A new app called Calorific shows us pictorially what 200 calories looks like. It shows that 5 lemons is equivalent to a small piece of cheese cake.
While this is interesting to actually see how many calories are in a food, calorie counting concerns me. There are a lot of very healthy, calorie dense foods that you should be eating. Nuts is a very good example of this. Nuts are relatively higher calorie than other food options. 30 almonds is 160 calories. Being "high fat", it often scares people away from eating them. However, those that eat nuts have been shown to have lower risk of heart disease, respiratory issues and type II diabetes. Nuts have also been associated with helping people manage their weight. They are packed with vitamins and fibre and would not even compare to some of the nutritionally thin, 100 calorie packs of cookies that one might choose as a snack option.
We often know whether or not that food is good for us without reading a label for the amount of calories. Interestingly, fruits and vegetables do not have Nutrition Facts Labels. We just know that they are good for us!
A client once asked me for a list of the most nutrient packed 100 calorie snacks. This is the list I compiled below. However, I normally suggest that snacks are 250-300 calories. IF we're counting calories!
Microwave a medium potato and slice in half (80 calories). Save one piece for tomorrow. Mash the other half inside the potato skin and top it with 2 tablespoons of salsa (10 calories). Eat the whole thing, skin too. Warm-spicy-satisfying and 2 grams each of protein and fiber, some vitamin C, plus a little iron.
Mix the oil and seasonings together, add the vegetables, and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.