30 foods under 40 Calories and relevant recipes for each

[RogerThat]

If snacking on high calorie junk throughout the day (and night!) is a barrier to good health and maintaining a reasonably balanced weight, then you might have a gander at these foods: these are the groups which are probably unique considering the fact they need more calories to consume and *digest than they actually provide!! They include such exhilarating vegetables as broccoli, mushrooms and asparagus (my all time favorite veg!)

http://www.health.com/health/m/gallery/ ... _2,00.html

(The recipes are hyperlinked in pink text for each food type)

*The digestion stage of these high fibre foods is the main benefit of many of them.

[LollyKat]

From page one of that site:

Turns out the negative calorie theory is a myth. But that doesn’t mean some foods aren't incredibly low-calorie and super-nutritious. Here’s a list of our favorite almost-zero-calorie foods, with recipes.

http://www.health.com/health/m/gallery/ ... 04,00.html

Some nice recipes there.

[RogerThat]

From page one of that site:

Turns out the negative calorie theory is a myth. But that doesn’t mean some foods aren't incredibly low-calorie and super-nutritious. Here’s a list of our favorite almost-zero-calorie foods, with recipes.

http://www.health.com/health/m/gallery/ ... 04,00.html

Some nice recipes there.

It's true these foods won't make you lose 'extra' weight just by eating them, but because they are SO low calorie and high in fibre, if you replace the foods you generally snack with then not only will you get caloric benefit in terms of deficit, but a metabolic boost in terms of immune systems, lipid improvement and overall bowel and urinary function (try eight sticks of Asparagus and you'll see what I mean). If there's one mantra I have with my patients it's 'metabolism, metabolism, metabolism!! '

[axel_knutt]

250 Calorie meals? A man who does no exercise requires about 2400 Cals/day, so that's about 800 Cals per meal. It seems to me that anyone who needs 250 Cal meals is eating too much between meals.

[RogerThat]

250 Calorie meals? A man who does no exercise requires about 2400 Cals/day, so that's about 800 Cals per meal. It seems to me that anyone who needs 250 Cal meals is eating too much between meals.

2400-2600 Calories per day is the recommended amount for an *active* man, a sedentary person can get by on much less (A sedentary man over 50 needs only 1800-2000 cals per day to maintain normal weight). If you're following a caloric deficit diet of 1300-1500 cals per day, then a 250 calorie breakfast or lunch is about right. This means you consume most of your calories in your evening meal 6-800 cals and the rest in fluids and snacks.

On a 5+2 diet my patients have a low cal breakfast of porridge or omelette (150 cals) and regular low cal 450 cal main meal skipping lunch on the two days per week fast. It's not a particularly difficult or onerous diet to stick to as you can eat normally (within reason) the other 5 days a week. 5+2 is around 50% more effective at regular weight loss than a traditional caloric deficit diet.

[Psamathe]

Fortunately I love several of the foods on the list.

But I do find getting enough calories a real real problem these days. Maybe because I love fruit and veg and don't seem to like higher calorific density foods so much. Even though I've not done as much cycling this year (currently below 10 miles per day when last year above 16), still fairly active and still having massive problems maintaining my weight.

Ian

[axel_knutt]

I suppose it begs a definition of the difference between active and sedentary, but I am getting less than an hour a day gentle walking at about 80bpm, and eating 2500 Cals/day.

[RogerThat]

Fortunately I love several of the foods on the list.

But I do find getting enough calories a real real problem these days. Maybe because I love fruit and veg and don't seem to like higher calorific density foods so much. Even though I've not done as much cycling this year (currently below 10 miles per day when last year above 16), still fairly active and still having massive problems maintaining my weight.

Ian

The old school way to tackle weight loss would be to keep an accurate food diary over one week - if you're over 50 (I'm not making any assumptions!) then you could probably reduce your caloric intake to 15-1600 cals per day and lose a steady 1lb per week. Most people underestimate the calories they take in daily by as much as 30%. A food diary is a good start to evaluating your eating habits and the basis for changing them. If you started your day with a breakfast of the above foods, you could probably lose 1lb per week as long as the rest of your day was 'normal' eating with no high calorie snacks!

[RogerThat]

I suppose it begs a definition of the difference between active and sedentary, but I am getting less than an hour a day gentle walking at about 80bpm, and eating 2500 Cals/day.

It does depend on your age, but if over 50 and walking is your only exercise you're probably over eating on a daily basis. As above, start a food diary and evaluate exactly what you're eating over the course of a week. Even a small reduction of 3-500 calories per day can have a very positive effect on weight loss, in combination with moderate exercise.

Most of my patients seriously underestimate the calories they take in daily. It's not their fault, it's mostly food labeling and looking term habitual over eating. Unfortunately it's their mortality at stake, which is an extremely good motivator for weight loss!

[Psamathe]

Fortunately I love several of the foods on the list.

But I do find getting enough calories a real real problem these days. Maybe because I love fruit and veg and don't seem to like higher calorific density foods so much. Even though I've not done as much cycling this year (currently below 10 miles per day when last year above 16), still fairly active and still having massive problems maintaining my weight.

Ian

The old school way to tackle weight loss would be to keep an accurate food diary over one week - if you're over 50 (I'm not making any assumptions!) then you could probably reduce your caloric intake to 15-1600 cals per day and lose a steady 1lb per week. Most people underestimate the calories they take in daily by as much as 30%. A food diary is a good start to evaluating your eating habits and the basis for changing them. If you started your day with a breakfast of the above foods, you could probably lose 1lb per week as long as the rest of your day was 'normal' eating with no high calorie snacks!

Except I don't want to lose weight. I am having problems getting enough calories i.e. I need more calories to maintain my weight. I'm finding it difficult eating enough.

Strange how whenever weight and calories are mentioned people assume everybody wants to lose weight (rather than read what is written).

Ian

[Mark1978]

Given the sheer amount of calorie dense foods available it's very easy to eat in excess of 1,000 calories in a few minutes. So not being able to get enough is a puzzle.

[LollyKat]

But I do find getting enough calories a real real problem these days. Maybe because I love fruit and veg and don't seem to like higher calorific density foods so much.

That's why! I have similar tastes and hate rich, sweet food. Being an ectomorph (thanks, Mum and Dad!) it is easier for me to lose weight than to gain it.

[661-Pete]

Well, I looked through that list, and it could almost be a complete inventory of what we've got in the fridge (apart from staples like bread, milk, cheese, butter, eggs). So we must be doing something right! As far as being able to eat healthily is concerned, we must count ourselves very fortunate, we love salads and green veg. I was a bit puzzled by the name "arugula" - the picture looks like rocket, I looked it up and it is indeed the American word for good old rocket salad - just as "zucchini" is Americanese for "courgette". But no matter what they're called, they're the same thing when you eat them! The only thing in that list that I'm not keen on is pumpkin - I much prefer a good butternut squash. Anyway pumpkin is rather high in sugar is it not?

And I was a bit surprised to see coffee in the list - I like coffee but I appreciate that it should be taken in moderation! Or is caffeine no longer a drug we ought to be careful about?

Trouble is, the 'staples' in the fridge, which I mentioned above, that sit alongside all these goodies, are rather more calorific....

[661-Pete]

Except I don't want to lose weight. I am having problems getting enough calories i.e. I need more calories to maintain my weight. I'm finding it difficult eating enough.

Strange how whenever weight and calories are mentioned people assume everybody wants to lose weight (rather than read what is written).

Lucky you then. I only wish I had your problems. Anyway no-one is stopping you from looking at this thread - or any other. I am far from assuming everyone wants to lose weight - but I do.

[axel_knutt]

I suppose it begs a definition of the difference between active and sedentary, but I am getting less than an hour a day gentle walking at about 80bpm, and eating 2500 Cals/day.

It does depend on your age, but if over 50 and walking is your only exercise you're probably over eating on a daily basis. As above, start a food diary and evaluate exactly what you're eating over the course of a week. Even a small reduction of 3-500 calories per day can have a very positive effect on weight loss, in combination with moderate exercise.

I'm 56, and my weight has gone down from 73.7kg to 72.2kg in the last year. I don't need to lose weight, my BMI is 18.4. I know exactly how much I'm eating, I have a record of every calorie I've eaten for the last 12 years. I also have a diet spreadsheet dating back 3 years which shows me that my diet meets all the published healthy diet recommendations by a large margin.