Annoyingly high calorie counts

robm1brown
robm1brown Posts: 71 Member
edited November 20 in Food and Nutrition
I was a grumpy boy when I found out that these pitta breads had more calories than 2 slices of this white bread. So basically my buying of a healthy option is costing me more calories than if I had just had a sandwich.

https://groceries.morrisons.com/webshop/product/Morrisons-Wholemeal-Pittas/121713011?from=search&tags=|105651&param=wholemeal+pitta&parentContainer=SEARCHwholemeal+pitta_SHELFVIEW

https://groceries.morrisons.com/webshop/product/Warburtons-White-Toastie-Loaf/212268011?from=search&tags=|105651&param=toastie+bread&parentContainer=SEARCHtoastie+bread_SHELFVIEW

Does anyone have any other foods that they were suprised were so calorific.

Replies

  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    bagels
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
    I check nutrients on packaging before I buy anything.. But like Run said, healthy and low cal aren't the same. Olive oil for example.. very healthy.. very high calorie. Or real butter vs that fake crap.. Calories or preservatives??? Hmmm
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
    Nuts
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    15kcal difference - that is negligible - like less than 4g carbs - I probably have that in my daily fluff on logging
  • skymningen
    skymningen Posts: 532 Member
    Whole grain stuff has more calories than white flour/normal stuff in general (it seems to me from substituting some for the fiber and also taste).
  • robm1brown
    robm1brown Posts: 71 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    15kcal difference - that is negligible - like less than 4g carbs - I probably have that in my daily fluff on logging

    Yeah but I would have far preferred the bread.
  • robm1brown
    robm1brown Posts: 71 Member
    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    Other than the additional fiber (which keeps me fuller and which I would take a higher calorie hit for), I'm not sure what made you think the pita was healthier.

    Think the 'wholemeal' aspect helped, also the smaller volume, also I suppose the fact the pictures you see of pittas always full of salad (I am aware of how illogical that is).
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    I check nutrients on packaging before I buy anything.. But like Run said, healthy and low cal aren't the same. Olive oil for example.. very healthy.. very high calorie. Or real butter vs that fake crap.. Calories or preservatives??? Hmmm

    Wasn't there buzz a while back that olive oil isn't necessarily 'healthy'? It might be healthier than other alternatives but 'healthier' does not mean 'healthy'.

    Now my interest in piqued, I wonder what ever came of that?
  • robm1brown
    robm1brown Posts: 71 Member
    It's very high calorie as all oils are. Seeing as much of the western wold has an obesity problem there was a rail against it for a while. Some people do seem to down the stuff like it's lager.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I'm curious, why is pita bread healthier? It's mainly flour and water, just like any generic bread. Pita bread has a bit of oil in it, so it's a bit higher in calories, but the difference is not really that meaningful, at least to me. Here it's less than a 10 calorie difference per 100 grams and I don't consume 100 grams at once, so it's negligible. Even if I did consume 100 grams, 10 calories is nothing.

    Just eat what you like. I always eat pita because it's cheaper and has more surface for all the tasty things I put in it.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I'm curious, why is pita bread healthier? It's mainly flour and water, just like any generic bread. Pita bread has a bit of oil in it, so it's a bit higher in calories, but the difference is not really that meaningful, at least to me. Here it's less than a 10 calorie difference per 100 grams and I don't consume 100 grams at once, so it's negligible. Even if I did consume 100 grams, 10 calories is nothing.

    Just eat what you like. I always eat pita because it's cheaper and has more surface for all the tasty things I put in it.
    I think it's purely a perception thing. Pita bread tends to be a little thinner than regular bread. Therefore, people assume it has less calories in it because it's not as thick. I've seen people think the same about tortillas because they are flat.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,232 Member
    Pita has been peddled as the 'healthy' choice (not saying it's not healthy), and I can see how it sticks in people's minds as the lower calorie option. Personally, my mum used to put pita pocket sandwiches in my lunch and I hated them, horrid, dry, ripping things. i don't mind them as a pizza base, but that's it.

    My sad calorie bombs? Muffins. Those delicious, fluffy tasty nubbins of magical calories.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    That's because you're comparing it to the slices of a 400g loaf! I use pitta bread instead of two slices of bread sometimes, and it does save me calories- compared to full-size slices!

    This is the nutritional information for Warburtons White Toastie, 800g.

    wdbj7bvbhhe3.png
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    edited August 2017
    robm1brown wrote: »
    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    Other than the additional fiber (which keeps me fuller and which I would take a higher calorie hit for), I'm not sure what made you think the pita was healthier.

    Think the 'wholemeal' aspect helped, also the smaller volume, also I suppose the fact the pictures you see of pittas always full of salad (I am aware of how illogical that is).

    Overall, it's not particularly illogical. 100g by 100g, it's all bread, and comes in at fairly similar calorie counts. But satisfaction after a meal is partially psychological, so it's easier to adhere to a plan that incorporates bread sold in smaller serving sizes than a plan to eat half a slice less of sandwich.

    Buying 400g loaves doesn't work for me, because I can see the slices are smaller and will just feel deprived, but buying pitta bread does.

    And if the advertising imagery inspires you to fill your pitta with far more salad than you would have placed in your normal sandwich, then it's all Double-Plus-Good!

    It has that effect on me, actually.
  • Sunna_W
    Sunna_W Posts: 744 Member
    edited August 2017
    Flour tortillas are like pita in that respect. Depending on where you buy them they are a "healthier" option in that both are "quick breads" and often do not contain preservatives. I have a Mediterranean bakery near me that makes the pitas fresh every morning. Often they are still warm in the bag when I go get them. Full of chewy goodness! We also have a Wegman's that makes flour and corn tortillas right in front of you. They are amazing. Neither are lower in calorie than bread, unfortunately. I tend to eat my pitas with hummus and tabbouleh -- also not known for being low in calories....
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    Pita for pizza crusts. An idea I will put to use for life. Thanx alata.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I guess because I grew up with it, and the word "bread" automatically brings images of "pita bread" in my head I don't see it as anything special or have imagery of salad and whatnot, so it was a bit interesting to hear that it's associated with healthy eating in some parts of the world. The world is an intriguing place.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I guess because I grew up with it, and the word "bread" automatically brings images of "pita bread" in my head I don't see it as anything special or have imagery of salad and whatnot, so it was a bit interesting to hear that it's associated with healthy eating in some parts of the world. The world is an intriguing place.
    It might just be a UK thing. The same perception applies to wraps. Mostly, it's the contents that are different. If, for example, Joe Smith's idea of a Proper Sandwich is bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato in between two slices of wholemeal bread, but he also enjoys a lunch of a mountain of salad, provided it's in a wrap... Well, it's not the calorie count of the bread that's the crucial difference, is it.


  • mskimee
    mskimee Posts: 228 Member
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I'm curious, why is pita bread healthier? It's mainly flour and water, just like any generic bread. Pita bread has a bit of oil in it, so it's a bit higher in calories, but the difference is not really that meaningful, at least to me. Here it's less than a 10 calorie difference per 100 grams and I don't consume 100 grams at once, so it's negligible. Even if I did consume 100 grams, 10 calories is nothing.

    Just eat what you like. I always eat pita because it's cheaper and has more surface for all the tasty things I put in it.
    I think it's purely a perception thing. Pita bread tends to be a little thinner than regular bread. Therefore, people assume it has less calories in it because it's not as thick. I've seen people think the same about tortillas because they are flat.

    I see a lot of places market Wraps as 'healthy alternative' to plain white bread, but often they are still huge in calories and everything so you can end up having a much higher calorie lunch than you plan. I think a lot of people jump on the 'health' bandwagon and think 'healthy' means low calorie. Perfect example is the amount of ladies I see regularly eating protein bars for lunch and think they are a low fat option (an actual conversation I had with a lot of woman when I use to sell these in a gym) or a 'healthy' meal replacement.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Pita bread back in the late 1970s/early 1980s was touted as being healthier when it was a bit of a novelty in the American bread aisle. Probrably because it was a thin bread rather than a big sub/hoagie/grinder roll for sandwiches.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    On tortillas, wraps, and flatbreads:

    One thing I discovered is that these breads can all look similiar, but vary enormously in nutrition and calories. There are some wraps that are surprisingly high fiber, high protein and/or low calorie. And then there are wraps that are pretty much equivalent to regular sliced bread.

    And oddly enough, it is not always the expensive brand.
  • tarun_yadavA
    tarun_yadavA Posts: 1,375 Member
    Oil - even just a teaspoon to sautee veggies;

    Avocado - uber healthy hipster food but high in cals;

    Jacobs Cream Crackers ... now switched to Nairns oatcakes
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Obviously desserts etc.

    But wraps. I mean, the 'healthy' option in restaurants is often a wrap... but the wrap itself can be 250 calories! Obviously I'm not talking about those high protein/fiber wraps that you find in stores though but I highly doubt that it's the kind that restaurants use.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    The official Weight Watchers High Protein wraps are good.
  • robm1brown
    robm1brown Posts: 71 Member
    I wouldn't get through a large loaf before it moulds I used the small loaves before the diet because I live on my own. I like wraps but tend to put cooked food in them like spiced chicken or chilli con carne so it isn't as salady as the perceived pitta is. I think it was memories of mother putting salad vegetables in pittas for my lunch at school (I was trying to lose weight even then) that gives it that impression for me.

    I am actually finding the calories easy at the moment (have 1300 calories still to use today that I need to find from somewhere) but all my favourite foods seem to be salty: olives, smoked salmon, prepared meats...
  • CoueCoue
    CoueCoue Posts: 69 Member
    Wraps.
    They're so THIN...but calorie-wise, you might as well just have a sandwich with white sliced. :)
  • CoueCoue
    CoueCoue Posts: 69 Member
    Oh sorry. Posted this ^^^ before realising peeps had already mentioned them :#
  • MsHarryWinston
    MsHarryWinston Posts: 1,027 Member
    I actually prefer wraps to bread even though the calorie count can easily be the same or higher. I just put more STUFF in a wrap than I do a sandwich. So something in a wrap becomes a huge full meal for me because there is usually warm steak, mushrooms, spinach inside, etc.
    But a sandwich would be a small square with some cheese and maybe some sandwich meat. I just don't put in the same effort so to me it's not worth the calories, I would still be hungry after.

    I can't actually think of anything at the moment with an annoyingly high calorie count other than bread really. And that's mostly the perception of worth to me.
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