What foods surprised you?

sjp_511
sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
edited November 4 in Food and Nutrition
This has probably been done before, but here we go...

When you started on this path of weight loss and logging calories, what foods surprised you as being far higher calorie than you assumed? Or far better for you than you initially thought?

One big surprise for me was tortillas. I had seen a lot of places advertising wraps as healthier alternatives to sandwiches, so I was surprised when I actually looked at the label of tortillas. They are almost as high in calorie as bread.

Another one - I made corn bread (from Jiffy mix) this weekend to go with chili. I didn't expect that it was a low calorie food by any means, but it was much higher calorie than I expected.
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Replies

  • fannyfrost
    fannyfrost Posts: 756 Member
    I had surprises in both directions. Its been a while, but some cookies aren't as high in calories as you would think. Also some veggies, or beans even were higher in calories than I thought they would be.

    I guess that is one of the reason we are overweight, not knowing how many calories are in some items.
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    I too was surprised by the calories in tortillas, and by the sodium.

    Most recently I was surprised by the calories in a single cordial cherry :sad:
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
    4 oz. of 2% milk is 65 calories. That kind of threw me for a loop!
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
    I also am surprised how many times the diet version of things aren't that much better (sometimes worse - depends on your measuring stick) for you than the regular. I see this mostly with string cheese, the diet-branded cookies, candies, and sweets (most of the time it is just smaller portions), and salad dressing.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    Milk! I used to regularly drink up to a quart a day.

    Also the sodium in olives and pickles.
  • Marcia315
    Marcia315 Posts: 460 Member
    The number of carbs in home made split pea soup.
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
    I always assumed rice was lower calorie than it actually is. I know a lot of skinny people that eat a lot of rice.
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    I was surprised at how low-calorie potatoes are ... it's what we DO to potatoes that makes them rich and calorific! They're pretty good nutrition on their own!
  • tubaman58
    tubaman58 Posts: 151
    I'm with you, tortillas!
  • staplebug
    staplebug Posts: 189
    Cheese. 110 calories in ONE OUNCE! If I could eliminate cheese entirely from my diet, I would lose weight so much faster.
  • climbing_trees
    climbing_trees Posts: 726 Member
    Less about the calories and more about the size, but this recently got me!

    Sweet potatoes! I usually try to buy the smallest ones from the grocery, and I would log them as a "medium" sweet potato. However, after I started weighing them, they were nearly three times the calories I thought they were ;__; I love you sweet potatoes~

    Also totally agree with you on the tortillas/wraps... grrr >___< and beans! So frustrating!

    Especially because on of my favorite foods is a sweet potato/black bean burrito!! Haha
  • InsanityForMe
    InsanityForMe Posts: 73 Member
    Muffins.. Always use to choose them instead of donuts.. but they have more calories.
  • tlravas
    tlravas Posts: 1
    Apples. Love them, but they have so much sugar in them.
  • bf43005
    bf43005 Posts: 287
    Bananas. I was shocked when I saw how high the calories were in this. I guess it was that mind set that if it's a fruit/veggie it must be little to no calories because it's good for you. Granted it's still good for you but I didn't expect over 100 calories.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    I am just surprised as the food industry and how they can get away with poisoning us with our food. The fact that they are allowed to put all the salt / sugar and chemicals in our food is scary. I really wish they would just leave our food alone .. but then they want us to become addicted, cause that means money in their pockets. Fast food is the same way and a major reason why we are all here.

    My franken food .. banana's, not so much the calories in them, but the carbs. I too thought they were healthy. There are way better low GI fruits.
  • margelizard
    margelizard Posts: 89 Member
    Nutella you sweet calorific bomb you! 2 tbsp is 200 cals....
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    Milk! I used to regularly drink up to a quart a day.

    Also the sodium in olives and pickles.

    I have to agree with the pickles.

    I also cannot believe how much sodium is in most foods.

    Sometimes when you measure out a snack it's a bit disappointing to see the small portion.
  • _db_
    _db_ Posts: 179 Member
    Chicken - a freaking amazing source of low-calorie protein

    Salmon, especially sushi - it's ridiculously tasty and just as healthy

    Beans - very high in carbs :-\

    Glutinous rice - 100% carbs. I can barely fit it into my diet.

    Nuts, especially macadamia - perfect way to get up to my daily fat intake

    Oat bran - really good source of fiber, even if it's a little high in carbs. just add milk and it's ready to eat in 5-10 minutes.

    Cocoa nibs - good source of three Fs - fats, fiber and feel-good.

    Bread - Holy crap this stuff is hard to fit into my macros; even the healthiest screw them up.

    Protein - who knew that all protein wasn't created equally? I didn't! But that just means it's another detail over which to obsess...

    Smoothies - it's really difficult to make a tasty one that isn't a huge chunk of my daily carb allotment. As far as I can tell, the smoothie is a way to get a sugar fix under the pretense of it being healthy, but maybe it's just difficult to fit into _my_ macros.

    Water - it really is the best drink. I was an energy-drink/juice/coffee/tea junkie who'd only drink water if there was nothing else available. Holy *kitten* I was an idiot.

    More stuff - must get back to work, though!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Honestly? Everything, lol! Fruit (except berries), pasta and sushi were the worst though.
  • jeansuza
    jeansuza Posts: 148 Member
    Pickles (not the bread and butter ones) : only 2 calories per slice!!! I now put 3 or 4 in my burger!

    Potatoes: to only eat half of it is a good sustainable option...

    Store muffins: 2 or 3 or 4x bigger than my homemade muffins. Now I even make 18 smaller ones with a recipe that was meant for 12.

    Banana: always buy the smallest and eat only half of it at a time.

    No smooties for me: too much liquid and carbs for me... Prefer SOLID food.

    So many others that do not come to my mind...like...

    Individually wrapped Lindt chocolate squares: only 30 cal. a piece!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    I am just surprised as the food industry and how they can get away with poisoning us with our food. The fact that they are allowed to put all the salt / sugar and chemicals in our food is scary. I really wish they would just leave our food alone .. but then they want us to become addicted, cause that means money in their pockets. Fast food is the same way and a major reason why we are all here.

    My franken food .. banana's, not so much the calories in them, but the carbs. I too thought they were healthy. There are way better low GI fruits.
    lolwut?
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Sweet potatoes. Wow.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    Avocados. I didn't realize how much fiber there is in them. There's something like 10 grams of fiber in an avocado. Now I try to eat an avocado at least once a week.
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    I am just surprised as the food industry and how they can get away with poisoning us with our food. The fact that they are allowed to put all the salt / sugar and chemicals in our food is scary. I really wish they would just leave our food alone .. but then they want us to become addicted, cause that means money in their pockets. Fast food is the same way and a major reason why we are all here.

    Poisoning us? Just leave us alone? Just don't buy the stuff you don't think is healthy. And I am not here because of fast food, I am here because of delicious crossaints, philly cheese steaks, tortilla chips + salsa + guac, and oh so tasty craft and microbrews (lots of them).

    What surprised me? Pizza and to a lesser degree Chinese food. Oh, I knew they were high calorie, but I really didn't get just how high some were.
  • ElizabethFuller
    ElizabethFuller Posts: 352 Member
    Definitely muffins for one, a nice, harmless blueberry muffin (one of my five a day you may think?), bought from the supermarket not a handmade artisan one (http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=273369554) and it had 455 calories. Faints in shock!! What?? It was four bites, almost 114 calories a bite! Even so, I do like a coffee and a muffin when I'm out shopping, the calories are offset by all the walking :wink:
  • stefsc1
    stefsc1 Posts: 77 Member
    It's been non-stop surprises for me! All the foods I'm trying to eat more of to be healthy have shockingly high calorie counts, like fruits and nuts. Potatoes! 100 calories for one dinky potato, are you serious? Eggs, too. About 60 of a large egg's 78 calories are all in the yolk.

    I was pleasantly surprised with tuna, however. 125 calories, with 35g of protein for a 5oz can. Lots of sodium, but right now it's looking like my lowest calorie option for a high protein intake.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I thought tonic water (I guess it was the water in the name) was zero calories until someone who knew I was trying lose weight informed me that it is 200 calories per 8 oz.:sad:

    The other is bacon. I didn't eat bacon for months thinking I was saving massive calories. At only 45 calories per slice, I am sure I could have worked in a few slices. :laugh:
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    Nutella you sweet calorific bomb you! 2 tbsp is 200 cals....

    THIS. Coupled with my coffee, an english muffin and yogurt and it's like a 700 calorie breakfast!! :grumble: :sad:

    Also, rice. I knew it was high in carbs but I was really surprised by how high the calories were for the serving size when I actually began measuring. Tortilla chips, cheese, milk (I measured out 8 oz the other night after a workout and was very sad at how small it was). And eggs. My normal breakfast consists of 2 at 170 calories but combined with the other things I eat/drink for breakfast it adds up fast!
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    flour.. wowza calories!!

    beer- light beer is generally only 10 or so calories less then regular.. so what is the point?
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    , I am here because of delicious crossaints, philly cheese steaks, tortilla chips + salsa + guac, and oh so tasty craft and microbrews (lots of them).

    What surprised me? Pizza and to a lesser degree Chinese food. Oh, I knew they were high calorie, but I really didn't get just how high some were.

    Well hello there... that sound like an awesome night out.. LOL
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