Counting calories is a useful strategy for losing weight. Since all packaged foods must have nutrition information on the label, it's not that difficult either. If you want to know the exact amount of calories consumed by fat, protein and carbohydrates, you need to do some more calculations. In cases of unlabeled food items, such as in restaurants, try searching for dishes or ingredients using an online food composition database or calorie calculator. Once you have read this article, you can try to calculate your daily calorie requirement.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Add the Calories per Nutrient
Step 1. Find the nutritional information on the product packaging
In almost all states of the world, food producers are required by law to provide nutritional information for packaged products. This information is shown in a table, which you can usually find on the back or side of the package. If you're curious about what you eat, start finding out by reading this table.
A food's nutritional information tells you everything you need to know about what it contains, including a full ingredient list and a rundown of all the major macronutrients
Step 2. Write down the amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats contained in the product
When considering the nutritional value of a food you should consider three elements: proteins, carbohydrates and lipids (fats). These macronutrients represent all the calories contained in the product (except those due to alcohol). Consequently, the exact amount of each macronutrient indicates the percentage of total calories.
Alcohol also contains a lot of calories. Each gram of alcohol equals approximately 7 calories
Step 3. Multiply all macronutrients by their calorie equivalent
One gram of protein contains about 4 calories on average, as does one gram of carbohydrates. A gram of fat instead contains as many as 9. If the food you are eating consists of 20 g of protein, 35 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat, you should calculate 20x4, 35x4 and 15x9 to find the number of calories for each. macronutrient: 80, 140 and 135 respectively.
Nutrients are always measured in grams. Make sure you use the right units of measurement when calculating calories yourself
Step 4. Add the calories for each macronutrient
Now that you know how calories are divided, add them up to get the total of a portion of the item. Taking the previous example, 80 + 140 + 135 = 355 calories. This value should match the estimate on the product packaging.
- Breaking down calories by macronutrient instead of just reading them on the package not only allows you to calculate how many calories are contained in a certain food, but also to understand how to make it part of a balanced diet.
- 355 calories may seem low, but if you're trying to eat less fat, you may be concerned that calories from fat make up about half of the total.
Step 5. Consider the portion size
Be careful, because the calorie and macronutrient values indicated in the nutritional information refer to a single serving. If there are more portions inside the package, the total calories will be much higher. It is important to consider this if you are counting calories for your diet or exercise program.
For example, if a product contains 355 calories per serving and there are 3 servings in the package, the total rises to 1065
Step 6. Compare the calories of the various nutrients with the recommended daily allowance
According to dieticians and other nutrition experts, 45-65% of the total calories consumed in a day should come from carbohydrates, 10-35% from protein and 20-25% from fat. In the recommended daily allowance section of the nutrition table you will find a value that indicates the percentage of the daily total of each macronutrient that you should consume contained in a portion of the product.
- A snack that contains 35 g of carbohydrates, for example, represents about 12% of the recommended daily allowance, which is about 300 g.
- Daily values are averages based on dietary recommendations for an adult who should consume approximately 2000 calories per day.
Method 2 of 2: Use a Calorie Calculator or Manual
Step 1. Use an online calorie calculator to quickly find out nutritional values
If you have a computer or a smartphone, you have many useful tools for calculating calories. Sources like the USDA's Food Composition Database or WebMD's Food Calorie Calculator record nutrition information for almost any food imaginable and make it available to you at the push of a button.
- For non-packaged foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables or restaurant meals, you don't have the option to check nutritional information. An online calorie calculator can be very useful when you want to know better what is in those foods.
- Some calorie counters only report the number of calories and recommended servings of the foods you are looking for. Others also indicate the breakdown into macronutrients.
Step 2. Bring a food composition manual with you
As an alternative to online tools, there are also traditional publications documenting the nutritional values of the most common foods. Take the manual with you when you eat out or when you shop, to get an idea of how our body uses various foods.
- Some of the best-known manuals include Corinne T. Netzer's The Complete Book of Food Counts, Susan E. Gebhardt's Nutritive Value of Foods, and USDA's Handbook of the Nutritional Value of Foods in Common Units.
- Some guides even report the nutritional values of the most common dishes in restaurants. If you've ever wanted to know how many calories are in a Big Mac, now you can find out!
Step 3. Search for a food or ingredient
Write the name of the product or browse the pages of your manual, until you find the item you are looking for. From there you can find the total calories for a serving, as well as information on the major macronutrients and recommended daily doses.
- Make sure you specify the exact quantity of the product you are looking for. Servings are often measured in cups or grams.
- Items within the food composition manual can be listed alphabetically or categorized (such as fruit, vegetables, meat, grain products or snacks).
Step 4. Search individually for the ingredients of the dishes you prepare at home
If you are curious about how many calories you consume with an entire meal, you need to consider all the ingredients individually; later you will add the values based on the quantities used in the recipe. Grab a pen and paper, so you can write down all the values as you go; this will make it much easier to calculate the sum.
- For example, to find out approximately how many calories are contained in a plate of homemade beef stew, you should refer to the entries beef, potatoes, carrots, onions and broth, then find out the calories related to the quantities used in the recipe.
- Don't forget to include ingredients like butter, oil, lard, and breadcrumbs. Often they are not considered in the calculations because they are not considered the main ingredients of the dish.
Step 5. Consider the nutritional differences between similar foods
Look at the list carefully and find the item that comes closest to the product you are using. For example, a skinned chicken breast has a higher fat and calorie content than the same cut of meat without skin. By taking the wrong entry as a reference, you can run the risk of considering your food choices healthier than they are.
- In particular, foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts and cheeses have a great many varieties. There are about 200 different types of potatoes alone!
- There are also big differences between packaged foods. In some cases, the same product may be available in 3-4 types, including low-fat, high-protein, and whole-grain varieties.
Advice
- Use a calculator to make sure the results are accurate.
- Look for fresh produce in plastic bags or containers that have nutrition information clearly marked on them.
- Apps like HealthyOut were created specifically to help consumers learn about the nutritional information of the dishes they order in restaurants.
- Keep an eye on the menus when you go out to eat. In some states, the law requires restaurants to indicate the nutritional values of dishes on the menu itself.
- If you really want to control your calorie intake, consider writing what you eat for a long time in a food diary.
