Sneaky Foods

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meyowtime
meyowtime Posts: 42 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Since I've been tracking more lately, I've been shocked to learn about the actual calories involved in eating what I perceive to be healthier foods. For instance - today a yogurt parfait, egg beaters, turkey bacon and a apple bran muffin ended up being almost 1000 calories. Grr. Anyone else have this experience? What are the foods you avoid now?
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  • Dedulaney
    Dedulaney Posts: 31 Member
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    For me it's been the surprise in the amount of servings. Something I don't think is very much and should be healthy ended up being 2 or 3 servings. It racks up fast! Muffins are actually one of those things I avoid eating a lot of the time with the hidden amounts stuffed in them. Also gotta moderate the amount of nuts. As healthy as they are, just a small handful of cashews can be near 200 calories.
  • meyowtime
    meyowtime Posts: 42 Member
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    200 calories? That's nuts! :-)
  • CindyMarcuzAdams
    CindyMarcuzAdams Posts: 4,006 Member
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    Cheese, I am a cheese hound. I love love love it. To weigh out one ounce was a real eye opener. I would eat an ounce while cutting my other serving...huge...of cheesey goodness. Now I rarely eat it. I find its not worth the calories. I did find 60 calorie cheese strings that taste pretty good. I also have found old lite cheddar. So my cheese loving days are now over. I will have to get by on just liking it from now on...sigh...
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
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    Those 'whole grain' herb crackers/pita chips are a lie!! I was craving something crunchy/salty and I'd usually go for potato chips, but I wanted a better 'replacement' - there's pretty much the exact same amount of calories per ounce (14-16 crackers/chips) in those things! I ended up being able to squeeze them into my daily allowance, but 1-2 oz of food really isn't a fulfilling snack for a grown person IMO.

    But on the opposite scenario, I've had things that are lower in calories than I expected, too. I got some Philly Cream Cheese (chocolate flavoured) and figured it'd be REALLY decadent and therefore high in calories - but it only had 100 calories per two tablespoons! Compared to 190 for two tablespoons of peanut butter, and 230 for hazelnut spread! I am very happy to make that delicious switch :)
  • meyowtime
    meyowtime Posts: 42 Member
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    That's great to hear about cream cheese! I didn't even notice that. Cheese overall is a slippery slope. I do love mozzarella though. Speaking of which, anyone else been shocked at the calorie "cost" of pizza?
  • jsalzat
    jsalzat Posts: 225 Member
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    Candy has been the worst sneaky food for me! I'd grab a few pieces out of the candy jar at work thinking it'd be harmless and then when I'd go to log it realize I'd eaten a whole meal's worth of calories :embarassed:
  • Remmykins
    Remmykins Posts: 14
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    I had the candy problem too long ago. I found Japanese candy has less calories. I had 7 pieces of Hichew and learned that 8 pieces is only 180. Ohmnom. I did however, learn the dark secret of pancakes today... So... no more of those!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    The calories in a muffin blows my mind. It's like magic, as soon as it gets made into a muffin, its calories double.

    Candy gets me too, a couple jelly lollies and wham - there goes my surplus for the day!

    Coffee - even a skinny latte can set me back a large amount of calories - I've learned to drink it black or with just a dash of milk.

    Pasta. So easy to consume an epic amount of calories - I mix it half half with steamed veg now to bulk it out.

    EDIT to add: I don't avoid any of these things (except the coffee, and that's mostly because I don't like it well enough to spend the calories), I just make them fit in my day or don't eat so much of them.
  • Nikkisfitblog
    Nikkisfitblog Posts: 149 Member
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    Pretty sure the point of MFP is not avoid foods because of their calories but to include them in your daily goals?
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,361 Member
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    Restaurant salads! It's the cheese, croutons, fruit, meat! My favorite salad -- Pecan Crusted Chicken Tender Salad at O'Charley's -- is 1420 with the Balsamic Vinigrette. I used to eat it all the time! Along with a couple of their rolls at 130 each! Even when I get a side salad now, I always ask for no croutons, no cheese. Just the veggies. Dressing on the side and I dip the tines of my fork in the dressing and then stab a bite.
  • FeraFilia
    FeraFilia Posts: 4,664 Member
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    But on the opposite scenario, I've had things that are lower in calories than I expected, too. I got some Philly Cream Cheese (chocolate flavoured) and figured it'd be REALLY decadent and therefore high in calories - but it only had 100 calories per two tablespoons! Compared to 190 for two tablespoons of peanut butter, and 230 for hazelnut spread! I am very happy to make that delicious switch :)

    Sounds yummy. I'll have to try it.

    For me, it was peanut butter. I didn't realize how much was a tablespoon, and I'd eat big spoonfuls right out of the jar as a snack.

    Then I got a food scale. I still eat peanut butter, but I weigh it every time.
  • chunt87
    chunt87 Posts: 161 Member
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    But on the opposite scenario, I've had things that are lower in calories than I expected, too. I got some Philly Cream Cheese (chocolate flavoured) and figured it'd be REALLY decadent and therefore high in calories - but it only had 100 calories per two tablespoons! Compared to 190 for two tablespoons of peanut butter, and 230 for hazelnut spread! I am very happy to make that delicious switch :)

    Sounds yummy. I'll have to try it.

    For me, it was peanut butter. I didn't realize how much was a tablespoon, and I'd eat big spoonfuls right out of the jar as a snack.

    Then I got a food scale. I still eat peanut butter, but I weigh it every time.

    Peanut butter got me too until I got a food scale, and this will sound strange but vegetables and fruits. Believe it or not the standard medium sweet potato doesn't seem to exist in the grocery store and neither does an acorn squash, or banana for that matter. The sweet potatoes I was eating would be about 2 servings if I looked at it and thought it was medium and the ones I perceived to be small were about 1.5. Nuts were a big thing too. Man I love that food scale after getting it.
  • ruthejp13
    ruthejp13 Posts: 213 Member
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    I make my own pizza. I don't know how it is physically possible to gain 7 pounds after eating a couple pieces of restaurant pizza. Oh, everyone says its the water retention. But for some reason, I never drop all the restaurant pizza weight afterwards. First you have the high-glycemic crust. Then the sauce is loaded with sugar. Cheese is probably mozzarella, Parmesan and something else too. The sausage has corn syrup solids and fat. It's a recipe for weight loss disaster.

    I use a whole wheat tortilla and spread tomato paste on it. Then tons of spices, a little reduced fat mozzarella and more veggies than you think it can hold. It helps cure the cravings without adding the pounds.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I don't avoid anything. I just weigh it all to make sure I have the proper serving sizes. (My biggest surprise was cereal serving sizes.)
  • squishycatmew
    squishycatmew Posts: 151 Member
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    I was actually kind of surprised at how much more an actual serving of peanut butter or nutella is than the amount that I put on a piece of toast. I usually weigh out the equivalent of a tablespoon and that's about as much as I used to put on without measuring (or course, that doesn't count what I would eat out of the jar…)

    Pasta was one on the worst - cheese I was actually kind of surprised, again, at how much larger an ounce was than I thought. Still less than I would like to eat sometimes, but certainly enough for a sandwich.
  • thyella
    thyella Posts: 21 Member
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    I am starting on a 20 gram a day carbohydrate limit. You can deduct your fiber from your carbs. Trouble is many foods I consider healthily and low cal or full of carbs. No yogurt even non-fat, no cottage cheese, limited fresh fruit to start. Lots of vegetables, believe it or not fat is kind of ok. Hamburger no bun, topped with spinach, mayo (yes a couple tsp of mayo, cheese another thing that is ok, onion, pickle, just no carb. Chicken salad with mayo again (not drenched) cucumber, celery, onion on a bed of lettuce. Almost eat things you would never eat. I come 200 to 500 calories below what is in my program but won't lose a pound if there are carbs in those calories. Good luck and hang tough.
  • tierra85
    tierra85 Posts: 300 Member
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    Speaking of sneaky foods, anything Monsanto touches. And no GMO label requirements? And why are we still putting high fructose corn syrup in everything!? I don't avoid any foods due to calorie content, i just portion them now. The foods i do avoid now are a result of reading labels for so many years. Mainly stick to the farmers market or outside perimeter at the grocery store.
  • Dedulaney
    Dedulaney Posts: 31 Member
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    I also get amazed at restaurants and their versions of things that are commonly healthier. Balsamic vinaigrette in my fridge? 20 cals a serving. Same kind of dressing at a local restaurant? 150 cals a serving. I've gotten to where I pretty much look up everything possible.
  • anna_toffee
    anna_toffee Posts: 31 Member
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    i find bread excessively caloried. like, a bread roll in the UK, depending on the size, can stack up about 250cal. i'd so much rather get that from lean chicken or fish! D:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Cheese, I am a cheese hound. I love love love it. To weigh out one ounce was a real eye opener. I would eat an ounce while cutting my other serving...huge...of cheesey goodness. Now I rarely eat it. I find its not worth the calories. I did find 60 calorie cheese strings that taste pretty good. I also have found old lite cheddar. So my cheese loving days are now over. I will have to get by on just liking it from now on...sigh...

    i eat reduced fat cheddar cheese - its almost as yummy... i save the good stuff for special occassions!

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