Almonds

bethanyan2013
bethanyan2013 Posts: 25 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, I have heard how great almonds are for you. I decide to eat some for breakfast this morning (usually don't eat anything). Then when I put them in MFP, the calories are pretty high. So, my question is.... Is it ok to go over your daily calories when you're eating these "good for you" items? I am trying to include as many "metabolism boosting foods" into my daily diet. Blueberries, almonds, spinach, turkey, oatmeal, etc.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • projectbam
    projectbam Posts: 55
    yep .. i wouldnt worry too much .. especially if you plan on exercising also :)
  • casy84
    casy84 Posts: 290 Member
    My breakfast is 30 almonds + 1 small yogurt ~= 300cal. I love that they keep me full until lunch.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    Going over your calorie goal, is just that, which food it is, is really irrelevant. Metabolism boosting food are all foods, it's calories that boost our metabolism, not some particular food type, generally speaking. Hot peppers, coffee et al have minimal effects that should be discounted and for the most part eating enough food and not starving yourself, getting enough protein and lifting heavy things is the best way to boost your metabolism.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    going over once in awhile is actually good.. tricks your metabolism... I ended up going over a bunch last night.. on healthy food and wouldn't ya know I went down a pound.. love when that happens..
  • dance54
    dance54 Posts: 13
    been eating almonds in the morning for breakfast for 5 years a small handful no harm to me,
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Going over your calorie goal, is just that, which food it is, is really irrelevant. Metabolism boosting food are all foods, it's calories that boost our metabolism, not some particular food type, generally speaking. Hot peppers, coffee et al have minimal effects that should be discounted and for the most part eating enough food and not starving yourself, getting enough protein and lifting heavy things is the best way to boost your metabolism.
    ^^
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Probably the best thing to do is to buy sliced ones and measure carefully. I love almonds and have to be careful. A calorie is a calorie. Obviously it is better to get them from a healthy food source, but if you eat up all your calories in almonds, it doesn't leave room for other nutrient-dense foods.

    So just weight them out on a food scale and keep your daily calorie limits in mind when you eat them. I limit mine to 5-10 grams in my cottage cheese or yogurt or on chicken or in green beans, etc.
  • mich1902
    mich1902 Posts: 182
    Just as a side note. I buy the flaked almonds and weigh them out on my mini scale. I think they last longer and are easier to mix in things like my greek yoghurt. I do agree with the op's who say that food is food. You shouldn't really be going over your allowance at all in order to stay at a defecit. It can be good to have a 'cheat' every now and again. i don't get away with this sort of thing every week so its every once in a while.
  • PhilipMSPT
    PhilipMSPT Posts: 11 Member
    Premium fuel is better than diesel. But you still have to burn that fuel through exercise.

    What you'll realize with Premium fuel foods is that they will promote good health, better metabolism, less hunger, and better recovery from exercise. It makes your engine/body run better, stronger, faster.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    I eat almonds everyday as a snack, but I make sure that I'm still within my numbers. A serving of the almonds I eat is 24- if a whole serving will put me over, I'll have 1/2 serving, etc. I also drink 2 cups of almond milk a day, so I'm not too concerned if I can't eat a whole serving of almonds. You're essentially eating them for the good fats they contain (hence the high calorie count)- I also supplement with fish oil and incorporate olive oil in my cooking. There are other ways to get fats- but fats are the most calorie dense of the macros, you need to find a balance that fits your numbers.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    metabolism boosting foods?

    seriously?

    I'll continue counting calories and eating anything I want within my calorie and macro limitations.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    So, I have heard how great almonds are for you. I decide to eat some for breakfast this morning (usually don't eat anything). Then when I put them in MFP, the calories are pretty high. So, my question is.... Is it ok to go over your daily calories when you're eating these "good for you" items? I am trying to include as many "metabolism boosting foods" into my daily diet. Blueberries, almonds, spinach, turkey, oatmeal, etc.

    Any thoughts?

    1) how many calories are you shooting for daily?

    2) what's your height/weight/age?

    3) if 1+2 are in line with each other, than it doesn't matter what you eat - if you go over your TDEE you will gain. however, you're most likely fine since the odds of you eating over your TDEE are extremely low IMO.

    4) almonds are... less than great in terms of bioavailability. Turns out we don't get nearly the calories out of them as the nutrition facts say we do because they're so difficult for our bodies to digest, so odds are you didn't go over your calories at all.
  • imfivebyfive
    imfivebyfive Posts: 104
    Calories are still calories. If you eat 180 cals of almonds you still need to count it. I love almonds myself but I limit them because of the high calorie content.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    Here is a good article on calories.....

    "Is A Calorie a Calorie?

    So is a calorie a calorie? Yes and no. Based on the data, my general feeling is this:

    1.A sufficient protein intake will always beat out an insufficient protein intake, no matter what you do. Since all of the diets described in this book are based around sufficient protein, this is a non-issue.
    2.Assuming caloric intake can be controlled (and protein is adequate of course), shuffling of carbs and fats tends to have a minor, approaching negligble effect.
    3.There might be exceptions at the extremes (folks going to single digit bodyfat or extreme obesity) but that doesn’t apply to the majority of folks."


    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-a-calorie-a-calorie.html

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