
    I ordered a regular salad with tuna and oil and vinegar yet it goes from 250 calories to 670 and all I add to it is maybe the oil and vinegar and veggies

    How much oil? A tablespoon of olive oil is ~119 calories-ish when taking a gander at one of the indexed diary values
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    If you do a lot of HIIT, are a marathon runner, do marshal arts, or really just push your cardio limits to the max, then get *some* carbs in or you /can/ stifle progress or normal routine.

    Otherwise, carbs that are obtained through fruit/vegetables are normally low and have a better nutrient ratio then say a muffin.


    BrainFullOfWhat.jpg
  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member
    jackiechan.jpg
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I purposely eat a certain amounts of fats. I try to get in at least around 70+ grams of fat if I can. It helps me a lot with mood believe it or not. This is because fats help regulate hormones. A while back I was eating too low fats and had serious mood swings going on for no real reason. As soon as I bumped up the fats, it went away.

    For oil I use coconut oil to cook with and even put in my coffee or on toast when I have it (rare).
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    Unless you used tons of oil...the calorie count seems off.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    So I always have a hard time finding a filling meal for lunch since I'm on the low carb diet. I usually go to quick check for lunch but I'm always careful to look at the nutrition facts and log them in to my food diary. I ordered a regular salad with tuna and oil and vinegar yet it goes from 250 calories to 670 and all I add to it is maybe the oil and vinegar and veggies. It comes out low carb and low sugar which is great but I don't understand why it's so high in calories! I guess from the fat which is good since I'm on a low carb diet, but I am wondering is it okay to eat foods high in calories if they are low in areas like carbs and sugar?

    400 calories worth of oil would equate to nearly a quarter cup. I think someone's calculations are off.

    Most oils clock in around 120 calories per tablespoon. It's "a lot," but a little generally goes a long way. Your salad would be swimming if you had a quarter of a cup of oil on it, most likely.

    To more directly answer your question -- yes, it's perfectly healthy to have a meal that has few, if any carbs, especially sugars. The body does not require much in the way of dietary carbs (and can survive on none at all, in fact), let alone large amounts of it at every single meal.

    Also, "high calorie" does not equate to "unhealthy." You have to have a certain amount of calories to survive and thrive. If you have three meals a day, even at 670 calories each, that only comes out to about 1900, which is reasonable for a large number of people (is it for you? I don't know, but your meals probably aren't the exact same size all the time anyway). You don't have to live on a hundred 300 calorie "meals" in order to be healthy.

    The meal you described has a fair amount of Omega-3 fats, monounsaturated fats, fiber, protein, and assorted vitamins and minerals. What is is that you're afraid of isn't healthy about it?
  • Rhaynestorm
    Rhaynestorm Posts: 62 Member
    That calorie count seems way way off. You might have to double check your calculations on that one.

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