Tag Archives: calorie count

Inca Peanuts Touted as Best Snack for Weight Loss

Mary Hartley, RD, MPH, is the director of nutrition for Calorie Count, providing domain expertise on issues related to nutrition, weight loss and health. She creates original content for weekly blogs and newsletters, for the Calorie Count library, and for her popular daily Question-and-Answer section, Ask Mary. Ms. Hartley also furnishes direction for the site features and for product development.

Not only did Dr. Oz inherit Oprah’s timeslot, he also snagged “The Oprah Effect,” (When Oprah endorses a product, business explodes.) Case in point: Inca Peanuts. Had you heard of them before?

Here’s what Dr. Oz wants you to know.

“Inca Peanuts are the best snack for weight loss,” according to Dr. Oz. That’s because they control your appetite. They don’t suppress it like diet pills. Inca Peanuts are loaded with protein, fiber and fat, three nutrients that promote satiety. Inca Peanuts take the edge off hunger.

The protein in Inca Peanuts has all the essential amino acids, just like in animal foods. And the protein is highly digestible, as plant proteins go. Inca Peanuts are high in fiber with 6 grams of fiber per ounce. As a point of reference, one ounce of regular peanuts has only 2.4 grams of fiber.

(more…)

Posted on June 18, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Should You Spring Clean Your System With a Detox?

Calorie Counters want to know whether or not it is wise to cleanse the system with a detox diet. Here are a few of the readers’ favorite “Ask Mary Q+As” about spring cleaning.

Should I fast to prepare my system for a change?

Fasting is unnecessary. Your system does not need to prepare for change. In a fast lasting longer than a day or two, the body starts to breakdown some of its muscles and organs to generate fuel for the central nervous system. Because muscle is a major calorie burner, less muscle could lead to lowering overall calorie requirements, which could make it more difficult to lose weight in the future. And then, due to feast-or-famine thinking, food deprivation could lead to overeating when food becomes available again. Instead of fasting, it’s best to just go ahead and begin to eat a balanced diet of wholesome food at a lower calorie level.

(more…)

Posted on April 17, 2024 by GuestBlogger

The Best of “Ask Mary” Valentine’s Day Edition

Calorie Count members want to know, “Why can’t a woman be more like a man?” Here are a few of our readers’ favorite “Ask Mary” questions about the differences in dieting and weight between the sexes.

Ask Mary: Why do men lose weight more easily than women?

Compared to women, men just have higher calorie requirements. It’s easier for them to create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight. Men have high testosterone levels and testosterone makes them build muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue that burns calories. If you compare a man to a woman of the same height, weight, age, and activity level, the man will need 15 percent more calories than the woman. Coupled with a man’s tendency to be taller and bigger, it’s easy to see why men need more calories. And so when men eat less, there is a huge gap between the amount they need and they eat, which promotes quick weight loss. Women, on the other hand, have a completely different fat-to-muscle ratio with more fat to support the demands of pregnancy and lactation. Their day-to-day calorie requirements are lower and so their calorie deficit is less.

(more…)

Posted on February 6, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Americans Still Waiting for Missing 2024 Dietary Guidelines’ Release

UPDATE 1/31/2024: The 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released this morning. A full rundown on the changes can be found here.

The nutrition community has been expectantly waiting for the 2024 Dietary Guidelines, which at this point, are a month late in their release. The Guidelines contain the authoritative information about the best diet to prevent disease. Since 1980, they have been published every five years by law.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are jointly published by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They are revised to reflect scientific advances in the knowledge of what constitutes an ideal diet. They are the basis of Federal nutrition education programs, including My Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts labels, and they guide the foods that are offered by School Lunch, WIC and other Federal nutrition programs.

(more…)

Posted on January 31, 2024 by GuestBlogger

SMART Planning for New Year’s Resolution Success

Want to know about getting a jump start on lifestyle changes that commonly begin after the New Year? Here are a few reader question favorites from “Ask Mary Q+As” about planning for change.

Ask Mary: Where should I start with my healthy lifestyle change?

Start with changing one thing and add others over time. It’s always best to practice the change that brings you the most joy. To find the parts of your diet in need of change, keep a food log for 3 to 7 days – before changing the way you eat. Do you snack between meals, frequently eat in restaurants, or neglect to eat at least 5 fruits or vegetables a day? Would you like to give up soda or might you prefer to slowdown your eating? Each change is noble and should be greeted as an adventure. Once you decide upon a change to make, set a S-M-A-R-T goal that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. For instance, instead of saying, “I’m going to exercise”, get S-M-A-R-T. Say, “I will walk for 20 minutes at lunchtime Monday through Thursday”. Then envision yourself easily reaching your goal and you’re part way there!

(more…)

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Natalie K

Ask Mary Answers How You Can Control Your Metabolism

Calorie Count members want to know about specific foods that affect metabolic rate (the speed at which the body uses calories for fuel.) Here are two of the readers’ favorite “Ask Mary Q+As” about metabolism and food. (more…)

Posted on November 13, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Ask Mary Answers Your Burning Questions About Belly Fat

Calorie Count members are more concerned with belly fat than with any other weight issue. Here are two of the readers’ favorite “Ask Mary Q+As” about weight around the middle.

Ask Mary: What is the quickest way to tone my midsection? (more…)

Posted on October 21, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Healthier Beer Choices for Oktoberfest

When you hear “Oktoberfest“, what comes to mind? If you are anything like me, it’s beer. Beer can be a caloric bomb, though, next bringing to mind the term “beer belly”.

Beer doesn’t contain fat; however, it does have tons of carbohydrates, protein and alcohol- and that’s it. Beer is the epitome of empty calories, giving you all the calories with no vitamins, minerals or redeeming health qualities whatsoever. A gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, a gram of protein 4 calories, and a gram of alcohol has a little over 7 calories. This is why different beers can have higher calorie counts in relation to their alcohol content.

To keep things in perspective, I found this information online at realbeer.com: “A five-ounce glass of wine contains about 125 calories; one ounce of distilled spirits, 90 proof, 75 calories. Beyond the world of alcohol: an eight-ounce glass of milk has 160 calories, one ounce of potato chips 160 calories, a banana split 550 calories, and a Burger King Whopper 650 calories. Oh yeah, just six French fries have 12 grams of fat (about as many calories as a light beer).” (more…)

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Carmen

Calorie Count App Makes Food Journaling Easy on Your iPhone

One of the biggest challenges of keeping a food journal is trying to figure out how many calories are in many of the foods we eat everyday. We know fruits and veggies are good for us, but how many calories are really in a serving? The new Calorie Count iPhone app, created by CalorieCount.com, makes food journaling super easy. It even gives each food a grade, so you can feel good about eating that “A” salad.

Once you download the free app, set up an account that has your vital stats, such as age and weight. Then search for the food you eat and them select how much, and Calorie Count figures out how many calories you ate for you. Then just save that amount to your daily log. Searching for foods at first can be a little tedious, but after you find something once, you can save it to your “favorite foods” for quick future use.

(more…)

Posted on September 1, 2023 by Health Buzz

Is KFC’s Double Down Calorie Count Accurate?

The newest culinary celebrity to hit the red carpet is a cute little sandwich called the Double Down, courtesy of KFC. A fast-food chicken lover’s dream and a health foodie’s nightmare, (DIR actually called it “frightening”), the Double Down is cheese, sauce, and bacon between two pieces of chicken, either fried or grilled.

The Original Recipe (read: fried) Double Down has 540 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, 1,380 mg of sodium, and one gram of fiber. The grilled Double Down (for the health conscious, of course) is 460 calories, nine grams of saturated fat, 1,430 mg of sodium, and zero grams of fiber.

(more…)

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Rebecca

Calories in Your Favorite Halloween Candy

Who doesn’t love Halloween? With free candy and a bonafide reason to dress up in a wacky get-up, it’s tough not to have a secret soft-spot for this sugary-sweet holiday.

While we all make Halloween resolutions such as “I’ll only allow myself two pieces of candy,” or “I’m donating all leftover candy to the local soup kitchen,” you can safely indulge in your favorite Halloween treats without harboring guilt or using a padlock to protect yourself from raiding your child’s Halloween bag. Need proof? Here’s a look at the nutritional stats of some of your favorite spooky-time eats so that you can savor the fun of this holiday and still look great in your skinny jeans. Plan these nibbles into your daily calorie budget.

Four plain Hershey’s Kisses: 104 calories
One fun-sized pack of plain M&M’s: 88 calories
One fun-sized pack of peanut M&M’s: 93 calories (more…)

Posted on October 26, 2023 by heather

Tag Archives: calorie count

Advertising Disclosure