Knowing the calorie counts of your favorite foods can help you to lose, gain or maintain your current weight. Choose the right foods to eat, or you can make wise food trade-offs by picking low-cal items the day after high-calorie indulgences. Start building a balanced daily diet by adding up the calorie amounts in food servings, which are listed on the package nutrition facts. The FDA bases the daily value percentages that appear on food labels on an average 2,000-calorie intake.
Breakfasts
Cereals can carry low to high calorie burdens, with sugar frequently being the deciding factor. For instance, the USDA Nutrient Database lists a range from 56 calories for 1 cup of unsweetened puffed rice to 213 calories for just ½ cup of granola with nuts, honey and raisins. One slice of whole-wheat toast with butter carries 167 calories, and 8 oz. of plain lowfat yogurt has 143 calories. Fast-food breakfast can have very high calories, such as French toast sticks, 479 calories, and an egg and sausage biscuit sandwich, 562 calories.
Beverages
Six oz. each of coffee and tea have just 2 calories. Add 1 tsp. of sugar for 16 calories and 1 tsp. of cream for 20 calories more. A diet cola carries 0 calories, compared to 137 in a 12-oz. regular cola. One cup of apple or orange juice has about 113 calories. Like sodas and juices, the sugar content adds to the 88 calories in 3.5 oz. of red wine and the 153 calories in 12 oz. of beer. The fat content of milk denotes its calorie count in 1 cup: 149 calories in whole, 122 calories in 2 percent, and 83 calories in nonfat milk, per the USDA.
Lunches
Soups calorie counts also range from low for clear broths to high for soups with cream, meat and beans. Compare meat-free vegetable soup, 67 calories, to cream of chicken, 191 calories, and meat and bean chili, 269 calories, all per 1 cup. A 1 cup lettuce salad with 1 tbsp. of Italian dressing has only 53 calories, while 1 cup of tuna salad has 383 calories. Other high-cal lunch offerings listed by the USDA include corn dogs, 460 calories, large cheeseburgers, 451 calories and a fried fish or chicken sandwich, up to 523 calories.
Dinners
Low-calorie protein foods include 3 oz. of canned tuna, 99 calories, pork loin, 178 calories, and top sirloin, 207 calories. High-cal entrees include 3 oz. pork spareribs, 337 calories, and ½ fried chicken breast, 366 calories. The USDA notes that a baked potato has 188 calories, minus the add-ons. One cup of broccoli, carrots and Brussels sprouts each have about 55 calories. Adding 1 tbsp. of butter adds 102 calories to your total.
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