FRUIT and VEGGIES = CALORIES?!

GasMasterFlash

well after reading this post.. i am convinced i should be logging my veggies. My weight loss has been rediculously slow sometimes not even losing anything for weeks at a time.. hmmm veggie and fruit logging here i come. thanks people!

Sounds like a plan. Best wishes to you!

I think that we can declare this thread a success, folks.

Kenhabes

Not this again.

There is no zero calorie food.

Alma_Sana

You've got to think about nutrition as well as calories! Don't exclude your fruit and veges.

I made a delicious veggies soup with a bullion cube, tomato, onion, garlic, jalapeno and mixed frozen veggies. I also added a russet potato cubed and it came out to 4 or 5 servings for about 350 calories per serving. . . even though I only used veggies and broth, but it was really good and very filling. I say count them and exchange them for snacks. Your body will thank you!

Ely82010

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.

I have wondered the same thing!! Especially since I buy the watermelon that is cut into chunks at the store, depending on the size of the chunk I have no idea if I am eating a cup. :huh: <-- that's me confused!

I hope that this helps: Dry measures (from a cooking book)

16 tbsp = 1cup = 8oz = 1/2lb = 226.8gr

The conversion from liquid to dry measurements is actually only true for water (density=1g/ml). It will be very close for most liquids, but not true for solids.

Thew above conversion was for SOLIDS no liquids.

Liquid measures: 1 cup = 1/2 pin t= 8 fl oz= 236.5ml

melneh

No free foods.......but......watermelon season is upon us and that is super low in calories.........47 calories per cup.

watermelon is low in calories but it is also extrememly high on the glycemic index, which for some people can really really put on the pounds.

like me..

Kooraloo

I've noticed that having a lot of small amounts of veggies and fruits doesn't add up to much whilst still being really filling...
Most days I have:
Cauliflower - Raw, 3 floweret 10 cals
Cucumber - Peeled, raw, 4 slice 3 cals
Broccoli - Raw, 3 spear (about 5" long) 32 cals
Carrots - Raw, 0.5 cup, strips or slices 25 cals
Celery - Raw, 1 stalk, medium (7-1/2" - 8" long) 6 cals
Apples - Raw, with skin, 0.5 medium (2-3/4" dia) (approx 3 per lb) 36 cals

Which adds up to a whopping 112 calories... so it's super low in calories but is also really filling. I have this around 11:40-noon and I'm full until 3:30 or so (which for me is a long time)

Mirpapillon

Eat more veggies and less fruits. Peppers don't have very much calories lettuce cellery etc. check them out. I also found a Greek yogurt dip (cucumbers and garlic) for 35 calories for 2 tablespoons.

christenwypy

Most veggies are mostly water and for a lot of them just picking up your fork will burn them off. But fruit has fiber and sugars so I think it is heavier. I have actually heard that t is best to eat fruit in the beginning of the day because of this. I do not think fruit and veggies could ever make you fat though. I'd count them anyway but if you are still hungry than eat, as long as it is healthy food.

getfitbesexy

Both are great, but when it comes to getting fit and losing fat I would always go with Veggies over Fruits. Remember, fruits are full of sugars!!! I also don't believe in counting calories, i think it makes dieting overwhelming and that whole process causes major anxiety towards food. I highly suggest portion control

When i eat fruits and veggies i stick to looking at the Glycemic Index, the lower the GI the better.
● = Little carbohydrate; GI approximately zero

Fresh Fruit Glycemic Index
Apples 38
Oranges 42
Pears 38
Peaches 42
Grapes 53
Strawberries (fresh or frozen) 40
Raspberries (fresh or frozen) ●
Blueberries (fresh or frozen) 53
Cherries 63
Bananas 52
Lemons ●
Limes ●

Fresh Vegetables Glycemic Index
Ginger ●
Garlic ●
Lettuce ●
New Potatoes 47 - 70
Tomatoes ●
Carrots (baby & regular) 41 - 47
Celery ●
Onions (red and/or white) ●
Green Onions ●
Bell Peppers (red/green/orange/yellow) ●
Cherry Tomatoes ●
Broccoli ●
Cauliflower ●
Mushrooms ●
Spinach (fresh or frozen) ●
Peas (fresh or frozen) 48
Zucchini ●
Cucumber ●
Green Beans ●
Asparagus ●

camila_scl

I eat tons of lettuce and mushrooms, 1 cup of shreded lettuce is like 15 calories

camila_scl

Both are great, but when it comes to getting fit and losing fat I would always go with Veggies over Fruits. Remember, fruits are full of sugars!!! I also don't believe in counting calories, i think it makes dieting overwhelming and that whole process causes major anxiety towards food. I highly suggest portion control

When i eat fruits and veggies i stick to looking at the Glycemic Index, the lower the GI the better.
● = Little carbohydrate; GI approximately zero

Fresh Fruit Glycemic Index
Apples 38
Oranges 42
Pears 38
Peaches 42
Grapes 53
Strawberries (fresh or frozen) 40
Raspberries (fresh or frozen) ●
Blueberries (fresh or frozen) 53
Cherries 63
Bananas 52
Lemons ●
Limes ●

Fresh Vegetables Glycemic Index
Ginger ●
Garlic ●
Lettuce ●
New Potatoes 47 - 70
Tomatoes ●
Carrots (baby & regular) 41 - 47
Celery ●
Onions (red and/or white) ●
Green Onions ●
Bell Peppers (red/green/orange/yellow) ●
Cherry Tomatoes ●
Broccoli ●
Cauliflower ●
Mushrooms ●
Spinach (fresh or frozen) ●
Peas (fresh or frozen) 48
Zucchini ●
Cucumber ●
Green Beans ●
Asparagus ●

I mostly agree. My little brother is type 1 diabetic so I know tons of counting carbs. I'm not saying the have much, but Zucchini, Spinach, Cauliflowe, Broccoli and Tomato have a bit of carbs comparing to lettuce or onions or mushrooms, and they actually in the list thaat my nutricionist gave me are not "eat as much as you like" they are in the "moderate consume" list

TrainersRoom

Aim for five servings per day of fresh fruits and vegetables, focus on lean meats and low-fat dairy, and stay away from processed foods, fast foods, junk food, and anything high in salt, fat, or sugar, and you’ll lose weight naturally without a lot of fuss.

messyinthekitchen

Sure celery is incredibly low in calories. So is lettuce and spinach. And asparagus.

lporter229

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.

I have wondered the same thing!! Especially since I buy the watermelon that is cut into chunks at the store, depending on the size of the chunk I have no idea if I am eating a cup. :huh: <-- that's me confused!

I hope that this helps: Dry measures (from a cooking book)

16 tbsp = 1cup = 8oz = 1/2lb = 226.8gr

The conversion from liquid to dry measurements is actually only true for water (density=1g/ml). It will be very close for most liquids, but not true for solids.

Thew above conversion was for SOLIDS no liquids.

Liquid measures: 1 cup = 1/2 pin t= 8 fl oz= 236.5ml

I apologize, I did not look closely at the numbers you posted. Sorry. However, I still maintain that you can not convert a measure of volume to weight without knowing the density of the food. For example, 1 cup of ground beef does not weigh the same as one cup of dry oatmeal.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Negative calorie vegetables Aubergine, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Cucumber, Fennel, Gourd, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow,Peppers, Radish, Spinach,Tomato, Turnip, etc.
Negative calorie fruits Apricot, Blackberry Blackcurrant, Clementines, Damsons, Grapefruit, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Lemon, Mandarin orange, Melon Cantaloupe, Peaches, Plums, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon

SMH, and WTF? There are no zero calorie fruits or vegetables, much less negative calorie. This whole thread (not just the quoted on, but the rest of it where people aren't logging fruits and veg) is so confusing to me, man oh day. and then on top of it, this list is boggeling. I don't know who told you that those vegetables have negative calories, and who would tell you that any fruit has negative calories. The whole idea that "no one ever got fat from just eating fruits and vegetables" is pretty rediculous. However, if you'd like to test that theory I challenge you to consume 500 calories over maintenance in fruits and vegetables every day for a month and come back with your findings because I do like to be proven wrong. Granted, these foods are filling and you can eat a large quantity for little calories, but they still have calories. Yes, digestion requires energy and therefore burns calories, but that's already factored into your net caloric intake for the day (basic bodily function).

And just so there is no confusion "zero calorie" cooking sprays are not zero calories. When you hold the nozzle down for the prescribed amount of time (.4 seconds) it has negligible calories, but a teaspoon or more of canola oil, olive oil, or any other oil you happen to have in your bottle is a teaspoon of canola oil no matter if you spray it or pour it.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

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?

All food contains energy, therefore ALL FOOD contains calories.

You have heard that NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE.

And NO, WW does not allow fruit and veggies as free. They are just smaller points. My sister is doing WW and is always way under her points because she eats so much fruits and vegetables.

81Katz

I eat tons of fruits and vegetables everyday. I just watch the portions. I've already had blackberries and strawberries with my breakfast. Also had some spinach and peppers (green, red, orange and yellow) in my omelet. I eat spinach, at least 3-5 cups each day. I munch of baby carrots, they are my go to snack veggie. I like celery with PB2. I eat lots of romaine lettuce, love tomatoes (grape or cherry) red onions in my salads or on my turkey wraps, I am a BLUEBERRY fiend usually having those at least once every single day. I am careful with bananas usually eating just half at a time, saving the other half for the next day. The same with avocado, eating just half at a time. I love apples and don't feel bad if I eat the entire apple, same with oranges.

I have never once blown my calories with fruits or vegetables. I didn't gain all that weight over those years from eating fruits and veggies. I gained it from little to no exercise, pure laziness and eating out at least 3-5 times a week eating THE WORSE foods possible. Not to mention cabinets that were always stocked with chips, cookies, cakes, baked goods and a fridge stocked with soda, chocolate milk, etc.

CrazyGraciegirl

celery= 2 stalks is 15 calories
14 baby carrots = 35 calories (this with some low calorie ranch dressing is yummy!
Cucumbers have a very low count in calories. I believe an entire pickle is 20 cals, so sliced cucumbers must be very low. they taste phenomenal if you take slices of them and dip them in vinegar! Tastes like potato chips.

Bananas can be very high in calories. 1 medium banana is around 100 calories. If you had half of one with your breakfast, it cuts it down, but this isn't something that's a good snack if you want to have a lot of it.
1 cup of halved strawberries is 49 calories, and it takes longer to eat them too.

jofjltncb6

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.

Brace yourself; this is a highly advanced food measuring technique:

Weigh empty measuring cup. Fill measuring cup with watermelon flesh. Weigh full measuring cup. Subtract.

Meh. I'd rather just complain that MFP doesn't have grams or ounces as a unit of measure for watermelon. Ultimately, it really doesn't matter much anyhow.

jofjltncb6

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.

Brace yourself; this is a highly advanced food measuring technique:

Weigh empty measuring cup. Fill measuring cup with watermelon flesh. Weigh full measuring cup. Subtract.

Meh. I'd rather just complain that MFP doesn't have grams or ounces as a unit of measure for watermelon. Ultimately, it really doesn't matter much anyhow.

And before the angry MFP mob attacks me, I just checked the database to see that 100g is one of the measures so I take it all back. Sure, it would be great if it had 1 oz as one of the units, but using 100g = ~4 oz is certainly close enough for me.

Now since I just broke my own rule by posting back-to-back in a thread, and even quoted myself, I am going to go sit in the timeout corner for a few hours. Maybe I'll eat a few hundred grams of watermelon while I'm there.

AzhureSnow

And NO, WW does not allow fruit and veggies as free. They are just smaller points. My sister is doing WW and is always way under her points because she eats so much fruits and vegetables.

Actually, yes, a serving of fruit or vegetables is considered a "power food" and counts as zero points. Now, 10 servings of fruit or veg would probably add up to a point or two at a time. However, yes, WW does consider certain foods "freebies" and all the freebies are fruits and vegetables. It can be misleading, but the way the equation works is that if you eat a dozen servings of "free" foods, eventually all those carbs will calculate out to an overall point or two throughout the day.

kj1433

How do I know if I'm eating too much fruit? I eat a lot of veg too, but could someone give their opinion on whether this amount of fruit is too much?
Here is what I'll have had by the end of today fruit-wise:
- a nectarine
-strawberries
-orange juice
-grapes
-portion of pineapple
- and maybe a banana.

I only want to lose half a stone and it's my fruit which is making me go over my calorie allowance. Do you think I'm having too much? I previously thought before reading these posts that I could eat as much fruit as I wanted!

porffor

I think this is where WW and the like are failing to educate. They pretend foods are 'free' or imply they are, then the real world.. they add up. I remember on slimming world pasta was free (as I'm veggie) I could eat as much as I wanted. not such a great idea in the long term to think like that.