Calorie Counters Beware!

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Replies

  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    I had an (arguably) worse one of these the other day: I was making a pasta dish from the newest issue of Cooking Light that claimed to be 332 calories per serving... but when I plugged the ingredients in to the MFP recipe builder, it was actually 538! That's a 60% difference! I was so mad, I wrote them an angry email, haha. Righteous indignation FTW!

    For the record: I double checked my ingredients, and they were all pretty standard, calorie count wise. Things like linguine, chicken breast, raw spinach and whole milk. Not a whole lot of places where I could reasonably have been way off.

    Unless you had the number of servings per recipe wrong, that seems really bad.

    Nope, triple checked it. Now I am second guessing all their recipes, and they've been my go-to for months :-/
  • Ddmck1
    Ddmck1 Posts: 89 Member
    I hate that!! I've started to pay close attention to servings per container.
  • dmh0204
    dmh0204 Posts: 81
    Ive been saying for years that they need to adjust the calories on a pint of icecream according to a normal serving......the whole pint.

    Agreed, but it's not hard to realize that there are 4 "servings" per pint.

    Wait, have you guys not heard of Arctic Zero?! It's supposed to be a like a frozen protein shake. 150 calories per pint. Lots of different flavors. I mean, you aren't going to be fooled into thinking you just ate ice cream. But if you are having an "I'm gonna eat the whole pint" night, see if your local grocery store has these bad boys. They have gotten me through more than one pity party!
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    When I started out on MFP, I ate the low calorie frozen entrees. Then I really started reading labels. I avoid processed foods as much as I can now. Much healthier and better tasting to cook your own food. Preservatives, sodium, sugar, and who knows what, are way over used in most packaged foods. I cook on the weekends and freeze indiviual serving sizes for breakfasts, lunch and dinner through the week. We eat salads for supper M-Thurs so meat I grill on the weekends is added to our salads during the week. I even air pop my popcorn. It really cuts down on the calories not to have the oil. Fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits.
  • smithntuck
    smithntuck Posts: 113 Member
    I always read the serving size...schooled some girls at work on that and they were like "Whaa?" People just assume that a 20 oz soda is 1 serving...nope, 2.5. ALWAYS read the label.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    the info panels are a "must read" onall foods!

    yeah, I agree. I always look, at everything. My hubby is getting annoyed with this.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I was tempted by a candy bar the other day and read the calories AND THE SERVINGS. 200 calories per serving - and 2 servings in candy bar.

    Left it on the shelf.

    Lesson learned.
  • CharityPearce
    CharityPearce Posts: 215
    I have to add in a small rant. I love pickles and just happened to look at the jar while I was enjoying a spear. One serving is half a spear! Who eats half a spear?!? Who comes up with the serving sizes on some things. Just put one pickle = 10 cals!

    You're stressing over 10 cals? Ok, this is a joke... surely... right? I'm kind of dense today.. : ) I always worry more about the sodium in pickles, certainly not the calories.
  • crimsoncat
    crimsoncat Posts: 457 Member
    Ive been saying for years that they need to adjust the calories on a pint of icecream according to a normal serving......the whole pint.

    Meet your dream come true: http://www.myarcticzero.com/

    pints.jpg
  • steph1278
    steph1278 Posts: 483 Member
    Ive been saying for years that they need to adjust the calories on a pint of icecream according to a normal serving......the whole pint.

    Agreed, but it's not hard to realize that there are 4 "servings" per pint.

    Wait, have you guys not heard of Arctic Zero?! It's supposed to be a like a frozen protein shake. 150 calories per pint. Lots of different flavors. I mean, you aren't going to be fooled into thinking you just ate ice cream. But if you are having an "I'm gonna eat the whole pint" night, see if your local grocery store has these bad boys. They have gotten me through more than one pity party!


    One of the morning shows did a test on so called better for you desserts and found that the majority were off on calories by quite a bit. The Arctic Zero was one of the worst offenders testing in at 40-60% higher calories than they were claiming.
  • kls13la
    kls13la Posts: 380 Member
    Somewhat related question. So if the panel says, for example, a serving is 14 crackers (30g), which trumps--weight or serving size? I feel like I'm regularly finding that it takes, say, 18 crackers to reach 30g. Can I eat 18 for the serving or do I have to eat 14?
  • TravisBurns
    TravisBurns Posts: 353 Member
    Hey it happens. Just be sure to check the serving count from now on. A lot of people I know don't think about that.
    And this is why they teach you to cook as a child. Those 45 minutes could have been better spent preparing a healthy meal.

    :grumble: .
  • girlnamedlee
    girlnamedlee Posts: 96 Member
    I don't actually trust myself not to binge, so my habit is to look at the package of any prepared snack I might buy & multiple the calories by servings. It's deterred me from buying quite a bit but if I just want it that badly, I'm taking ownership of all of the calories before I eat it. Woo empowered eating!
  • steph1278
    steph1278 Posts: 483 Member
    This is the link for the study that the Today Show did if anyone is interested.



    http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/48596412/ns/today-today_rossen_reports/t/rossen-reports-can-you-believe-diet-frozen-dessert-
    labels/#.UDJFoqpRs2B
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    That happened to me with a lunch noodle bowl. It's obviously meant to be eaten at one sitting in the one bowl they give you. 2 servings? Lies!
  • Troll
    Troll Posts: 922 Member
    Ive been saying for years that they need to adjust the calories on a pint of icecream according to a normal serving......the whole pint.

    Agreed, but it's not hard to realize that there are 4 "servings" per pint.

    Wait, have you guys not heard of Arctic Zero?! It's supposed to be a like a frozen protein shake. 150 calories per pint. Lots of different flavors. I mean, you aren't going to be fooled into thinking you just ate ice cream. But if you are having an "I'm gonna eat the whole pint" night, see if your local grocery store has these bad boys. They have gotten me through more than one pity party!
    They dont, and i probably wouldnt get it anyway. if i want ice cream, im getting ben and jerrys coffee heath bar. i really dont care what the calories are, haha!
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    Somewhat related question. So if the panel says, for example, a serving is 14 crackers (30g), which trumps--weight or serving size? I feel like I'm regularly finding that it takes, say, 18 crackers to reach 30g. Can I eat 18 for the serving or do I have to eat 14?

    Weight always wins. So yes, eat as many as it takes to get to 30g.
  • CarmenSRT
    CarmenSRT Posts: 843 Member
    That Arctic Zero stuff was not worth the calories. Tried the chocolate peanut butter when I saw it in Publix. Meh. I'd much rather have a sugar free chocolate fudgesicle. That tastes like chocolate at least!
  • kls13la
    kls13la Posts: 380 Member
    Somewhat related question. So if the panel says, for example, a serving is 14 crackers (30g), which trumps--weight or serving size? I feel like I'm regularly finding that it takes, say, 18 crackers to reach 30g. Can I eat 18 for the serving or do I have to eat 14?

    Weight always wins. So yes, eat as many as it takes to get to 30g.

    Thanks!
  • dmh0204
    dmh0204 Posts: 81
    [/quote]


    One of the morning shows did a test on so called better for you desserts and found that the majority were off on calories by quite a bit. The Arctic Zero was one of the worst offenders testing in at 40-60% higher calories than they were claiming.
    [/quote]

    Well, damn. Still better than a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's, though, right? Mostly, I have tried to cut out desserts. But, hey, I'm only human.

    Edit--sorry that was supposed to be a quote, but whatever, it didn't work.
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