Have certain foods ever surprised you with their calorie content? Good or bad?

brightsideofpink
brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
edited October 2014 in Food and Nutrition
I've been logging calories now since May. Not forever but enough that not many things surprise me anymore. There are a few though that recently have jumped out at me, good and bad. Most recently its finding things lower than expected. It makes me want to add a buffer in because they can't possibly be accurate right?

Recently: A giant 1/4 lb hot dog and bun from the food court at Costco for only 560 calories? Sure I guess its a lot, but I recently had half without pre-logging it and thought I'd have to come home and do some serious workouts to make up for it. I was shocked when I realized my very filling haul came to less than 300 calories.

Anything else seem higher or lower than you would have initially guessed?
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Replies

  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    I LOVE the Bloomin' Onion at the Outback... but was not happy to find that one of them has around 1,200 calories. Grrrr......
  • Basilin
    Basilin Posts: 360 Member
    Chicken skin.
  • RunningMyPugandPapi
    RunningMyPugandPapi Posts: 26 Member
    The tortilla at Chipotle adds like 300 calories! I very rarely go, but when I do I get the bowls now (which, actually, have around 400-700 calories, depending what you get (the lower end if you stay away from the cheese/sour cream/guacamole).
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    cucumbers and celery surprised me with their low calories.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Pickles. Jar says 0 cals. :)
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    I had a cookie last week that was 630 calories. FOR ONE COOKIE. (Ok, it was huge, but I was still only expecting about 350 calories).
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    Subway sandwiches.

    To be honest, it makes sense that the bread has a lot of calories but... 650+ depending on what you choose for a 12 inch? :/

    At least I did my research first so I could make the best decision there but still! I'd want a sandwich for less!
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    deluxmary2000 wrote: »
    I had a cookie last week that was 630 calories. FOR ONE COOKIE. (Ok, it was huge, but I was still only expecting about 350 calories).

    I had a small cookie once. Got home, looked it up online. And it was about 500. I don't remember the brand. It was good, though. So worth the 500, I suppose.
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    Oh, I remembered just now. About two weeks ago, went to iHop. Got a sandwich. Got home, plugged it into MFP. 1,200 calories for one sandwich. There wasn't even much on it. I only had half, so it was like 600 for half. Still seems a lot considering there awsn't much on it at all. I figure it was the oil it was cooked in. It was good, though.
  • Winterlover123
    Winterlover123 Posts: 352 Member
    Most baked goods. I can't believe how much I was guilty eating before. "just one cookie" yea, for a lot of cals!
  • stillnot2late
    stillnot2late Posts: 385 Member
    Legumes all of my life - as much as I want. Until I started logging, I didn't know how high they were in calories, and I add rice to mine. Had to cut my servings in half after 60 years of eating what I wanted.
  • BigSpoonSA
    BigSpoonSA Posts: 38 Member
    Almonds were a big surprise. One small tin I'd eat in a sitting was almost a thousand calories.
  • nessab70
    nessab70 Posts: 47 Member
    Kebabs was so shocked when I had one and came home and logged to find out how many calories and fat grams were in it
  • rivka_m
    rivka_m Posts: 1,007 Member
    Homemade stew. If I don't make dumplings it's only about 200 cal/serving. For some reason I thought it would be much higher (maybe because it uses flour and milk to thicken?).
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Breakfast cereal. Not so much the calorie count itself, but the calories to serving size ratio.
  • catb58
    catb58 Posts: 239 Member
    Caesar salad....with chicken. Not sure where those nasty little buggers are hidden, but it always comes up to about triple the calories I think it should be!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    catb58 wrote: »
    Caesar salad....with chicken. Not sure where those nasty little buggers are hidden, but it always comes up to about triple the calories I think it should be!

    Most salads, tbh, were kind surprising to me. In a lot of restaurants you're better off with a burger than a salad.
  • hpaschetag
    hpaschetag Posts: 14 Member
    avocado - I know they are good for you, but at 322 per avocado, ouch
  • FatOldBat
    FatOldBat Posts: 3,307 Member
    Flour, plain old all-purpose flour about 460 calories per cup! Certainly changed my whole outlook on bread, cereals, crackers and whatnot. However, at the overripe age of 60, it's still a challenge for me to find satiatian with a pile of kale.
  • FatOldBat
    FatOldBat Posts: 3,307 Member
    catb58 wrote: »
    Caesar salad....with chicken. Not sure where those nasty little buggers are hidden, but it always comes up to about triple the calories I think it should be!

    It's the dressing, the delicious dressing containing olive oil, egg yolk and loads of parmesan cheese, oh, and those fabulous croutons deep-fried, usually, in restaurants. Welcome to Calorie City!
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,847 Member
    Months ago, Target was doing samples of one bite cupcakes. Popped ine down, later check: 180 cals! It was one bite!
  • ShortMrsN
    ShortMrsN Posts: 177 Member
    When I first started logging (on my old account) I nearly died when I found out the calorie count of Couscous :( I love it, and was making big roast vege or fresh vege salads with it and having them for lunch everyday.....until I started logging!!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    nicsflyingcircus wrote: »
    Months ago, Target was doing samples of one bite cupcakes. Popped ine down, later check: 180 cals! It was one bite!

    Haha yeah. Those mini 2 bites pies from Trader Joe's... 170 calories.

    For me it's just been sweets, pretty much. So many calories for something that doesn't fill you up at all :( Except caramels, which I really expected to have way more calories than they do.
  • 13bbird13
    13bbird13 Posts: 425 Member
    Soft pretzels at 400 calories each. Auugghhh!!! I'd have to give up a meal to eat one... so I don't.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    FatOldBat wrote: »
    Flour, plain old all-purpose flour about 460 calories per cup! Certainly changed my whole outlook on bread, cereals, crackers and whatnot. However, at the overripe age of 60, it's still a challenge for me to find satiatian with a pile of kale.

    LOL @ kale and at the "overripe" old age of 63, I totally agree. I was pretty surprised by serving sizes and calories in general when I began on MFP 31 months ago. Nothing much surprises me anymore after over 2-1/2 years on MFP and reading labels. But, I am still constantly putting things back on the shelf because of calorie content. It takes me a lot longer to grocery shop now.
  • habit365
    habit365 Posts: 174
    I was pleasantly surprised at how much cheese 1 oz. seems like when it's shredded over something vs. just nibbling on a 1 oz. hunk o'cheese.
  • jvs125
    jvs125 Posts: 223 Member
    Yup, this morning! I made up this recipe for homemade nutella with only good for you ingredients. I thought it would still be super high in calories, but only 42cal per tablespoon!! Yay!!
  • get_it_grrl
    get_it_grrl Posts: 4
    I was shocked to find how many calories are in my delicious coffee creamer. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT IT??? :neutral_face:
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Watermelon. Who knew an extra sweet treat, and a fruit, has so few calories?
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
    I had a sandwich at Denny's a couple months ago it was pretty simple turkey and bacon with spinach and a sundried tomato mayo type sauce. 720 calories for a tiny sandwich. I was so sad afterward, becasue I was still hungry, but had no calories left for dinner. Since then, unless it is a cheat day, I always go online first to find out nutrition before ordering. But the calories for veggies also surprised me in the begining, so much food for so few calories

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