Published Calorie Counts Can be Very Inaccurate
How much can you trust the calorie count on a package or menu? Researchers at Tufts University put them to a test and found wild inaccuracies, especially for restaurant servings where the amount dished onto the plate isn’t standardized the way it is in a packaged food. The study was small, testing only 18 side dishes and entrees from national sit-down chain restaurants, 11 side dishes and entrees from national fast food restaurants and 10 packaged frozen meals. But they found two restaurant side dishes that had 200% more calories than the listed amount. Packaged food averaged 8% more calories than the count on the label.
What does this mean for the average dieter? A food diary is the best way to be honest with yourself about what you are eating. But portions and total calories are often a guesstimate at best, as most of us don’t carry around measuring cups and scales. That would work best for simple foods rather than combinations such as a casserole. I use web sites such as our Calorie Count to get calorie counts for various dishes and it is easy to see that they vary from restaurant to restaurant and recipe to recipe.
If you have been strict in tracking your food intake and estimating calories and exercise, and the total says you should be losing weight but you aren’t, it could be that the calorie count is off. Smaller portions may be the answer, or eating simpler foods that don’t vary as much in calorie content. The difference between a cup of carrots and a cup and a half is very small in calories. Not so with lasagna.
Our Calorie Count free web site is a great place to search for calorie content and to analyze your own recipes.
Walking Calorie Calculator
Tufts Calorie Study
Source:
Lorien E. Urban, Gerard E. Dallal, Lisa M. Robinson, Lynne M. Ausman, Edward Saltzman, and Susan B. Roberts. “The Accuracy of State Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially Prepared Foods.”Journal of the American Dietetic Association .Janury 2010; 110 (1): 116-123.
Published Calorie Counts Can be Very Inaccurate originally appeared on About.com Walking on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 09:46:16.
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