How to Calculate Calories in Food

How to calculate calories in food

As for how to calculate calories in food, knowing the calorie content of food and drink can help not to eat more than the body needs, and it should be noted that there are many ways to calculate calories in food, such as using a food calorie calculator, and among these methods is the alternative system: 

Food groups and their calories

All foods of all kinds are divided into 6 different groups, and the reason for this is due to the diversity of the caloric content of these foods, in addition to the difference in their content of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which are the three main energy sources in food as mentioned previously, and each one consists of The six food groups of foods similar in calorie content and the previous three elements are arranged in the form of lists of food alternatives, and due to the great difference between foods, foods are written in each group and next to it is written the amount that makes them equal to the rest of the other foods in their content of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fats, These groups are as follows:

Starches and bread

One serving of starches or bread contains 80 calories.

Meat and legumes

Calories in foods contained in calories:

• Fat Fat: One serving contains 45 calories. This type is a good choice.
• Medium fat meat: one serving contains 75 calories.
• High-fat meat: one serving contains 100, and it is forbidden to consume this meat.
• Legumes: one serving contains 125 calories.

Non-starchy vegetables

One serving of non-starchy vegetables contains 25 calories.

Fruits and their juices

It contains 60 calories.

Dairy products

The calorie content of dairy products varies according to the amount of fat present in them, and they are classified into the following groups:

• Dairy products are a creamy or low-sun issue.
• Low-fat dairy products, of which fat constitutes approximately 2%, each serving contains 120 calories.
• Full-fat dairy products, each serving containing 160 calories.

Fats

One serving of fat contains 45 calories.

Back in each food group

Some types of food that have arisen in some cases:

Starches and bread

One serving of starches contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of protein, 0 to 1 gram of fat, and 80 calories. The following are alternatives that contain the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat as a 30-pound slice of bread. grams: 

starch substitutes	serving size
Arabic bread bread, Arabic bread loaf, or Arabic bread loaf	half piece
Tortilla bread made with wheat or corn flour	One small piece of bread, about 15 cm in diameter
rice, pasta, or couscous	1/3 cup
Oatmeal or bulgur	Half a cup
(starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or corn)	Half a cup
Small pretzel biscuits	6 chips
popcorn	3 cups
Pancake or waffle	One piece is approximately 10 cm in diameter
Ready-to-eat tabbouleh	Half a cup
cooked quinoa	1/3 cup
Pumpkin or pumpkin	one cup

Meat and legumes

Content contains carbohydrates, contains fat content, contains 7 grams of protein, one serving contains meat.

• Lean meat: Watch contains 7 grams of protein and less than 3 grams of fat, 45 calories, and does not contain carbohydrates, and the following table shows its alternatives:

Fat meat substitutes	serving size
Lean beef	28 grams approximately
Veal (after removing the fat)	28 grams approximately
Lamb or lamb	28 grams approximately from the thigh or leg
Shrimp or canned tuna drained from water or oil	28 grams approximately
canned sardines	Two medium sized fish
Organ meats such as heart, liver, or liver	28 grams approximately
Skinless poultry	28 grams approximately
Egg whites	Two egg whites
They contain less than 3 grams of fat per 28-gram serving	28 grams approximately
Cottage cheese	1/4 cup
They contain less than 3 grams of fat per 28-gram serving	one piece

• Medium fat meat: Watch contains 7 grams of protein and 4 to 7 grams of fat, 75 calories, and does not contain carbohydrates. The following table shows its alternatives:

Medium-fat meat substitutes	serving size
Beef	28 grams approximately
Lamb or lamb ribs	28 grams approximately
veal	28 grams approximately
fried fish	28 grams approximately
Poultry with skin	28 grams approximately
eggs	One whole egg
Cheese that contains more than 4 to 7 grams of fat per 28 grams of it, such as mozzarella or feta	28 grams approximately
Sausages, which contain 4 to 7 grams of fat per 28 grams serving	28 grams approximately

• High fat meat: Watch contains 7 grams of protein and 8 grams or more of fat, contains 100 calories, and does not contain carbohydrates, and the following table shows its alternatives:

High-fat meat alternatives	serving size
Cheddar cheese	28 grams approximately
Sausages that contain 8 or more grams of fat per 28-gram serving	28 grams approximately
Processed meats with 8 or more grams of fat per 28-gram serving, such as Italian sausage, pastrami, or hard salami	28 grams approximately

• Legumes: Contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of proteins, contains 125 calories, contains a high percentage of proteins.

legume substitutes	serving size
Baked or roasted beans	1/3 cup
Cooked black, red or white beans	Half a cup
Brown, green or yellow lentils	Half a cup
peas	Half a cup

Some foods contain higher-protein versions of falafel and the amount per serving of it.

Non-starchy vegetables

One serving of non-starchy vegetables contains 5 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, 25 calories, and does not contain fat. The serving size in this group is equal to half a cup of cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or a cup of fresh non-starchy vegetables. Cooked, which is a common share for all alternatives, and among these vegetables: okra, artichokes, onions of all kinds, spinach, broccoli, carrots, celery, eggplant, mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes and their juice, in addition to cauliflower, sweet pepper, zucchini, turnip, Curly cabbage, cabbage, beetroot, corn, peas and many others.

Fruits and their juices

Contains contains proteins or fats, contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, contains contains proteins or fats, and the following table shows:

Substitutes for fruit juices	serving size
Apple, orange, peach, pear, nectarine	A small grain or half a large grain
the banana	A small grain or half a medium grain
Grapefruit	Half a pill
Sliced ​​fresh pineapple, blueberries, or blackberries	Three quarters of a cup
grapes	17 tablets
plum	3 pills
strawberry or watermelon	A cup and a quarter
Cantaloupe, papaya, or honeydew melon	cup
kiwi	Big love
raisins	2 tablespoons
Orange juice, apple juice, or grapefruit juice	Half a cup

Dairy products

Dairy products differ in the percentage of fat present in each of them, as mentioned previously, and the calories for each of these products can be known when knowing the amount of fat in it, through its nutritional label, while the content of dairy products comes according to the amount of fat in them:

• Dairy products contain very few carbs, 8 grams of protein, and 100 calories.
• Low Fat 2% Dairy: 12 grams of carbs, 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 120 calories.
• Fat Dairy: 12 grams of carbs, 8 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat, 160 calories.

The understanding of this group is as follows:

Dairy products	serving size
the milk	cup
Soy milk	cup
buttermilk	cup
Natural yoghurt	Two-thirds of a cup

Fats

One serving of fat, as previously mentioned, contains 5 grams of fat and 45 calories, and the following table shows its food alternatives: 

fat substitutes	serving size
avocado	2 tablespoons or approximately 28 grams
Nut butters, such as cashew, almond, or peanut butter	One and a half teaspoon
Almonds, or cashews	6 pills
Peanuts	10 pills
nut	4 pills
Pistachios	16 tablets
Oils such as olive, corn, sunflower, flaxseed or flaxseed oil	small spoon
Butter	small spoon
black olives	8 large pills
green olives	10 large pills
Sunseed, or sunflower	Tablespoon
Tahini	2 tsp

Free foods and foods

There is no doubt that there is a long talk about food calories, but it must be noted that there is a group of foods called combination foods, which are food dishes that people usually eat and consist of different types of foods and cannot be calculated based on Only one list of alternatives, and there is another group of foods called free foods, which are foods or drinks that contain less than 20 calories per serving. 

An illustrative example of calculating calories in food

The following dishes are the aforementioned illustration of calorie needs:

• An example of a breakfast:
  • Boiled egg contains 75 calories.
  • Half a loaf of Lebanese bread or kamaj bread contains 80 calories.
  • A glass of a bottle contains 25 calories.

The total calories in the previous meal are 180 calories.

• Example of a snack:
  • A cup of skim milk without sugar contains 90 calories.
  • A small apple contains 60 calories.

The total calories in the previous meal are 150 calories.

How to measure food portions

In general, it is difficult for people to estimate the quantities they eat, calculating the body calories that they need, as an earlier race.

• Weight: Being very time consuming at the right time.
• Use of measuring cups: Standard size scales can be used faster and more often than scales, but sometimes consume some USA.
• Programmer: Although this method is less accurate than others, this method is easy and fast, especially during a period of work outside the home, and clarifies and establishes the following, due to some household purposes:
  • One 85g serving of meat is about the size of a deck of standard playing cards.
  • One serving of cheese weighs 42.5 grams and is approximately the size of your thumb.
  • One serving of fruit equals roughly half a cup of racquetball or tennis.
  • One serving of green leafy vegetables equals a cup roughly the size of a baseball or baseball.
  • One serving of cooked, non-starchy vegetables equals a watch that is roughly half the size of a computer mouse.
  • One teaspoon of olive oil is roughly the size of a banana or the tip of a finger.