Calorie Content of Foods

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:10:37 +0000

If you offer someone a plateful of food and the person does not dig at once, do not be offended. It may not be because the food you offered is unpalatable and revolting. The person could be a health fanatic or simply weight conscious and he or she is contemplating the calorie content of the food you offered.

You would always know when a person is weight conscious. Reading labels of food packages to know the calorie content is a telltale sign. Aside from this they would take small bites or sips or in most cases would totally ignore food on their plate. If you are a happy eater you would frown at the fastidiousness of these people. You would think that with the food shortage in some parts of the world they should be overly thankful for the food in front of them. Keeping a serious count of the calorie intake however is very important if you want to stay healthy.

Many years ago, if one would want to measure the calorie content of a certain food, he would have to use a bomb calorimeter. The device is simply a thick walled metal can with attached wires. You put the food inside and apply heat. The calorie content of the food is measured by the total heat output. Most probably the phrase “burning off calories” came from this process. Counting the calorie content of food these days is a much simpler task. You can do away with the need to set up the calorimeter. Years of research yield a simple formula to calculate food calorie content. More or less this is the formula: you get four calories for every gram of protein and carbohydrates and nine calories for every gram of fat.

If you think you can now have the sexy body you have been aiming for, think again! Of course this is not a very accurate measurement of calories. You still need to figure out the correct amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat in every food you take. And for this, you may want to search the net for a calorie counter or for a food calories list. Armed with the food calories list you can now count your calorie intake for every portion of food you eat. Most food packages have calorie count so that measuring the calorie intake is as easy as multiplying the portion you have consumed with the calorie content of the food. However, if the food package have no nutritional information it would be best to use a calorie food counter.

Calorie Content of Beer

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:09:21 +0000

“Hey man, come on over and let’s have a beer”. For sure you have heard this many, many times before. If women drink tea, men would drink beer. As they say, beer is the drink of a real man as it makes the hair on the chest grow. Fact or fallacy, this notion is presumably believed by most men as evidenced by the 100 billion liters of beer consumed annually worldwide. “A beer” becomes 2, 3 and often times ends with several six packs in one sitting. If beer makes a man a real man then beer makes the real man a fat one too. How many times have you seen men with protruding bellies? Yikes, very off-putting! They can hardly see their feet. People have a notion that as compared to ice cream, cheese burgers and other fat and sugar rich foods, a beer would seem so harmless. True enough as compared to these foods; a beer would have relatively low calorie content. A 12 oz. can of Budweiser beer would have around 145 calories while a cup of ice cream’s calorie content would range from 200 to 300. Beer drinking would make a person fat for the simple reason that a beer drinker would not stop at one beer. Imagine how soothing a glass of ice cold beer would be. Beer drinking would be more satisfying if you have a plateful of nachos, nuts and other fattening finger foods. Although there is no fat in beer, drinking several glasses on a nightly basis would cause the calorie content of the beer to add up. The body converts a portion of the beer into fat; a large portion is converted into acetate, released into the blood stream and used as the body’s source of energy. You would think this is okay as the body is burning the alcohol. Actually, it is harmful to the body as instead of being burned and used by the body, the fat is stored. This would account for the obesity of most beer drinkers. Three types of beer are sold in the market- the light, the regular and the dark beer. Based on a 12 oz serving, the light beer has 110 calorie content; the regular beer has 150 calories and the dark beer have 168 calorie content. As most beers have no nutrition information on its labels it would be up to the beer drinker to figure out if he had enough or if he would still want more not withstanding the result…a big beer belly.

Calorie Content of Fruit

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:08:32 +0000

Fruits are very reliable when people think of dieting and detoxification; when the public wants some time away from fat and calories. Don’t think that because fruits are the common escape of dieters, they contain zero calories. Of course fruits do have calorie contents only they are lesser than meat and other heavy cuisines.

Avocado, which is also called “butter pear,” is high in fat, for example. The fat contained in avocado, though is benevolent to our body as it regulates cholesterol content, perfect for fighting the risks of heart attack and possible stroke. This fact gives the fruit a good reputation in terms of nutrition.

Fruits are natural fructose, some of which are rich in good carbohydrates that should be taken moderately if on a diet plan. They are healthy antioxidants with the right kind of vitamins, nutrients, iron, calcium, and fibers, which our body needs.

Bananas, Apple, berries, Oranges and Mangosteen are front liners in the area of health. They have extraordinary ability to keep our daily lifestyle sickness- and worry-free. Banana, as we know, is popular among athletes for its high energy and vitamin C content.

Fruits are ideal for dieters who wish to take in just the right amount of calorie everyday. The average calorie intake is 1,100-1,200. Taking less than this would cause a person diminished energy and constant fatigue due to low vitamins and minerals. Ladies may also risk proper menstrual cycle as they may suffer irregularities. Fruits also hold protein. According to recent studies, protein satisfies hunger better than carbohydrates and fats, thus recommending dieters to take fruits together with food high in proteins to act as a whole meal. As a whole, calorie intake should jive with one’s daily activities.

It is not good to break the nutrition chain by banishing calorie absolutely. Calorie helps a lot in maintaining our body’s metabolic functions and other vital activities that involve the heart, lungs and kidneys. There are reliable calorie charts that come in handy for you to refer to in case you want to be guided. The internet also provides information regarding calorie contents of various fruits and other common foods.

Fruits play an integral part in sustaining healthy well-being. In our modern times where groceries are swarmed with processed foods, fruits are the most efficient balancer. Just always remember that anything taken past the standard may also affect us in different ways. Still, natural is always the excellent choice.

Calorie Content of Hamburger

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:07:44 +0000

For busy people, fast food answers all their need to quench hunger. The danger about it is they are sometimes too busy to check if what they get from these fast food chains is healthy or too fatty. Hamburger is the fastest meal on breaks. It tastes good, looks good and feels good n the stomach. Not to your heart though. Let us check:

A large bun reaches up to 150 calories, lettuce and onion rings have 20, tomato slices have 15, cheese has 100, and pickle slices have a measly 5. This already amounts to almost 300. Now let us add the meat patty. Processed beef has about 170 calories while the ordinary fried beef has already 300+ calories.

Found in the meat are vitamins and minerals of different sorts, water, protein and fat. However, the amount of calories in burger patties depends on what kind of meat was used and the size of its cut. Thicker slices are juicier. That’s what fast food joints boast of. They will only welcome you to their chain but they won’t really reveal how frequent burger meals can kill you; unless you are ready to calculate the totalities.

If you are on a diet, you may opt for healthier beef or pork substitutes such as roasted chicken or ground turkey. You may reduce the total amount of calories in your burger by having it done plain, without cheese, pickles, or the other miscellaneous amidst the buns. Better yet, prepare your own at home than purchase. This way you can control the serving. Just be sure to check the back labels of the stuff you purchase from the grocery store to know the best way to cook them.

Hamburger has high calorie content but the meat has very low to nil carbohydrate content. Carbohydrates or saccharides play a significant role in storing energy for the body to utilize, and in keeping our immune system in perfect condition. It also contributes in blood maintenance. No carbohydrates and too much fat is a way of accumulating cholesterol and damaging our heart instead, unless one craves for it just occasionally.

Besides, there are a lot of healthier options for a great-tasting burger and sandwiches, which would keep you full, yet fit. Nutritionists have been in constant search for the right combinations for your daily dietary need. So the next time you munch on a burger consider how much calories you need to burn off to be healthy.

Calorie Content of Common Foods

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:05:31 +0000

So you wish to get into some kind of dietary program or non-formal healthy eating practice to reduce calories and avoid getting fat. Good luck. The food web is obviously built on calories and fat and the world seems to be too tight to find ourselves an escape from luscious cuisines.

Here’s a tip: Sort out foods low in calories and either avoid them or regulate your consumption. Let’s start off with morning meals:

Black Coffee 12kcal/cup

Bread 55kcal/slice

Buttermilk 85kcal /cup

Cornflakes 100/cup

Egg 75 kcal/piece

Egg Sandwich 265 cal/serving

Jams 50 kcal/tbsp

Milk 19kcal/30 gm

Vegetable Sandwich 167 kcal/serving

Tea 10 kcal/cup

You may or may not be a breakfast person and we bet these are the common items on the table before you start the day. It does not matter what time during the morning you take them, the calorie content stays unless you modify them. Now let us check the possible choices for lunch and dinner:

Apple Juice 50 kcal/ half cup

Banana 100kcal/ piece

Chapatti 100kcal/ serving

Chicken (boiled) 100 kcal/ half

Chicken Leg roast 90 kcal/ serving

Chicken Soup 80 kcal/ cup

Chicken Thigh Roast 95 kcal/ serving

Chowmin 150kcal/ half cup

Mushroom cream soup 100 kcal/cup

Mutton soup 110kcal/cup

Onion (fried) 101kcal/30 gms.

Potato (boiled) 100 kcal/piece

Potato (fried) 200kcal/piece

Rice (boiled) 200kcal/serving

Spaghetti 104kcal/30 gms.

Tomato soup 100kcal/cup

Vegetable Oil 110kcal/tbsp

Vegetable soup 100 kcal/cup

Vegetables and fruits are never high in calories they are the ideal food and it would be best to focus your diet on them. If you surely take snacks in between meals, you should know this: Junk or processed foods are high in calories and fats as there are some raw foods that release certain amounts of fat, salts, and oils when processed. Although you can have a serving or two of, say, potato chips once in a while, a professional dietitian won’t advise junk foods if you are serious about dieting.

In dieting, this rule is always in place: You may not be able to always have what you want, or if you want it, you can indulge only moderately. It’s your choice. The food chart mentioned is not provided to scare you. The reason why you enroll in a diet program is for you to know the calorie content of certain food groups and develop control over the food you eat, you should know how they work inside our systems, and eventually achieve your dream figure and health status.