Post 'em here. All those disappointing meals you thought were healthy but are really high calorie

Granola cereal. Especially when the serving size in cups is out of whack with the serving size in grams.

tmoneyag99 wrote: »

Salad from the cafeteria next door. 700 kCals. That's not depressing.

1 cup, Spinach - Raw
0.25 cup sliced, Bell Pepper, Red
3 ounce, Cucumber
1 ounces, Shredded
1 oz(s), Cheese, feta
0.25 cup, Chopped Fresh Tomatoes
0.06 cup, Sliced Almonds
0.25 cup(s), Chickpeas
1 egg, Hard Boiled - Large
.25 cup Chopped grilled chicken.
0.25 cup(s), Balsamic Vinaigrette

my problem with posts like this is that "healthy" is such a vague term - how do you define healthy? I can have high calorie "healthy" food and low-calorie "healthy" food

deannalfisher wrote: »

tmoneyag99 wrote: »

Salad from the cafeteria next door. 700 kCals. That's not depressing.

1 cup, Spinach - Raw
0.25 cup sliced, Bell Pepper, Red
3 ounce, Cucumber
1 ounces, Shredded
1 oz(s), Cheese, feta
0.25 cup, Chopped Fresh Tomatoes
0.06 cup, Sliced Almonds
0.25 cup(s), Chickpeas
1 egg, Hard Boiled - Large
.25 cup Chopped grilled chicken.
0.25 cup(s), Balsamic Vinaigrette

my problem with posts like this is that "healthy" is such a vague term - how do you define healthy? I can have high calorie "healthy" food and low-calorie "healthy" food

Yeah, I consider avocado and almonds to be healthy foods (in that they're nutrient-rich), but they're also calorie-dense. The two qualities can overlap quite easily.

Having a high amount of calories doesn't mean something isn't healthy

OKAY OKAY

The thread is "what food blew your mind in terms of calories, when you were expecting something significantly lower?"

Gosh, got the thread police out in full force today. I think this is a great idea!

I'm always irritated at cheese. Doesn't matter what kind of cheese.... I want THE BAG and a serving is LOOKING at the bag.

tmoneyag99 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

tmoneyag99 wrote: »

Salad from the cafeteria next door. 700 kCals. That's not depressing.

1 cup, Spinach - Raw
0.25 cup sliced, Bell Pepper, Red
3 ounce, Cucumber
1 ounces, Shredded
1 oz(s), Cheese, feta
0.25 cup, Chopped Fresh Tomatoes
0.06 cup, Sliced Almonds
0.25 cup(s), Chickpeas
1 egg, Hard Boiled - Large
.25 cup Chopped grilled chicken.
0.25 cup(s), Balsamic Vinaigrette

my problem with posts like this is that "healthy" is such a vague term - how do you define healthy? I can have high calorie "healthy" food and low-calorie "healthy" food

Yeah, I consider avocado and almonds to be healthy foods (in that they're nutrient-rich), but they're also calorie-dense. The two qualities can overlap quite easily.

We all know this. But the thing is we are here to lose weight. Many of us are obese. So Healthy and low cal kind of go hand in hand. I can't eat 3 avocados and be healthy. There comes a point when the cummulative number of calories in a dish/food/diet whatever outweighs it's healthfulness. That's what we are posting here. Dishes/meals where nutritional benefit is exceed by the calorie density.

I don't think anybody is suggesting that you should eat three avocados. The truth is that, for many people, reasonably sized servings of calorie-dense foods can fit into their calorie goals, help them meet their nutritional needs, and make hitting a calorie goal a lot more enjoyable.

The point made by @deannalfisher is that "healthy" can be a pretty vague term and I agree with that. I understand what you're getting at with the OP and the distinction may be clear for you, but we tend to see lots of posts here from people saying "I thought [x] was healthy, but it actually has a lot of calories" so I think it's worth discussing that something can be healthy and have a lot of calories -- these are not mutually exclusive states.

Cactus Club: 9 butter nut squash raviolis with 8 prawns and pine nuts 980 calories.
Must be the butter sauce and the squash being filled with cream or something, jebus total sadpants.

Also Chilis Quesadilla Explosion salad 1430 calories

I used to think I could eat as much pasta as I wanted because it's low-fat.
Uhhhh......

kristen8000 wrote: »

All salads at any restaurant - don't even look at them anymore.

What suprised me the most recently was Buffalo Wild Wings WHOLE menu. Recently they were required to put the calorie count on everything, which made it easier know what to avoid, but I had a hard time getting out of there under 500 calories.

My BF and I made a pact that we split meals at restaurants now - so we can have what we want and still not over eat. It's really surprising just HOW much food you get in 1 meal. Sometimes now, we don't even finish one.

Our family does something similar! No appetizers, my husband and 7yo share a meal, I share a meal with our 3yo and 2yo, and no desserts. Saves calories AND money!