Wow... That had how many calories?!!?

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Replies

  • elsie6hickman
    elsie6hickman Posts: 3,864 Member
    edited September 2018
    I got a bottle of Clearly Canadian Blackberry water and after I drank it noticed it had 80 calories. When my husband and I went to meet with the Registered Dietician, she gave us a handbook of the calories for a lot of Fast and Semi-fast food restaurants. It was eye opening and even things that sounded like they might be healthy had sky high calories, fat and sodium. I've never been much of a FF eater, but at least once a week, I meet a friend for lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. I limit myself to the Garden Bar (and skip all the high calorie items) and plain grilled chicken breast (4oz) I realized before I did my lifestyle change, I was eating a day's worth of calories just at lunch.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,246 Member
    Salad dressings are ridiculous, but have discovered some decent low-cal ones. OPA yogurt feta-dill is very good at 40 cals per 2 tbsp. I try to only use one, but sometimes you just need two if the salad is big.

    Lower-fat potato chips. The Ruffles 65% less fat chips are still 120 cals for 11 chips. I might as well go for the real deal - Kettle Chips 140 cals for 13 chips.

    @VUA21 - how can there be a zero calorie dressing? What's it made from - water mixed with water? All foods have calories.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    RaeBeeBaby wrote: »
    Salad dressings are ridiculous, but have discovered some decent low-cal ones. OPA yogurt feta-dill is very good at 40 cals per 2 tbsp. I try to only use one, but sometimes you just need two if the salad is big.

    Lower-fat potato chips. The Ruffles 65% less fat chips are still 120 cals for 11 chips. I might as well go for the real deal - Kettle Chips 140 cals for 13 chips.

    @VUA21 - how can there be a zero calorie dressing? What's it made from - water mixed with water? All foods have calories.

    I have absolutely no idea what kind of voodoo is going on with Walden Farms, but yes, they make zero Calorie salad dressings! I still at 5 Cal to my diary in case one serving is simply rounded to 0, yet has .4 calories or something.
  • FireVixen_Fayth
    FireVixen_Fayth Posts: 154 Member
    I gotta say any resturant food. I especially hate it when places don't have nutritional information. And the fact that when they do, they don't show you options without bread is this much etc..
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    edited September 2018
    Anything with zero calories I would look at very suspiciously to determine the 0 Cal portion size.

    If it is 0 or 1 Cal for the quantity I would use (I see you zero Cal diet pop), then all is good.

    If it is 0 Cal per 0.25g when i would normally use 20g, then I would look very very carefully, because 5.4 Cal per 0.25g can be written out as 0 Cal on the label... (And frankly even if it is pure science fiction...when was the last class action about understated calories, and what is the potential financial gain as long as you could come close enough to claim manufacturing variance or at the very least mount some sort of defence?)
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    It was a surprise to me that the single glazed donut that I ate recently as a 'treat" was rated at about 300 calories.
  • kristingjertsen
    kristingjertsen Posts: 239 Member
    Restaurant meals are a problem for me too. Lots of hidden fat, sugar, designed to make food taste better. Huge portion sizes are also problematic. I do much better in meeting my goals when I eat mostly home cooked meals. One issue is that my family members love buffets, burger joints, and BBQ--very difficult to control your calories there. I have started skipping meals out and let them go without me most of the time.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    VUA21 wrote: »
    RaeBeeBaby wrote: »
    Salad dressings are ridiculous, but have discovered some decent low-cal ones. OPA yogurt feta-dill is very good at 40 cals per 2 tbsp. I try to only use one, but sometimes you just need two if the salad is big.

    Lower-fat potato chips. The Ruffles 65% less fat chips are still 120 cals for 11 chips. I might as well go for the real deal - Kettle Chips 140 cals for 13 chips.

    @VUA21 - how can there be a zero calorie dressing? What's it made from - water mixed with water? All foods have calories.

    I have absolutely no idea what kind of voodoo is going on with Walden Farms, but yes, they make zero Calorie salad dressings! I still at 5 Cal to my diary in case one serving is simply rounded to 0, yet has .4 calories or something.

    Don't do it. They taste like sadness and death. Even being self-congratulatory on your restraint cannot surmount this. :D

    I actually like the bacon ranch flavor as a marinade for my tomato and cucumber salad. They also have a cilantro vinaigrette that I enjoy.
  • MassiveBeard
    MassiveBeard Posts: 10 Member
    Buffalo wild wings blue cheese dressing. Insane calories, and like a dope I ate a ton of it BEFORE checking... live and learn..
  • elsie6hickman
    elsie6hickman Posts: 3,864 Member
    Nuts. I know they are healthy and all, but 170 calories for 1/4 cup? I used to add them to salads and such, but not anymore.
  • drkuhl2017
    drkuhl2017 Posts: 181 Member
    Carbs in general (bread, rice, pasta, etc.). I started doing keto 20 days ago and I cannot believe how much lower my calories are when I'm not having all these carbs.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    VUA21 wrote: »
    Restaurant meals are a problem for me too. Lots of hidden fat, sugar, designed to make food taste better. Huge portion sizes are also problematic. I do much better in meeting my goals when I eat mostly home cooked meals. One issue is that my family members love buffets, burger joints, and BBQ--very difficult to control your calories there. I have started skipping meals out and let them go without me most of the time.

    My restaurant "tricks":
    1. Kids/seniors meals. Much smaller portions sizes (what adults should actually be eating).
    2. The Low calorie ootions: I know Chili's has a menu in the back for low calorie options, other restaurants have similar.
    3. Ask for a to-go box with your meal. Cut your meal into half and place half in the box before you ever start eating.
    4. Request "dry" with burgers: that means no sauces (mayo in particular!). You can always add a more reasonable amount to your burger afterwards.
    5. No cheese: most restaurants put anywhere from 2-6oz of cheese on things that are topped with cheese, omit the cheese and save yourself a few hundred calories.
    6. BBQ: get the stuff NOT covered in BBQ sauce. Grilled chicken, steaks, smoked brisket. Ask for no sauce, I've only been questioned a few times and my answer is always "I like the taste of (insert meat) a lot more than the sauce".
    7. Don't eat the bread rolls. Not because of carbs or anything woo, but because they are usually already covered in butter.
    8. Salsa: if you want a sauce, salsa is your best friend. A whole lot of flavor for very few calories.
    9. Steaks: extremely accurate per menu size. If it's a lot smaller than listed, potential lawsuits suits (yes, that has happened) arrise. A lot bigger, they lose money. So steaks are very accurately listed (8oz steak are between 7.5 to 8.5 EVERY TIME)! Makes logging easier.

    But your steal could have more or less fat on it too. Steak has always been a PITA to log.

    I totally get her though, for some places, it's just difficult to find something lower calorie to eat, and why spend $15 for grilled chicken and veggies when you can do that at home for 1/8 of the price?

    When it's too much, I just pack the leftovers (even then, it's often lots of calories packed in not a lot of food). Buffets... you can find lower calorie options, but again... not worth the cost at all. Burger joints, more difficult, I guess I'm lucky I don't like mayo on my burgers, but still hard to find low calorie options at things like 5 guys - I can get away with a small burger there, but my calories are higher, and I'll probably still be hungry later.

    For BBQ, ask for the sauce on the side. 3 ribs really isn't that hard to fit either, but again, calories are all over the place for half a rack of ribs, so it's hard to estimate. They typically have some veggie sides at least (coleslaw is a calorie bomb though).

    Anyway, I totally get it, and really don't enjoy going out when I have to watch my calories.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Drinks and salad dressings are the worst offenders for me. Usually due to high fat/oil content in the dressings and sugar in the drinks.
  • AndyCool22
    AndyCool22 Posts: 131 Member
    The Applebee's CHICKEN FAJITA ROLLUP
    1520 CAL
    Chipotle chicken, Cheddar, pico and lettuce served with a Mexi-ranch dipping sauce. Served with classic fries.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    AndyCool22 wrote: »
    The Applebee's CHICKEN FAJITA ROLLUP
    1520 CAL
    Chipotle chicken, Cheddar, pico and lettuce served with a Mexi-ranch dipping sauce. Served with classic fries.

    Probably 400 calories at least for the fries. 200 calories of cheese... 300 for the chicken (yes, it's not fried, but probably cooked in oil and whatnot). 200 for the wrap. The sauce itself is probably another 300 calories. 100ish in random other stuff.

    There you go. That one is not really a surprise honestly.
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 357 Member
    I was considering an apple cider donut at Starbucks this morning and saw it was 400 calories and 38g of sugar!! I had just come from my Orangetheory class where I had burned 389 calories... that donut amount shocked me! I worked really hard in my class. I quickly decided a donut not even from a bakery was so not worth undoing the workout I had just finished!
  • shunggie
    shunggie Posts: 1,036 Member
    Reading these makes me feel less alone. I go out with friends a lot and struggle with what to get. Normally I have one or two go-to things at all of our favorite places. My latest (and it's been stated here) is Granola. I can have more than a cup of Strawberry Special K for 140 calories or 2/3 cup of Granola for 240. I recognize the calorie denseness of the Granola (added nutritional value as well), and honestly probably feel more "full" but when you're putting it on the bowl it seems like such a small portion. I have NEVER been a breakfast eater- so cereal has been my easy weekday solution but even with "healthy" food you have to be mindful.

    I don't weigh my fruit either. If it says 1 orange is 80 calories, I'm sticking with that. Extra calories from fruit are not what made me fat. It was the ice cream, french toast, and cheeseburgers that did it.
  • arilukaszewicz1
    arilukaszewicz1 Posts: 75 Member
    A venti (large) pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks is like 550.... that’s insane in my book!
    If I want a fall tasting coffee I’ll just get a normal coffee add cream and a couple pumps of the pumpkin syrup. Sooo much less calories!
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    slossia wrote: »
    I think a banana is a waste of calories at 110

    What? That is a filling under 200cal snack in my book! To each their own I suppose...
    A venti (large) pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks is like 550.... that’s insane in my book!
    If I want a fall tasting coffee I’ll just get a normal coffee add cream and a couple pumps of the pumpkin syrup. Sooo much less calories!

    OR get pumpkin spice flavored coffee grounds and prepare as you would your normal cuppa. Another PSL calorie saver for ya!
  • ami_bemi_bear
    ami_bemi_bear Posts: 18 Member
    So yesterday I was going out to dinner with my partner, and the restaurant I had planned for was full, so we ended up at Wagamama.

    Normally I get the chilli ramen, but fancied trying something different, so I got the katsu curry.

    When I got home and put it in MFP it was 1,160 calories! I was absolutely floored! It's shown me just how important it is to be aware of my options now though.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,246 Member
    slossia wrote: »
    I think a banana is a waste of calories at 110

    Glad I'm not the only one! I don't really love bananas, but I know they're packed with potassium so I eat them once in awhile. I tend to buy the smallest ones I can find (for around 70 cals) or only have 1/2 of a medium one. Other high potassium foods like watermelon are a lot less calorie dense.

    Re: restaurant meals - I'd order the senior meal if I didn't feel like I have to show my ID. They usually have an age limit listed on the menu and I'm a bit under. I have ordered kid meals "to go" at various places even though my kids all have four legs and fur. LOL
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    shunggie wrote: »
    Reading these makes me feel less alone. I go out with friends a lot and struggle with what to get. Normally I have one or two go-to things at all of our favorite places. My latest (and it's been stated here) is Granola. I can have more than a cup of Strawberry Special K for 140 calories or 2/3 cup of Granola for 240. I recognize the calorie denseness of the Granola (added nutritional value as well), and honestly probably feel more "full" but when you're putting it on the bowl it seems like such a small portion. I have NEVER been a breakfast eater- so cereal has been my easy weekday solution but even with "healthy" food you have to be mindful.

    I don't weigh my fruit either. If it says 1 orange is 80 calories, I'm sticking with that. Extra calories from fruit are not what made me fat. It was the ice cream, french toast, and cheeseburgers that did it.

    You don't have to eat breakfast. It's a myth.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,246 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    shunggie wrote: »
    Reading these makes me feel less alone. I go out with friends a lot and struggle with what to get. Normally I have one or two go-to things at all of our favorite places. My latest (and it's been stated here) is Granola. I can have more than a cup of Strawberry Special K for 140 calories or 2/3 cup of Granola for 240. I recognize the calorie denseness of the Granola (added nutritional value as well), and honestly probably feel more "full" but when you're putting it on the bowl it seems like such a small portion. I have NEVER been a breakfast eater- so cereal has been my easy weekday solution but even with "healthy" food you have to be mindful.

    I don't weigh my fruit either. If it says 1 orange is 80 calories, I'm sticking with that. Extra calories from fruit are not what made me fat. It was the ice cream, french toast, and cheeseburgers that did it.

    You don't have to eat breakfast. It's a myth.

    You don't have to eat 3 meals a day either. It all comes down to personal choice and what works best for you. Personally, I eat 4-5 meals a day but my husband only eats 2. We're both pretty healthy.
  • 12Sarah2015
    12Sarah2015 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Mini jam rolls today. 313 calories. Should have known it was bad since its junk food