Calorie counting

evll_z

evll_z

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[Mod.Edit: this and several other following posts moved to form new topic (MG)] N.B. This post was in reply to this from garlichead

Sorry, I guess, I have been counting calories for too long :shy:

No, of course, the amount of calories does not determine if something is healthy or not. "healthy" was a wrong term in this case, because I am mostly interested in low-calorie dishes at the moment. But that makes cooking even more difficult probably.
 
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evll_z said:
Sorry, I guess, I have been counting calories for too long :shy:

No, of course, the amount of calories does not determine if something is healthy or not. "healthy" was a wrong term in this case, because I am mostly interested in low-calorie dishes at the moment. But that makes cooking even more difficult probably.
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I'm someone who counts calories though not religiously and I'm very interested in creating low(ish) calorie 'gourmet' recipes. Maybe you should start a new thread on this topic evll_z?
 
evll_z said:
Sorry, I guess, I have been counting calories for too long :shy:

No, of course, the amount of calories does not determine if something is healthy or not. "healthy" was a wrong term in this case, because I am mostly interested in low-calorie dishes at the moment. But that makes cooking even more difficult probably.
Click to expand...
Ok, cool. Low calorie is more challenging for sure. Maybe post some of your favorites. Cheers.
 
Welcome!

garlichead said:
Welcome aboard. Interesting that you associate unhealthy with the amount of calories in an ingredient. I think that is what your saying?
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High calorie is a pretty good proxy for unhealthy, so I don't think there's anything wrong with associating the two things. It's even more accurate if you combine it with how filling something seems - calories from unhealthy things don't leave you satisfied unless you consume a ton of them.
 
NailBat said:
Welcome!


High calorie is a pretty good proxy for unhealthy, so I don't think there's anything wrong with associating the two things. It's even more accurate if you combine it with how filling something seems - calories from unhealthy things don't leave you satisfied unless you consume a ton of them.
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There are definitely differences in caloris. There are "empty calories" in things like sugary soft drinks -- lots of calories, with no real nutritional value.

But, then there are guys like TJ Watt, who eats an 8,000 calorie per day diet. But, he is also a top professional (American) football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He eats healthy calories with a lot of nutrients, and burns a lot of calories with his daily workouts and game days.

Screen Shot 2021-10-18 at 10.51.24 PM.jpg


CD
 
NailBat said:
Welcome!


High calorie is a pretty good proxy for unhealthy, so I don't think there's anything wrong with associating the two things. It's even more accurate if you combine it with how filling something seems - calories from unhealthy things don't leave you satisfied unless you consume a ton of them.
Click to expand...
Everyone pretty much is confused on what calories are. The dieting industry and media has created most of this and it can be frustrating to make sense of nutrition some times, there's no doubt about that.

A calorie is just the unit of energy it take to increase the temperature of 1 gm of water 1 degree Celsius. We assign calories to foods so that we can determine through thermodynamics how many are required by the body for our Energy Balance Equation which determines weight gain and loss. Pretty simple stuff, nutritionally speaking. Basically speaking other than trans fats there is no such thing as unhealthy food (calories), just unhealthy diets and how many calories (food) a person requires will vary according to their individual needs like caseydog's example above.

We could have a variety of foods for 2 meals that are comprised of oreo cookies, cake and icecream vs salmon, rice, vegetables and fruit both with equal calories, which is the healthier meal? Hope this example helps, cheers.
 
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garlichead said:
Everyone pretty much is confused on what calories are. The dieting industry and media has created most of this and it can be frustrating to make sense of nutrition some times, there's no doubt about that.

A calorie is just the unit of energy it take to increase the temperature of 1 gm of water 1 degree Celsius. We assign calories to foods so that we can determine through thermodynamics how many are required by the body for our Energy Balance Equation which determines weight gain and loss. Pretty simple stuff, nutritionally speaking. Basically speaking other than trans fats there is no such thing as unhealthy food (calories), just unhealthy diets and how many calories (food) a person requires will vary according to their individual needs like caseydog's example above.

We could have a variety of foods for 2 meals that are comprised of oreo cookies, cake and icecream vs salmon, rice, vegetables and fruit both with equal calories, which is the healthier meal? Hope this example helps, cheers.
Click to expand...
You have to concoct some pretty extreme examples, like Oreos vs salmon and rice, to find a situation where calories don't work as a simple way of determining healthy. Even in that example, the same calories of the healthy meal will leave you more satiated than that many calories of dessert.

I know people like to point out that "its not that simple", but with a little common sense, the idea that "high calorie is unhealthy" is close enough to the truth while also being simple enough to follow.
 
NailBat said:
You have to concoct some pretty extreme examples, like Oreos vs salmon and rice, to find a situation where calories don't work as a simple way of determining healthy. Even in that example, the same calories of the healthy meal will leave you more satiated than that many calories of dessert.

I know people like to point out that "its not that simple", but with a little common sense, the idea that "high calorie is unhealthy" is close enough to the truth while also being simple enough to follow.
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You missed the point.

Your argument dictates that 4 ounces of salmon is not as healthy as 2 ounces of salmon based on the amount of calories, is that your argument?
 
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My two cents on this: I eat a bit of everything and follow the Mediterranean diet, which common sense tells us that eating a bit of everything is fine, even overdoing it as long as you are then able to eliminate those extra calories with movement or sporting activity, or simply balancing out with something lighter the next day.
 
I've been eating low-cal foods. I drink only low-fat (1%) milk & drink diet soda & orange juice. I drink coffee black with no cream or sugar. :whistling:
 
garlichead said:
You missed the point.

Your argument dictates that 4 ounces of salmon is not as healthy as 2 ounces of salmon based on the amount of calories, is that your argument?
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Portion size does matter. On reason cited for obesity these days is the size of portions, especially in restaurant/fast food settings.

But, more important is what comes with your calories. With a can of Coca Cola, not much (or Oreos). With a plate of salmon, with veggies on the side, you get calories PLUS a whole lot of things your body needs, like protein, vitamins and minerals.

CD
 
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