If your diet is ready for an overhaul, you can assess which changes need to be made by starting a daily calorie count. As you add calories from everything you eat---healthy foods, packaged snacks and fast foods---you'll notice which nutrients they contain as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notes that most American eating habits are lopsided, with excessive calorie intakes and not enough nutrition to sustain a good diet. By determining where you can cut calories and substitute more nutritious foods, you'll put your diet and your health back on track.
Highly Caloric Foods
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers food portions over 400 calories to be highly caloric (in an average 2,000-calorie diet). Watch your intake of fast foods, especially within the same day. Some examples include submarine sandwich (six-inch roll, with cold cuts, veggies and condiments: 584 calories); biscuit, egg and sausage breakfast sandwich (562 calories); single cheeseburger (with veggies and condiments, 451 calories); double hamburger (with everything, 540 calories); and French fries (medium, 427 calories).
At home, count the calories in these otherwise healthy foods: trail mix (with chocolate chips and nuts, 1 cup: 707 calories); raisins (1 cup, 434 calories); and apple pie (one piece, 411). To maintain a good diet, when you eat foods with high calorie counts for one meal, you should balance them with a low-cal menu within a day or so.
Low-Calorie Foods
The FDA defines a low-calorie count as 100 calories or less per serving. Pay strict attention to portion sizes, even in healthy foods such as canned shrimp (3 oz., 85 calories) canned tuna (3 oz., 99 calories); peanut butter (1 tablespoon, 94 calories); egg (one poached, 71 calories); apples (one whole, 72 calories); broccoli and carrots (one cup each, 55 calories).
A good diet can include limited amounts of "extras," such as butter (1 teaspoon, 34 calories), cream cheese (1 teaspoon, 17 calories); Italian salad dressing (1 tablespoon, 43 calories); catsup (1 tablespoon, 15 calories); mustard (1 teaspoon, 3 calories); and mayonnaise (1 tablespoon, 99 calories).
Medium-Calorie Foods
Your good diet will include many foods with in-between calorie counts. At the drive-thru or restaurant, you can select a bean and cheese burrito (189 calories); boneless fried chicken (six pieces, 315 calories); pepperoni pizza (one slice, 293 calories); or a hotdog (242 calories).
At home, enjoy healthy foods such as top sirloin steak (3 oz., 207 calories); pork loin (3 oz., 178 calories); baked potato (plain, 188 calories); sockeye salmon (3 oz., 184 calories); brown rice (1 cup, 216 calories); cooked kidney beans (1 cup, 215 calories); and bananas (one fruit, 105 calories). Control your sweet tooth and limit items such as cola drinks (12 oz., 137 calories); blueberry muffins (224 calories); and milk shakes (357 calories).
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