How to count cals/macros?

MissMotivated

This might sound like a stuipid question but how do you go about counting cals in foods which you make yourself or which don't have a package with nutritional value on? I just want to be more aware of cals in food I'm eating.
For instance I make my own steak mince bologneise, so for the veg do I weigh each type seperately and look up the cals in that amount somehere? And for my sauce I use tinned tomatos, a squirt of puree, a few sprinkles of chilli and basil and pepper, how do I get the cals if I'm only using a sprinkle of something? And where do these come into it for macros?
Also for example porridge, I make it with water and have it with skimmed milk and a sprinkle of xylitol, are the cals in the oats the same whether cooked or uncooked? Should I be measuring how much water I put in and then milk aswell?

Thanks in advance!

ApeXaviour

MissMotivated wrote: »

For instance I make my own steak mince bologneise, so for the veg do I weigh each type seperately and look up the cals in that amount somehere?

Yes, it gets easier with time, especially if you make it again with the same ingredients. Or a multiple of them. I'm sure people will suggest good websites, I usually just google them or read the package it came on.

And for my sauce I use tinned tomatos, a squirt of puree, a few sprinkles of chilli and basil and pepper, how do I get the cals if I'm only using a sprinkle of something?

Sprinkles of chilli/basil/pepper have negligible calories, as with pretty much all spices and herbs. Ignore them, same with soy sauce. It's not the case with all condiments though, ketchup has quite a bit of sugar in it for example.

The tin of tomatoes should have nutritional information on the back, as would the puree. I'd just make a quick estimate with that as a squirt is going to be pretty darn low anyway.

Also for example porridge, I make it with water and have it with skimmed milk and a sprinkle of xylitol, are the cals in the oats the same whether cooked or uncooked?

Yes. Weigh the oats dry first. 100g dry oats is approximately 390 calories, that won't change after it's been cooked.

Should I be measuring how much water I put in and then milk aswell?

Water has no calories in it so add as much or as little as you like. You can weigh or measure the milk (1g=1ml) and work out from the back of the carton how many calories that is. 100ml low fat milk is approx. 50cal, skim is about 35 I believe. I'll tend to weigh it out in numbers that are easy to work out like 150ml of low fat milk is 75 cal etc.

MissMotivated

Thanks a million for the reply ApeXaviour. I don't intend on getting obsessed with counting cals at all but I'd like to have a better idea of cals I'm taking in

ApeXaviour

No problem. It's definitely a good idea. I caved and started doing it recently. I have a fair idea about nutrition and I thought I had a good eye for these things. I was shocked to discover just how much was in some of the stuff I ate, eg a bowl of muesli...

I was also surprised how little was in some others*



*I've stuffed myself with tuna and broccoli before and it only totalled 300 calories!

MissMotivated

You see that's the thing I have a feeling I'm completely misjudging cals in some foods, I could be guessing forever so better to find out exactly

steps_3314

.

El_Dangeroso

Speaking of calorie counts, it's nearly impossible to get an accurate one. So many things can vary depending on the ripeness of veg, the marbling of meat, how much you cook the food etc.

Don't think packaged food has it all figured out either, it seems a lot of the low calorie food manufacturers are just lying:

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Low-calorie-foods-could-contain-more-energy-than-labels-state

MissMotivated

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

Speaking of calorie counts, it's nearly impossible to get an accurate one. So many things can vary depending on the ripeness of veg, the marbling of meat, how much you cook the food etc.

Don't think packaged food has it all figured out either, it seems a lot of the low calorie food manufacturers are just lying:

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Low-calorie-foods-could-contain-more-energy-than-labels-state

ah lord it just gets harder an harder!! I am just going to have to hope that my calculations and the packages aren't a million miles off :rolleyes:

ApeXaviour

It's all estimated, I wouldn't worry about it. Your body isn't a balance scale, a few % either side is going to make very little difference. On the whole you will be far more than accurate enough for your purposes.


If you're keeping a food diary just remember to write everything down, especially that brownie bought while on your morning break. It's amazing how people just "forget" about these things. Alcohol too, a naggin of vodka is ~550cal and that only has water and alcohol in it. Beers and wines have loads of sugars too.

MissMotivated

Yep am keeping a food diary on here, i find it really helps. Yeah if I can estimate roughly that will do

foodproof.me

Hi MissMotivated

I had the same question some time ago not knowing how to get the info so I set up my own website (www.foodproof.me) with a database containing generic foods and their nutrition values. You can calculate, that is add and record on the website or just take the info from the search results.

foodproof.me

MissMotivated wrote: »

This might sound like a stuipid question but how do you go about counting cals in foods which you make yourself or which don't have a package with nutritional value on? I just want to be more aware of cals in food I'm eating.
For instance I make my own steak mince bologneise, so for the veg do I weigh each type seperately and look up the cals in that amount somehere? And for my sauce I use tinned tomatos, a squirt of puree, a few sprinkles of chilli and basil and pepper, how do I get the cals if I'm only using a sprinkle of something? And where do these come into it for macros?
Also for example porridge, I make it with water and have it with skimmed milk and a sprinkle of xylitol, are the cals in the oats the same whether cooked or uncooked? Should I be measuring how much water I put in and then milk aswell?

Thanks in advance!