Fruits and vegetables deliver the vitamins and minerals we need for good health, and they are generally low in calories and fat. However, there are some, like the avocado, that are rather high in calories. Some, like the fried onion ring, are high in calories because of the way they have been prepared.
High-Calorie Fruit
Fat has 9 calories per gram, while protein and carbohydrate have only 4; therefore, produce that is high in fat is higher in calories. One cup of mashed, fresh avocado---laden with fat---is 370 calories. One whole California avocado sliced and added to a salad sneaks in 306 calories. Three ounces of guacamole can add more than 100 calories to a meal. Coconut is also high in fat, and 1 oz. of shredded, sweetened coconut is 142 calories.
Fruit Packed in Syrup
Low-calorie fruit packed in syrup becomes a high-calorie fruit serving. For example, one peach is 42 calories. One cup of peaches packed in syrup is 194 calories. Light syrup still adds a lot of calories. A fresh tangerine is 37 calories, while a cup of tangerine canned in light syrup is 154 calories. Read labels to find lower-calorie alternatives. One cup of canned fruit cocktail packed in heavy syrup is 181 calories but packed in juice it is 109 calories.
Sweetened Fruit
Sweetened fruit or fruit products are higher in calories than fresh or unsweetened fruit. One cup of sweetened applesauce is 194 calories, while a cup of unsweetened applesauce is only 105 calories. Similarly, a cup of fresh strawberries is 43 calories, but a cup of thawed frozen strawberries that have been sweetened is 245 calories.
High-Cal Vegetables/Legumes
Raw vegetables are typically low calorie. Beans are higher in calories. One cup of kidney beans is 218 calories, a cup of navy beans is 258 calories, and a cup of garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, is 269 calories.
How It's Cooked Matters
Low-calorie vegetables become high-calorie vegetables when they are breaded and fried or simply cooked in fat. One onion ring, heated from frozen, is 40 calories. One cup of batter-fried okra is 175 calories. Heat up a cup of frozen hashed browns to add 340 calories to your breakfast.
Potatoes
The beloved potato can be low or high cal, depending on preparation. One white potato baked in the oven and eaten without the skin is 145 calories, or 220 calories with skin. A half-cup of homemade mashed potatoes, made with milk and margarine, is 111 calories. One baked sweet potato with skin is 117 calories, while one 2.5-inch-by-2-inch piece of candied sweet potato is 144 calories. A large order of McDonald's french fries is 500 calories.
Some Surprises
It pays to read labels on snacks, even if they seem like healthy choices. One cup of chopped dates is 490 calories. Ten dried figs are 485 calories. One-half cup of dry roasted soybeans is 387 calories. A good surprise: A half-cup of canned cream-style corn is only 92 calories.
References
- "Nutrition Concepts and Controversies," 9th edition; Sizer and Whitney; 2003
- CalorieKing
- McDonald's
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