INTRODUCTION

Do you count your calories in food while you decide to eat something or while eating? We believe no one does except extreme diet-conscious people. Most people don’t even know how many calories they consume when they order extra cheese or simple lemonade! Now that you are thinking or maybe searching on Google how many calories you have consumed by the meal you just had or are going to have, let’s quickly look at the list below of the food that can help you in keeping the calorie count.

CALORIE

Before moving ahead, do you know the food calorie definition or calories definition? So, basically, calorie, in simple words, means energy that we human beings take in the form of food we eat. So, it can be said eating food with calories is not bad for us, but if you eat high calories in food, it can land you in trouble. Keeping the right balance of your calories is very essential. By knowing which foods contain more calories and which contain less, you will help yourself achieve this balance.

WHAT FOOD TO EAT?

So, you need to be smart when choosing what to eat. If you choose a food that is equally balanced in terms of fat, carbohydrates, and protein (but make sure they are not in high quantity), then you are doing it right! Your diet must include

● More green leafy and starchy vegetables like spinach, turnips, lettuce, red capsicum, etc.
● Protein-rich Food: You must increase the intake of food that is rich in protein in your diet. This food can help you increase your metabolic rate and helps you control your hunger. Did you know that if you eat a high-protein diet, you can burn an extra 80–100 calories per day? Also, by eating food rich in protein, you will feel full and won’t be seen eating snacks/food after every 2 hours. There has been a study held on this, and it has been observed that people who consumed 30% of their calories from protein consumed 441 fewer calories per day.
● Legumes such as green peas, soybeans, chickpeas, and lentils.
● Fruits like kiwis, melons, berries, grapes, etc. Avoid eating very sweet fruits
● Dairy products that fat-free like skimmed milk, low-fat cheese, etc.
● If you eat seafood, then go for salmon, tuna, and sardines.

WHAT FOOD TO AVOID?

You can completely cut off the calorie food, as they are essential for the functioning of your body. But all you need to do is have a balance between them! The following food must be consumed in less quantity:
● Carbs
So, you love eating bread, popcorn, cookies, potatoes, and corn, but do you have any idea how many calories these foods/snacks have? A small potato has about 130 calories, and a packet of popcorn has around 120-150 calories. Cut down on eating too many carbohydrates, as they can increase your weight and affect your health a lot. There have been studies done on this, and the outcome of the study is—if you take a low-carb diet, you can easily lose two to three times as much weight as a calorie-restricted, low-fat diet. Not just this, a diet of low carbs can be very beneficial for people with diabetes or obesity.

● Soft drinks, Shakes, Fruit juice We know it would be hard, but these juices, shakes, soft drinks, and other sweet beverages have a lot of calories in them. You will be surprised to know that when you drink these sweet beverages, your brain thinks of them as normal water and doesn’t stop you from drinking them. Isn’t that strange, but true! These drinks, in reality, affect your body a lot and not only make you fat but also affect your health and make your body more prone to diseases. Once in a while is okay, but consuming it frequently is not okay.

CONCLUSION

The amount of calories your body needs is dependent on factors such as your age, health, height, weight, and also gender. What you need to do before eating any snack is: count the calories and take time to choose your snack (make sure it is healthy.) Keep the calorie count balanced with your health. If you eat food that has too many calories in it, you are going to increase your weight, but on the other hand, if you eat fewer calories, you will lose weight. Now that you know which foods contain calories and can affect your health, avoid them. Change is difficult, but if it’s for your good, you must adopt the change. Next time when you eat any food/snack, just calculate the calories in the food and keep a count!