Author Archives: Calorie_Count

About Calorie_Count

CalorieCount.com is a free site that helps its over four million members solve the everyday challenges of losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. Through easily accessible nutrition information, tools for tracking calories and nutrients, practical science-based information, and a vibrant community, CalorieCount.com helps people live healthier lives.

3,000 Calories Await Americans on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is the number one food holiday in America and the day our calorie counts are the highest during the year. It’s not easy to control your portion sizes of your family’s favorite recipes, but one step to doing so is remembering that this holiday is not only about the food, it’s about giving thanks.

We thought you’d enjoy this infographic with fun Thanksgiving food facts to recognize the massive amount of calories we take in on this day so you can be mindful of what you’re eating. Slow down, enjoy the company you keep, and have a happy and healthy holiday!

Introduce some healthier Thanksgiving sides to your meal this year:

Turkey Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing

Roasted Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Roasted Pear Gravy

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Calorie_Count

Energy Drinks Under Investigation by New York State Attorney General: Is it Worth the Fight?

By Rachel Berman, RD Director of Nutrition at CalorieCount.com

Just as the new school year is getting underway and students everywhere are looking for a pick-me-up to stay focused in class, the NY State Attorney General announced his investigation of energy drinks and the safety of their caffeine levels. You might remember a couple of years ago when the USDA forced removal of products from the marketplace, such as Four Loko, which added caffeine to alcohol. They deemed it unsafe since caffeine masks the depressant qualities of alcohol and people who mix the two are more likely to binge drink, according to studies.

However, it seems like there’s a new product appearing every week touting its ability to keep you awake and energized. Energy drinks are a billion-dollar industry, the fastest growing segment of the beverage market, and they generally contain caffeine, other plant based supplements, simple sugars and additives to achieve their goal. According to the CDC, about one-third of teenage Americans consume energy drinks. But the problem is that the drinks are considered dietary supplements and therefore aren’t tightly regulated by the FDA like other foods and beverages. So can energy drinks be bad for your health?

Cap the caffeine

The caffeine content listed on energy drinks doesn’t usually exceed the recommended 400 mg per day for adult. However, if you’re downing more than one or mixing with coffee, soda, and other caffeinated beverages, you might be getting more than you need. The FDA recognizes caffeine as a drug and regulates the amount found in carbonated soft drinks, but not in energy drinks. Too much caffeine can cause increased heart beat, interrupted sleep, irritability, and nervousness. In addition, some studies have found that high caffeine content in energy drinks results in irregular heart beat and increased blood pressure. (more…)

Posted on September 7, 2023 by Calorie_Count

State of School Lunches: How MyPlate Will Start Making a Difference This Year

By Rachel Berman RD, Director of Nutrition at CalorieCount.com

Last month, the USDA celebrated its one year anniversary of releasing MyPlate to replace the decades-old food guide pyramid in order to help Americans make healthier choices at mealtime. In case you haven’t seen it yet, MyPlate is a visual representation of what your plate should look like, sectioned off with 50% attributed for fruits and vegetables, 30% grains, 20% protein and a smaller circle next to the plate representing dairy. But is the government implementing this nutrition guide focusing on balance when it comes to the National School lunch program? With more than one-third of the nation’s children and adolescents being obese and students taking in about 20-50% of their daily food at school during the school year, is the math adding up to more nutritious school lunches?

This year, the USDA is requiring a revamp of school lunches due to first lady Michelle Obama’s initiative and as a component of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act signed by the president. Beginning July 1, 2024, new school lunch and general nutrition standards started rolling out and will continue for the next five years. The main changes, which are in line with MyPlate recommendations, include ensuring:

  • Kids are offered fruits and veggies every day
  • Offered more whole grains
  • Only low fat or fat free milk
  • Monitored calorie counts based on age to limit portions (more…)
Posted on August 7, 2023 by Calorie_Count

Do Calories Count for Olympians?

By Rachel Berman RD, Director of Nutrition for CalorieCount.com

DietsinReview recently interviewed the dietitian team of the Olympics and they found that many athletes aren’t aware of the amount of calories they are consuming. Calorie counting is not just relevant for weight loss. The more strenuous a sport, the more calories an athlete needs to refuel their bodies and muscles properly for the work they are doing. In addition, it’s not as though an athlete can just copy the diet of someone else on the team. Calories burned at rest and during exercise depend on age, height, weight, body composition, among other factors. Therefore, it’s important for an athlete to get an idea for the amount of calories they burn off personally so that they can consume that much in their diets. If not getting enough or proper nutrition, athletes can definitely put their energy, endurance and game at risk.

We know of at least one Olympian who is well aware of the calories he is consuming. Gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps has been reported to eat as much as 12,000 calories per day to match the 50 miles he swims per week during training. It is more than calories that count – getting enough complex carbohydrates from sources such as grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables help give athletes the energy they need during strenuous activity. (more…)

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Calorie_Count

5 Healthy Habits for Hot Summer Days

By Rachel Berman, RD, Csr, Cdn for Calorie Count

As summer rolls in everyone wants to take full advantage of the longer days and warmer weather. This year, make the most of your summer by focusing on simple, healthy activities that you can do every day of the week!

Get moving together with your friends or family every evening for a walk, jog, or bike ride. This is a great way to enjoy the weather, have some bonding time with your loved ones, and get your exercise in. Working out with others will motivate you and keep you accountable, too. On the weekends, head to the local pool for a great full body workout.

Take a trip to the farmers market and check out what’s in season. You’ll be surprised at the vast variety of fruits and vegetables available, and each week you’ll find something new. Because this produce is recently harvested it will be more fresh and nutritious than produce from the supermarket. Buying from the farmers market also supports the community and local farmers! (more…)

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Calorie_Count

Healthy Cooking For One College Grad on a Budget

By Rachel Berman, RD, Director of Nutrition at CalorieCount.com

Whether you are a new graduate off your campus meal plan and living on your own for the first time, or just need tips on how to stock your kitchen without breaking the bank, below are tips and staples for eating healthy at home when it’s a setting for one.

Plan Your Menu

Meal planning reduces stress, saves money, and reduces food waste. A fun money saver is to pick a “theme” each week. For example, if you pick Mexican food for one week, versatile ingredients for various meals might include salsa, black beans, avocados, cheese, corn, and whole wheat tortillas. With these ingredients plus staples (see below) you could make plenty from black bean quesadillas to spicy egg scrambles and southwestern salads or wraps.

Minimize Mess and Save Time with One Pot Methods

Slow cookers are inexpensive, come in many sizes, and recipes that use them do not require a lot of effort or clean up.  Same idea goes with anything that stir-fries and just uses one skillet. (more…)

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Calorie_Count

4 Foods to Spring Clean Your Health

By Rachel Berman, RD – Director of Nutrition, CalorieCount.com

Spring time is here and your spring cleaning may already be well under way. This year, in addition to tackling your closet and cleaning underneath the couch, focus on ‘detox’-ing to spring clean your health. No, I’m not talking about expensive drinks and celebrity cleanses which can be harmful to our bodies with short-lived results. These are marketing gimmicks to get you to shell out money for something you will have to do time and time again. By making changes to your diet, you can naturally ‘detox’ with healthy foods. Add these foods on a regular basis to optimize your health and feel your best inside and out.

Leafy Greens such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale contain cancer fighting compounds called glucosinolates. They are also a great source of calcium which is important for muscle contraction and therefore, can improve the ‘spring in your step.’ Frozen veggies can often be even more nutritious than fresh since they are frozen at the peak of ripeness. Try always keeping a bag in your freezer for quick and easy addition to meals.

Citrus Fruits are loaded with soluble fiber. This type of fiber increases the amount of healthy bacteria in your colon to help flush out toxins from your system. They are also loaded with immune boosting nutrients and antioxidants such as vitamin C, which can improve the health of your skin. Choose the whole fruits, not juices, to get the maximum fiber benefit and improve satiation. (more…)

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Calorie_Count

Beginner’s Guide to Container Gardening for Healthy Veggies

by Rachel Berman RD, Director of Nutrition, CalorieCount.com

Growing your own food sounds very overwhelming but you can do it easily with very little space, even in an urban environment. March is also the perfect time to start preparing your own garden to grow plants and herbs for the spring and summer months ahead. As if you need reasons why, it ensures you have fresh produce on hand, is a great way to teach your children about eating healthy, can help you save money, plus studies show that gardening relieves stress! From an environmental standpoint, you can help decrease pollution by growing without the use of pesticides and reduce the need for trucks that transport food all over the country. Finally, what could taste more delicious than a plant that you grow and pluck at its peak of ripeness just steps away from your kitchen door?

Contain your garden

Many people in urban environments do not have a backyard let alone a square foot of land to grow plants. By practicing ‘container gardening’, basically growing in any sort of container that can hold soil, plants and drain water, you can bring your garden to a patio, or even indoors as long as there is plenty of sunshine. Check out this comprehensive guide to how to get started with container gardening and what fruits, vegetables, and herbs are easiest to grow.
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Posted on March 4, 2024 by Calorie_Count

A Heart to Heart on Healthy Foods

Prepared by Director of Nutrition of CalorieCount.com Rachel Berman RD

While you are thinking about what to buy that special someone for Valentine’s Day this February, also consider giving yourself the gift of heart health. Whether you have dropped off on your New Year’s Resolution or just need a renewed sense of motivation, the American Heart Association’s designated Heart Health Month has come at a perfect time. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America and by making swaps in your diet you can take steps towards prevention.

Love it: Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats found in oily fish, enriched products such as eggs, and supplements. They can reduce your risk for heart disease by lowering blood pressure, increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, and reducing inflammation in your body that can damage blood vessels. A study published this month in Circulation, also found that older adults with higher levels of omega-3 in their blood were 30% less likely to suffer from an irregular heartbeat. If you aren’t a fan of fish like salmon or tuna, you can also get a dose of omega-3 in with flaxseed and walnuts.

Leave it: Saturated & trans fatty acids

Foods high in saturated fat raise blood cholesterol which can damage your arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke. Saturated fat is found in full fat dairy, meats and even some vegetable products like coconut and palm kernel oil. Read labels to avoid products with trans fat. It is a man-made product that increases ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, and suppresses protective, ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

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Posted on February 13, 2024 by Calorie_Count

4 Steps to Beating the Holiday Hangover

By Rachel Berman RD, Director of Nutrition at CalorieCount.com

You may have spent the past couple of months gorging on holiday treats, avoiding the gym, and making promises that you’ll get back on track come January. Have you starting living your healthy lifestyle yet or are you still overcoming a holiday hangover? Either way, here are tips to help you recover from your holiday indulgences and make healthy changes all year long.

1) Avoid fads

At the beginning of each New Year, we are bombarded with the marketing of diet and exercise products and services. Don’t be fooled by lofty promises of ‘easy & fast weight loss.’ Restrictive fad diets, and extreme exercise might result in weight loss but it will not get you very far. Research shows that extreme programs are unrealistic to maintain for the long term and once you go off of it, you are likely to gain back all the weight you lost, plus more. When we make small, manageable changes to our everyday routines, we are more likely to have long term health success. What healthy changes are realistic for you? If you can incorporate one of these changes at a time, and be patient with reaching your goals, come March, you will still be on the path to a healthy lifestyle. Having support from your loved ones or a community can help make those changes stick!

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Posted on January 8, 2024 by Calorie_Count

Stay on Track Despite Holiday Traveling Pitfalls

By Rachel Berman RD, Director of Nutrition at CalorieCount.com

Over the river and through the woods or wherever else you plan to go this year, traveling for the holidays can throw a wrench into your healthy lifestyle efforts. From impulse snack buys to big sit-down dinners, it is true many Americans gain about a pound each holiday season that sticks and accumulates over the years. Despite hectic holiday travel, you can avoid that pound or more by following a few easy steps.

Plan Ahead

Packing healthy snacks is always a smart decision when you are on the go. If there is a chance you may get stuck in an airport or in traffic, plan ahead to stave off your hunger with an easy-to-pack snack like trail mix, a protein bar, fresh fruit, a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, or any other non-perishable snack. With nutritious, tasty options at your fingertips, you will not be as tempted by less-than-ideal snacks for sale and will be less likely to show up at your destination ravenous, ready to overeat. In addition, waiting many hours between meals can contribute to a slower metabolism. So if you think you should skip the snack and save the calories for later, think again.

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Posted on December 7, 2023 by Calorie_Count