Do you count calories in vegetables or is there no point?

ItalianChick90
ItalianChick90 Posts: 34 Member
edited May 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
What is your opinion of vegetables and calorie counting? Do you do it or is it not important enough? I was once told veggies are a "free" food so I'm asking whether I should count them or not.
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Replies

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I count everything I put in my mouth..... Giggity.
  • Chewitz
    Chewitz Posts: 217 Member
    Yes weigh them on a scale and log in the calories :)
  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    You have to count them.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I count everything.

    Veggies have calories and besides counting them is a good way to keep track of how many you are eating and encourage yourself to eat more if you aren't eating enough. For me logging is about seeing and understanding my overall diet.
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
    I think that was a WW thing as long as you ate just plain veggies but as soon as you combined or added anything the points added up quickly. You would be surprised how many calories are in those freebies.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Why would you not count them?

    Vegetables contain calories. Sure they are less calorie dense than say a t-bone steak but they still have calories nonetheless. Getting in the mindset that a certain food is a "free" food because it is more nutritious than another food will do nothing but set you up for failure. For something like this to work you have to hold yourself accountable for everything that crosses your lips, low calorie or not.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Yep it was a WW thing and this isnt WW. It has calories and if you eat enough then vegetables can add up tp hundreds of calories, so you should count them. If you dont count them then you arent calorie counting are you.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I log my food not just to count calories but to monitor my nutrients. I count everything.
  • mk2fit
    mk2fit Posts: 730 Member
    Yep, count 'em.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Vegetable have calories. If you are doing calorie counting then you should count them.

    Having said that, if you miss counting the calories of a couple of lettuce leaves it isn't going to impact your total much compared to missing an avocado.
  • mch2829
    mch2829 Posts: 70 Member
    A can of plain pinto beans with no seasoning has more calories than a McDouble from McDonalds. I don't know why you wouldn't count that.
  • tiffanybrooks530
    tiffanybrooks530 Posts: 140 Member
    edited May 2015
    randomtai wrote: »
    I count everything I put in my mouth..... Giggity.

    :D lol

    and yes i count vegetables since I want to keep track of calories and nutrients.
  • fswku
    fswku Posts: 19 Member
    Everything has calories. Therefore, everything gets counted.

    There is no such thing as a freebie or "negative calories." Plus, some fruits and vegetables contain a startling amount of sugar, so you want that counted as well.
  • Whittedo
    Whittedo Posts: 352 Member
    If logging vegetables wasn't important there would be no reason for vegans to be on MFP. As a matter of fact there would be no overweight vegans.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Vegetables have calories. 100 grams is a common veggie serving. Go into your diary and log 500 grams of a veggie (5 servings a day x 100 g.) Look at the total calories. See how many calories you'd be underestimating your calorie intake by each day?
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    The Weight Watchers point system is designed so that it sort of accounts for the calories in the vegetables by coming in low on the calories it allows you in points.

    MFP isn't designed that way. Here, you're counting every calorie, so YES... log and count your veggies.
  • Childfree1991
    Childfree1991 Posts: 145 Member
    randomtai wrote: »
    I count everything I put in my mouth..... Giggity.

    Oh gosh, lol.

  • MiloBloom83
    MiloBloom83 Posts: 2,724 Member
    randomtai wrote: »
    I count everything I put in my mouth..... Giggity.

    Hopefully, you are hitting your protein macro....

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    MiloBloom83 wrote: »
    randomtai wrote: »
    I count everything I put in my mouth..... Giggity.

    Hopefully, you are hitting your protein macro....

    Always... a little pineapple juice and I hit my carb macros too. :)
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    I log them. I don't see why not. It is not only the calories that count IMO it is also about having a healthy ration on macro. Plus not all vegetables are created equal.
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  • BicepsAndBows
    BicepsAndBows Posts: 197 Member
    There is no such thing as "free foods" or foods that don't count. All foods have calories. I log every thing I put into my mouth, veggies included. If you are truly looking to lose weight, you have to measure/weigh and log everything!
  • kpkitten
    kpkitten Posts: 164 Member
    I don't always log them, but if it's a new vegetable, or I'm tight on calories, I will.

    If it's a Sunday roast I'll always weigh and log my roasties and parsnips, but don't often bother with carrots/leeks/cauli etc. because it's barely 30 calories per serving, and I usually end up with a LOT of extra calories from work anyway.
    But something like tomatoes, root veg or other higher calorie (for vegetables!!) things I will log, and I always log veg when I think I might go over my daily goal slightly.
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
    Yep, I absolutely count them.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I log everything including vegetables... But with vegetables I'm definitely more relaxed about weighing. I hardly ever weigh vegetables and I'm still losing so I'll take it.
  • JillianRN527
    JillianRN527 Posts: 109 Member
    I even logged the half of stalk of celery I mixed in my tuna. I do not however account for the pinch of dill I put in there. I leave 50 calories a day for sessions set aside.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Yes I do and I'm baffled how other people don't. I eat 300-800 calories a day in vegetables so not counting them would wipe out my deficit.
  • K_saine
    K_saine Posts: 58 Member
    I count them because they are still calories and even eating too many vegetables can cause weight gain
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Yes I do and I'm baffled how other people don't. I eat 300-800 calories a day in vegetables so not counting them would wipe out my deficit.

    Snap, they make up most of my diet!
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    The only vegetables I don't weigh with the scale is the leafy greens I use for salad as a serving size is much less than the two big handfuls I eat. I still enter it in my diary as a single serving though.

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