Calculating Calories in Fried Foods

raegan724
raegan724 Posts: 14 Member
edited September 2021 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all, I’m trying to track my calories accurately but this is giving me a little trouble.

The nutrition label on the fries my school uses is 130 calories/85 gram serving. However, I’m assuming this is for frozen and the school deep fries them in oil to prepare them. How many extra calories should I add to this label?

They also do the same thing for spicy chicken breasts. The label says 230 calories, but after frying them I’m assuming it would be higher? Just not sure by how much

Thanks!

Replies

  • raegan724
    raegan724 Posts: 14 Member
    They also do the same thing for spicy chicken breasts. The label says 230 calories, but after frying them I’m assuming it would be higher? Just not sure by how much
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    If you consider that 85g of potato is about 62 calories then I’d think the calorie count includes any calories added during cooking.

    Not knowing the weight of the chicken breasts it’s more tricky. But I’d think that since the fries calories appear to given ‘as consumed’ then it’s probably safe enough to assume the same is true for the chicken.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    edited September 2021
    I disagree with Barbara on the chicken at least - there is no portion size stated but 230 calories is very low for any amount of fried chicken. Like even a single wing would be that much (and probably more.)


    "School"? Is it a high school or college? By that I'm trying to ascertain for whom the portions are likely calculated.

    I'm guessing the chicken is higher.

    To raegan: why not go to a fast food website and see the calories for their prepared fries and chicken? Fries at McDonalds (the small ones) are over 200 calories and their site says they're 80g. You could use their numbers as a guideline/comparison.

  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    I'm hoping this is a college cafeteria - under 18s aren't supposed to be using this site.

    The easiest answer is stop getting the chicken tenders and fries, but I get it, sometimes that's really all there is. I would expect that 230 cal figure to be like, per tendie, so multiply that by 3 or 4 or however many they give you. Like I said, you can probably get much better bang for your buck (calorically *and* financially, if your dining hall is anything like mine was) by getting other stuff. Err on the side of more veggies, steamed/baked is better than fried, try to limit sauces as much as possible, nobody's watching the apple basket just slip one of them sumbinches into your hoodie pocket.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    :lol:
    nobody's watching the apple basket just slip one of them sumbinches into your hoodie pocket.

    Did you just advise a student to steal an apple?

    Serpent, get thee away!!
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    There is no answer.

    The amount of oil at 9 calories /gram that is absorbed and retained in the food depends entirely on the temperature at which it is cooked and the breading, neither of which you can know anything about. Assume it is KFC and call it a day.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    I disagree with Barbara on the chicken at least - there is no portion size stated but 230 calories is very low for any amount of fried chicken. Like even a single wing would be that much (and probably more.)


    "School"? Is it a high school or college? By that I'm trying to ascertain for whom the portions are likely calculated.

    I'm guessing the chicken is higher.

    To raegan: why not go to a fast food website and see the calories for their prepared fries and chicken? Fries at McDonalds (the small ones) are over 200 calories and their site says they're 80g. You could use their numbers as a guideline/comparison.

    This^

    Find a fast food equivalent: if KFC doesn't give you a per piece option try Krispy Krunchy or Broaster Chicken.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    :lol:
    nobody's watching the apple basket just slip one of them sumbinches into your hoodie pocket.

    Did you just advise a student to steal an apple?

    Serpent, get thee away!!

    It all starts with an apple and next thing you know its grand theft auto LOLOLOL

    When you're cooking at home there's ways to calculate it, but for something like cafeteria food... there's really not. You could look up some of the food service companies and see if they have a calorie count for prepared chicken tenders maybe. Or use something like a KFC chicken tender entry as stated above. Probably the easiest way.
  • LiveOnceBeHappy
    LiveOnceBeHappy Posts: 448 Member
    If you're in the US, I would be very surprised if the school doesn't provide nutrition information in some way. I work at a public high school, and all of our nutrition is online. I would think colleges would do that too.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    Is this a skin-on, breaded spicy chicken breast? Or skinless, unbreaded? That will make a huge difference.
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    :lol:
    nobody's watching the apple basket just slip one of them sumbinches into your hoodie pocket.

    Did you just advise a student to steal an apple?

    Serpent, get thee away!!

    I...may or may not have ever paid for an apple from the dining hall during my undergrad. :grin:

    I mean, I had a meal plan, it was already paid for regardless. And I paid for the *rest* of my food. :grin:

    Really though if OP's school contracts out with Sodexo or Aramark for their dining services, there's entries in the database for that, and probably a Dining Services website with nutrition info they can access through their portal, probably. I bet there's even a poster with a QR code on it somewhere in the dining hall.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 920 Member
    If the preparation instructions instruct to fry them in oil...the I'd assume those calories are included in the nutritional info.

    If the instructions are for the over...then yeah there will be more calories if they are fried.

    I'm not sure that I would stress about it though - I can't imagine it's enough to be super concerned unless you're eating fried foods with every meal everyday.
  • Squatcleananddeadlift
    Squatcleananddeadlift Posts: 49 Member
    goal06082021 wrote: »
    I'm hoping this is a college cafeteria - under 18s aren't supposed to be using this site.

    Not that it is any of your business
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,741 Member
    edited September 2021
    Squatcleananddeadlift wrote: »
    goal06082021 wrote: »
    I'm hoping this is a college cafeteria - under 18s aren't supposed to be using this site.

    Not that it is any of your business

    Well, it's kinda mfp's and their legal team's business.... :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    goal06082021 wrote: »
    I'm hoping this is a college cafeteria - under 18s aren't supposed to be using this site.
    Squatcleananddeadlift wrote: »
    Not that it is any of your business

    Actually, it is our business.

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/community-guidelines

    ...MyFitnessPal is moderated by a team of volunteers and a few full-time site administrators. We do not review content as it is posted, we rely on our members to help us identify problems. If you see a post that you feel violates our guidelines, you can help us by reporting a post.
  • raegan724
    raegan724 Posts: 14 Member
    Thank you for all of your responses, and yes this is a college cafeteria. No age violations here :)

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