Resources
Calories, Calories, Calories
Below is a basic list of calorie counts for vegetables, fruits, starchy vegetables, starches, milks and yogurts, meats and exchanges, and fats! This list is just to get you started, please, please, invest in a calorie counting book which will have the calories of thousands of foods, or go online and look up whatever foods you need. In order to lose weight, you must be aware of how much you are consuming. So become an expert in counting calories and start using them wisely!
Vegetables - non-starchy
- Serving size 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw
- 25 calories per serving
- It's recommended that you eat at least 3 servings a day, but eat more. It's the key to weight loss!
- The best bang for your caloric budget, vegetables are very low in calories.
It is recommended that you get at least 5 servings a day! Eat them raw, roasted, or steamed. Vegetables are the way to go for weight loss, especially if you are a volume eater.
- Artichoke
- Artichoke hearts
- Asparagus
- Beans (green, waxed, Italian)
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Green onions
- Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip)
- Leeks
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Onions
- Pea Pods
- Peppers (Green, yellow, red, jalapeño, banana)
- Radishes
- Salad greens (endive, escarole, lettuce, romaine, spinach)
- Sauerkraut
- Spinach
- Yellow Squash
- Tomato
- Turnips
- Water Chestnuts
- Watercress
- Zucchini
Vegetables - starchy
- Serving sizes vary, so make sure to note what is listed.
- 80 calories per serving
- These vegetables are higher in calories, so be aware of what you are eating and watch portion sizes.
| Food |
Portion |
| Baked beans |
1/3 cup |
| Corn |
1/2 Cup |
| Corn on Cob |
1 5oz. |
| Peas, green |
1/2 cup |
| Baked potato |
1 very small, 3 oz. |
| Squash, winter (acorn, butternut, pumpkin) |
1 cup |
| Yam, sweet potato, plain |
I very small, 3 oz. |
Fruits
- Serving Sizes vary, so note what is listed
- 60 calories per serving
- In general, 60 calories amounts to 1 small to medium fresh fruit, 1/2 cup canned or fresh fruit, 1/4 cup dried fruit.
- If you are using canned fruit, make sure to check ingredients so no extra sugar has been added! If so, you must count it in your calories!
| Food |
Portion |
| Apple |
1 small 4oz. |
| Applesauce, unsweetened |
1/2 cup |
| Apples, dried, |
4 rings |
| Apricots, fresh, |
4 whole or 5 1/2 oz |
| Banana |
1 small, 4 oz |
| Blackberries |
3/4 cup |
| Blueberries |
3/4 cup |
| Cantaloupe |
11 oz. or 1 cup cubes |
| Cherries |
12 or 3 oz |
| Dates |
3 |
| Figs |
11/2 large, 2 medium or 3 1/2 oz |
| Figs dried |
1 1/2 |
| Fruit cocktail |
1/2 cup |
| Grapefruit large |
1/2 or 11 oz |
| Grapefruit sections, canned |
3/4 cup |
| Honeydew melon |
10 oz or 1 cup cubes |
| Kiwi |
1 31/2 oz |
| Mandarin oranges canned |
3/4 cup |
| Mango small |
1/2 fruit, 51/2 oz, or 1/2 cup |
| Nectarine |
small, 1 5oz |
| Orange |
small, 1 61/2 small |
Starches
- 80 calories per serving
- Cereals, grains, crackers, starchy vegetables, snacks, cooked beans, peas, and lentils are starches.
- One starch is usually:
1/2 cup of cereal, grain, pasta, or starchy vegetable, I slice of bread, 3/4 to 1 ounce of most snack foods.
Tip: always check Nutrition Facts on the food label, watch for fats, and look on-line to know exactly how much of a starch you are eating.
Bread
| Food |
Portion |
| Bagel |
1/2 |
| Bread, reduced-calorie |
2 slices |
| Bread sticks, small |
2 |
| English muffin |
1/2 |
| Hot dog or hamburger bun |
1/2 |
| Pita, 6 inches |
1/2 |
| Roll, small |
1 |
| Tortilla |
1 |
| Waffle |
1 |
Cereal and grains
| Food |
Portion |
| Cereals |
3/4 cup |
| Couscous |
1/3 cup |
| Flour (dry) |
3 T |
| Granola, low-fat |
1/4 cup |
| Kasha |
1/2 cup |
| Oats, Oatmeal |
1/2 cup |
| Pasta, noodles macaroni |
1/2 cup cooked |
| Rice Milk |
1/2 cup |
| Rice, white or brown |
1/3 cup |
| Wheat germ |
3 T |
Starchy Vegetables
| Food |
Portion |
| Baked Beans |
1/3 cup |
| Corn |
1/2 cup |
| Corn on cob, medium |
1 |
| Peas, green |
1/2 cup |
| Potato, baked or broiled |
1 small |
| Potato, mashed |
1/2 cup |
| Squash, winter (acorn, butternut, pumpkin) |
1 cup |
| Yam, sweet potato |
1 small, 1/2 large |
Crackers and Snacks
| Food |
Portion |
| Animal Crackers |
8 |
| Graham crackers |
3 small squares |
| Matzoh |
3/4 ounce |
| Melba toast |
4 |
| Oyster crackers |
24 |
| Popcorn, plain |
3 cups |
| Pretzels |
3/4 ounce |
| Rice cakes |
2 |
| Saltine crackers |
6 |
| Snack chips, fat-free |
15-20 |
Beans, Peas, and Lentils
| Food |
Portion |
| Black-eyed |
1/2 cup |
| Garbanzo beans |
1/2 cup |
| Kidney beans |
1/2 cup |
| Lima beans |
2/3 cup |
| Pinto beans |
1/2 cup |
| White beans |
1/2 cup |
| Lentils |
1/2 cup |
| Split Peas, green |
1/2 cup |
Milk and Yogurt
- Serving sizes vary, note where listed
- Fat Free varieties have 90 calories per serving.
- Low fat varieties have 120 calories per serving.
- Whole fat varieties have 150 calories per serving.
| Food |
Portion |
| Fat-free milk |
1 cup |
| Plain nonfat yogurt |
3/4 cup |
| Nonfat or low-fat fruit flavored artificially sweetened yogurt |
1 cup |
| 2/% milk |
1 cup |
| Plain low-fat yogurt |
3/4 cup |
| Whole milk |
1 cup |
| Fruit sweetened yogurt |
1 cup |
Meat, Fish, Cheese
- Very lean meat and substitutes have 35 calories per serving.
- Lean meat and substitutes have 55 calories per serving.
- Medium Fat meat and substitutes have 75 calories per serving.
- High fat meat and substitutes have 100 calories per serving.
Very lean meat and substitutes
35 calories per serving
| Food |
Portion |
Poultry |
| Chicken, turkey, Cornish hen; white meat, no skin |
1 oz. |
Fish, Shellfish |
| Cod, flounder, haddock, halibout, trout, tuna |
1 oz. |
| Clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp, shellfish |
1 oz. |
Cheese and other |
| Non-fat or low fat cottage cheese |
1/2 cup |
| Fat-free cheese |
2 oz. |
| Egg whites |
3 |
| Hot dogs w/ 1 gram or less fat per ounce |
1 oz. |
Lean meat and substitutes
55 calories per serving
| Food |
Portion |
Beef |
| Lean beef; round, sirloin, flank steak; tenderloin, roast |
1 oz. |
| Lean pork; fresh ham, Canadian bacon |
1 oz. |
| Lamb; roast, chop, leg |
1 oz. |
Poultry |
| Chicken, turkey; dark meat, no skin |
1 oz. |
Fish |
| Herring |
6 medium |
| Oysters |
1 oz. |
| Salmon |
1 oz. |
| Tuna; canned in oil |
1 oz. |
Cheese |
| Cottage Cheese |
1/4 cup |
| Grated Parmesian |
2 T |
Medium Fat Meat and Substitutes
75 calories per serving
| Food |
Portion |
Beef |
| Ground beef, meatloaf, corned beef, prime rib |
1 oz. |
Pork |
| Top loin, chop |
1 oz. |
Poultry |
| Chicken, dark meat w/ skin, fried chicken |
1 oz. |
| Fish; any fried fish |
1 oz. |
Cheese |
| Feta |
1 oz. |
| Mozzarella |
1 oz. |
| Ricotta |
2 oz. |
Other |
| Egg |
1 |
| Tofu |
4 oz. |
High-Fat Meat and substitutes
100 calories per serving
| Food |
Portion |
| Cheese, all regular |
1 oz. |
| Hot dog |
1/2 |
| Peanut butter |
1 T |
Pork |
| Spareribs, Ground por, pork sausage |
1 oz. |
| Salami |
1 oz. |
Fats
- 1 Fat exchange equals 45 calories
- serving sizes vary, so note where indicated
- All fats are high in calories so watch portions!!!
| Food |
Portion |
| Avacodo |
1 oz. |
| Bacon |
1 slice |
| Butter |
1 tsp. |
| Coconut |
2 T |
| Cream, half and half |
2 T |
| Cream cheese regular |
1 T |
| Cream cheese, reduced fat |
2 T |
| Margarine |
1 tsp. |
| Mayonnaise, regular |
1 tsp |
| Mayonnaise, reduced fat |
1 T |
| Oil |
1 t |
Olives |
| Black |
8 large |
| Green stuffed |
10 large |
Nuts |
| Almonds |
6 |
| Cashews |
6 |
| Peanuts |
10 |
| Pecans |
4 halves |
| Salad dressing, regular |
1 T |
| Salad dressing, reduced fat |
2 T |
| Seeds; sesame, pumpkin, sunflower |
1 T |
Sour cream; regular
| 2 Tbs. |
| Sour cream, reduced fat |
3 Tbs. |
