If “How to lose weight” is your most important goal for this year (again!) and if you are the one who feverishly googles “How many calories in ….” before touching any food, while also double checking the values with your favorite calorie-calculator app which is added to your phone’s home screen, then you should be aware of how many calories does each of those tempting and unavoidable food items contain which you have been relishing over the years.
And some of these will absolutely shock you! It is also important to understand what calories mean.
Let’s admit it, the fear of putting on weight and not fitting in those skinny jeans has ransacked the minds of every health-conscious freak on this planet. Nowadays, everyone wants to have knowledge about how many calories should I take per day to lose weight and this has made everyone curious about the calorie content of each and every food item.
But do you know what the exact meaning of calories is? Are they really bad? Should they be completely avoided if you are on the regime of losing weight? Read on as we debunk the Calorie theory and find few of the most popular food of today’s world with their calorie counts so that next time when you dig-in you know what to eat and what to avoid.
What is a Calorie?
Calorie is simply a measurement unit of energy (And we make so much fuss about it) which is used to measure the energy content of food items and beverages.
The calorie content of any food item defines the amount of energy which is associated with its consumption. And if you are confused with Calories (with a capital “C” also called the large calorie) v/s calories (with a small “c” also called the small calorie) v/s kCal (kilo-calories), here is the difference. The usual calorie measurements that you see on labels/calorie-counters are all in kilo-calories (kCal) which is equal to the capital “C” Calories.
Here is a Video which explains what Calories are and how much should we take and how it completely depends on an individual –
Are Calories Bad?
A general misconception in the modern fitness-savvy world is that calories are bad for our health since they tend to increase body weight. But actually calories are the most crucial part of our daily lives as they supply our body with the necessary energy required for the functioning of our organs including brain, lungs etc.
Calorie intake results in weight gain only when the consumed calorie content is more than that required by the body or more than what you can burn (Normal Calorie Requirement for an average adult male is around 2500 Calories and for females is around 2000 Calories, but again depends on a lot of other factors like your BMI, lifestyle, etc).
Hence, regular consumption of excess of calories may tend to increase in your weight but nevertheless they are needed in sufficient amount for working of our bodies. It generally requires more calories to burn fat than proteins or carbohydrates and hence if you take excess fat and are not doing enough activity to burn it, you end up putting on weight.
A Calorie calculator is one of the most popular ways of keeping a check on the regular calories consumption of any individual. These calorie calculators are nothing but apps, websites, charts etc. which are fed in with the information of the calorie contents of each and every food and beverage which makes it easier for the person to calculate his/her daily calorie consumption.
Since ‘calorie content of food items’ is becoming a hot topic these days, here we present the calorie content of some of the most popular food which is enjoyed across the world –
How many Calories in the BIG MAC?
Big Mac is a very popular burger brand from McDonalds. Big Mac comprises of a beef patties, together with iceberg lettuce, pickles, special sauce and onions with sesame seed bun on top and bottom. Big Mac has been such a popular burger throughout the world that it has even been used as a reference for comparing the cost of living of various places of the world, economically termed as “Burgernomics”.
Big Mac is very high in calorie contents with 1 burger containing about 540 Calories while the cold drinks and fries with which it is generally eaten, raises the calorie contents to about 900 Calories per outing! Consequently, Big Mac is not a preferable option for someone who does not want to put too much of weight too quickly but its unique and mesmerizing taste has helped this burger to be high in demand despite having such a high calorie content.
How many Calories in a Coors beer?
Coors beer is one of the oldest classic beer brands. Beer, in general have relatively high calorie content as compared to other beverages due to calorie coming from both sugar as well as alcohol. Coors Beer, or the Banquet Beer which is the original beer brand has a calorie content of 149 Calories (in 1 can or 350 ml) but some of its varieties have lesser calories. Coors Light, the Silver Bullet is the light calorie counterpart of Coors Original having only 100 Calories.
Thus Coors beer is a highly flexible beer choice which comes in wide variety ranging from low calorie content to high alcohol content but one thing which is common to all of them is their unique flavor. If you are not worried about the dreaded “Beer Belly” and want to enjoy a chilled beer, just take a chill pill and go for it.
How many calories in Quinoa (the super-food)?
A versatile food item, almost similar to rice having a multitude of health benefits and which can be served as a side meal on most occasions, quinoa or ‘keen-wah’ as it’s pronounced is a protein rich grain. Quinoa contains almost every amino acid, is rich in lysine and is also a good source of other important minerals.
With around 220 Calories per serving, quinoa is a great meal for those who want to stay fit while having a high protein-based diet. While quinoa is an important source of zinc, which strengthens the immune system, it also has selenium, a trace element which has impressive effects as an anti-cancer agent. So with 220 Calories per serving you must include this high in protein and mineral contents quinoa in your diet.
How many Calories in a Glass of Wine?
Wine ( Learn more about Wines) calories have been a debatable topic over the past few years especially among those who wish to have a trimmer waistline by minimizing their calorie intake. A general glass of wine (around half a cup or 5-6 ounces) has around 125 calories which intensely increases if one consumes 2-3 glasses of wine.
Most of the times, wines comprise the ‘forgotten calorie content’ since they are consumed alongside dinner or lunch and therefore wine consumption can easily add 250-350 of calories without being easily noticed. While both red and white wine have similar calorie contents, red wine has somewhat lower calorie content on account of less residual sugars present in it. So drink wine mindfully so that you may not gain excessive unwanted weight.
How many Calories in Eggplant (Brinjal/Aubergine)?
Eggplant or Brinjal or Aubergine (French) is a vegetable with a multitude of health benefits and serves as a rich source of nutrients. Eggplant has around 20-25 Calories per standard serving bowl, although cooking and mixing it with other ingredients so as to make a healthy diet will surely raise its calorie content.
Eggplant is also called brain food since it is a good source of phenolic antioxidants and also of flavonoids like nasunin, which is an effective anti-oxidant and a free radical scavenger and as such promotes healthy brain functioning. Eggplants have low calorie recipes with minced garlic and onions while consuming them grilled serves to have even a lower calorie count.
How many Calories in Boiled Egg?
Boiled eggs, particularly hard-boiled eggs are exceptionally low in calorie content, with 1 big hard-boiled egg (50 g) having a calorie content of 80. Besides this the great protein content in eggs makes it a main ingredient in a healthy diet plan.
The main concern which arises is related to the high calorie content of omelet, but no need to worry about this too. For those omelet lovers who can’t compromise on the calorie content, an omelet recipe using 1 full egg with 2 egg whites rather than 3 full eggs is a very suitable option for calorie conscious gourmands.
How many Calories in Miso?
Miso, which is a salty paste made from soybeans serves as one of the best condiments for a wide-variety of foods. Miso is the main staple of the Japanese population and generally acts as a main ingredient for miso soups. Miso has a very high protein content whereas its calorie value does not disappoint us either with 1 cup of miso paste having 90-100 Calories.
Long term fermented and short term fermented Miso pastes are the two types of Miso and are the reasons for variation in the calorie value of Miso. In a nutshell, Miso is a perfect choice for the calorie conscious people who prefer high protein diets.
How many Calories in Steak?
Steak is a portion of meat which is formed by slicing the meat perpendicularly to the muscle fibers, which will potentially include a bone. While steak is generally high in its calorie value, the good thing is that the major portion of this calorie comes from protein and not from fat which prevents your waistline from growing too much.
Shoulder and flank type of steaks have relatively less calorie content (around 150 Calories) than their counterparts Top Sirloin and Porterhouse steaks (having around 200 Calories). Steaks form a very delicious and crucial part of any non-vegetarian diet and as such must be consumed after cooking via grilling so as to get rid of the excess calories.
How many Calories in Sugar?
Sugar is the sole item which always troubles every fitness enthusiast one day or the other because of the health risks with which generally gets associated with. Coming to the calorie content of sugar, 2 teaspoons of sugar contains around 30-32 Calories, while its counterpart brown sugar is no better in this regard with its 2 teaspoons amounting to 35 Calories.
With sugar creating other health problems apart from high calorie content, one must be really careful in using the appropriate amount of sugar in the daily diet.
How many Calories in a Starbucks Coffee?
Starbucks, the brand famous for its vast variety of coffee products and other beverages, offers products with a great variation with regard to their calorie contents. Starbucks “Hot Chocolate with whipped cream” even outperforms MacDonald’s Big Mac with respect to its calorie content, with 1 cup equaling to a whopping 537 Calories!
While its immensely relishing taste may get some of its lovers to neglect the high calorie content, for other coffee lovers, Starbucks has products like “Caffè Americano” which has a calorie content equal to just one teaspoon of sugar! (i.e. around 16 Calories). So this time when you enter Starbucks, pick your coffee after considering the calorie content.
How many Calories in KFC Products?
KFC brand has been immensely famous around the globe for its cuisines which offer unfathomable tastes and cooking expertise. Well, the calorie content offered by KFC is as diverse as its products with Original Chicken Breast Recipe amounting to 300-400 Calories. While the Grilled Chicken Recipe and the famous Hot Wings are some of the better options for calorie conscious KFC lovers.
How many Calories in Processed cereals for breakfast?
There is nothing better than beginning your day with a healthy breakfast like cereals, which are high in energy and carbohydrates but relatively low in calorie and fats. Cereals are a potential source of essential vitamins, fibres and carbohydrates while a typical bowl of say Kelloggs’ cereal has around 100 Calories.
Cereal brands like Kellogg present cereals in various forms, promising to offer low calorie and low fat cereals, but the consumers should themselves check out the packages rather than trusting marketing strategies.
About the Author: This Article has been written, researched and shared by Shobhit Dwivedi, who is an engineer by degree, a gourmand by heart and loves to research and write about food, health and fitness to satiate his passion for them. You can follow Shobhit on Plattershare.