Question about calories in an item

rosemary98
rosemary98 Posts: 632 Member
edited February 4 in Food and Nutrition
Plain steamed/cooked sliced/french cut green beans (whether fresh, canned or frozen) appear to have about 40 calories per cup. I googled and searched MPF, and this seems to be the consensus.

However Green Giant green beans with almonds has 120 calories per box (which makes one cup cooked). I subtract the almonds about 40 calories (which are only a tablespoon--I measured). So the cup of green beans is still 80 calories. What am I missing? Why twice the calories for one cup cooked sliced green beans? Here is the link with nutritional info. Any insight would be helpful. I am just still trying to learn about nutrition.

Note: the almonds come in a separate pouch...so the means really are plain.

http://www.greengiant.com/pages/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=1

Replies

  • lattarulol
    lattarulol Posts: 123 Member
    Read the ingredient list. The almonds are roasted in canola and or safflower oil. The extra calories most likely come from there.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    The ingredients state that the almonds are roasted in oil.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632 Member
    right, but even a tablespoon of roasted almonds in canola and/or safflower oil can't be 80 calories, right? As I said, they come in a pouch so they aren't in the beans at all unless you add them.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    a tablespoon of roasted almonds in canola and/or safflower oil can't be 80 calories, right?

    Why not? Oil is fat, fat is high calorie.
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
    A table spoon of olive oil has 120 calories.. So that could definitely add calories to the almonds because you do not know how much oil or salt they use on them. Maybe they add stuff to the beans as well... I really don't think green giant is lying to you lol.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    right, but even a tablespoon of roasted almonds in canola and/or safflower oil can't be 80 calories, right? As I said, they come in a pouch so they aren't in the beans at all unless you add them.

    Just randomly checking the database I see that 1 tbsp of DRY roasted almonds is 50 calories and 1 tsp of oil is 40 calories. .. It's totally possible.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    1 T of EVOO is 120 calories so yes, those almonds could be adding that much.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632 Member
    thanks for the replies. perhaps those little almond slices could be 80 calories. I actually emailed the company and asked, wonder if i will hear back, or if i do, they will probably just give me the standard total calories.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632 Member
    A table spoon of olive oil has 120 calories.. So that could definitely add calories to the almonds because you do not know how much oil or salt they use on them. Maybe they add stuff to the beans as well... I really don't think green giant is lying to you lol.

    you never know. i wonder how many miscalculations there are in labeled food we eat everyday.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632 Member
    One thing I have noticed is that a lot of the calorie information for frozen vegetables is for that amount frozen...cooked down, it would be far less volume. Thus, eating a cup cooked is more calories than eating a cup frozen (not that one would eat it frozen--but for measurement sake). I think that is part of my confusion. It still doesn't explain what canned vegetables are fewer calories. They have already been cooked. So when they say a cup is 40 calories...that is accurate. I am having a hard time finding a good calorie estimation for cooked or steamed french cut green beans.
  • lattarulol
    lattarulol Posts: 123 Member
    For looking things up I really like the website http://nutritiondata.self.com

    They have the calories for items uncooked, cooked, with salt, without, and at all different portion sizes. I tend to weigh my food raw and then add all the things i cooked it with separately.
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