FRUIT and VEGGIES = CALORIES?!

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Replies

  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    No free foods.......but......watermelon season is upon us and that is super low in calories.........47 calories per cup.

    That reminds me of a recurring question I have...what exactly is a cup of watermelon? How do you measure that out?

    As a guy that relies on his digital scale to solve problems like this, I sure wish more of the foods in the database were in there based on weight instead of volume.
  • julierewa
    julierewa Posts: 17
    You've got to think about nutrition as well as calories! Don't exclude your fruit and veges. Tomatoes and cucumbers are very low in calories and I use them a lot. Try making small side salads - like salsas - half a chopped vege, add some fruit even - and only have say a heaped tablespoon on the side of your protein meal. I drizzle a tsp of WW balsamic vinegar over the top. Yum!
  • Sinisi2012
    Sinisi2012 Posts: 333 Member
    I've been thinking the same thing, so I filled up one whole days menu with all my favorite fruits and veggies just so I could see them all on the same page and start comparing. Watermelon and black raspberries came up with practically nothing for fruits and celery, carrots and broccoli the lowest veggies.So I am going to concentrate on adding more of those when I am having my really hungry days and need to add more food without killing my total calorie goals. The veggies are more filling and take longer to eat so those would be the best choice. You can add some light or fat free dressing to dip them in and it doesn't add too much depending on the kind of dressing.
  • PlayDoh1234
    PlayDoh1234 Posts: 86 Member
    Check it out -
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/280209-fruits-vegetables-with-little-or-no-calories/

    Thanks! Nice website!
  • JDM840811
    JDM840811 Posts: 4
    I do not count fruits or veggies. I have never known of anyone gaining weight from eating fruits and vegetables. Back when I was a vegetarian that is all I ate and I ate a lot and I never gained a pound from them.
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    Raw fruits and veggies and greens are NOT calorie dense, but they are not calorie free! But you can still eat a ton of them! My cup full of raw cauliflower that I snacked on was only 25 calories (low calorie dip I 50). I would have to eat a wheelbarrow full of cauliflower to over do it. An entire tomato is what, 25 calories? A full cup of strawberries is less than 50 calories. How much ice cream could you eat for those same quantities of calories?
  • bjfrezell
    bjfrezell Posts: 241
    While its good for you, fruit can have a TON of calories. Some vegetables also have high calories. That's why I log it, along with everything else I eat. I didn't just eat junk before, I ate too much of everything. So I log everything now that I eat so I know how much I am eating.
  • Lorleee
    Lorleee Posts: 369 Member
    Sure, veggies have calories but you'd have to eat an awful lot of them to negatively imapct your loss. I never once counted fresh veggies in terms of what I ate while losing (and was encouraged by my RD to eat 4+ servings daily). Fruit is another matter and I never lumped together "fruits and veggies" as being the same. I limit fruit to 2-3 servings a day because of the natural sugars. Veggies, I don't worry about, I'm just mindful of how I prepare them. Eating a bunch of plain broccoli will fill you up without worrying about the calorie count. But if you slather that same broccoli in cheese, then it becomes an issue.
  • PlayDoh1234
    PlayDoh1234 Posts: 86 Member
    Now that I am reading eveyone's post, I realize that I eat a lot of FRUIT and not so many veggies. That's why those calories add up quicker. I think I need to start eating more veggies when I want a healthy snack!
  • msudaisy28
    msudaisy28 Posts: 267 Member
    I can't see your diary to see what your calorie goal is or what your days have been like to give any advice there.

    Personally, I log everything as best as I can. Not logging calories only fools my mind, not my body. Nothing is "free" but my fruit/veggie snacks are usually 6 oz baby carrots (70 cals), medium "lunchbox" apple (80 cals), two tomatoes cut up with a little salt and pepper (55 cals), 40 grapes (135 cals), medium banana (130 cals), medium pear (100 cals), 1.5 cups strawberries (75 cals). Pretty much any one of those items gets me from lunch to dinner without a problem.

    I do try to have protien with each meal, that also helps keep me full. Good luck!
  • Wonderwoman2677
    Wonderwoman2677 Posts: 428 Member
    Not counting fruits and veggies on WW is why I failed at it. It's one thing to eat a bowl of cataloupe... but when you eat the whole damn cantaloupe it's going to be a problem.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Now that I am reading eveyone's post, I realize that I eat a lot of FRUIT and not so many veggies. That's why those calories add up quicker. I think I need to start eating more veggies when I want a healthy snack!

    Yes! Or go (as someone else mentioned) for something like watermelon :D
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    There's more to food than calories, you know. Fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein, phytonutrients, antioxidants....

    Go ahead and quit logging them. They do still have calories and they'll pile up while you pretend to ignore them.

    Instead, why don't you cut things with less redeeming value? Chips, soda, sitting on the couch...
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Why stop at fruit and veggies? Why bother logging anything at all?
  • mcott1012
    mcott1012 Posts: 27 Member
    Sooo.. I just have to say that I have had great success with mfp... and I never log my veggies. I log my fruit because it is higher in carbs and sugar and anything that I add to/dip my veggies in, but never the veggies themselves. Having said that, you have to find whatever system works for you and go with that! Good luck!! :glasses:
  • AFIMM
    AFIMM Posts: 9
    Two cups of arugula has only 20 calories. And it has a great zesty flavor so you don't even need anything on it. Yummy!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    To try to keep my calories down I try to eat a lot of fruit and veggies but I always get frustrated because it's 100 calories here and there and eventually they add up. Is there any "free" food that doesn't have calories? I know WW allows you to eat fruit and veggies for no points. I'm tempted to not include fruits and veggies in my tracking... Does anyone do that?

    If fruits and veggies are using up most of your calories that is a good thing. It is as it should be. What advantage would there be to ignoring all those calories?

    Plain lettuce or celery probably could be considered free foods. They do have calories but it's so few that you could eat a big plateful and still not make much difference.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    You can pretend fruits and vegetables don't have calories, but your body doesn't change it's metabolic function according to your denial.
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    If it goes in my mouth, it gets written down somewhere...
  • claire7090
    claire7090 Posts: 67
    I have had to reduce the amount of fruit I eat since joining MFP - I always ate a healthy diet - loads of fruits and vegetables because that is what I have always been told is healthy but I was 21lbs over the healthy weight for my height!

    Turns out I was actually eating too many calories of fruit (if there was such a thing as a fruit junkie that was me). I still eat alot of fruit and veg but I have reduced how much fruit and chosen lower calorie fruits - bananas are a nightmare when counting calories and I used to eat at least 1 a day!

    I have now lost 28lbs and feel alot better for it and I log every mounthful/calorie of fruit and veg.

    There really can be too much of a good thing!

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