I think I should just start this off by saying that I'm a calorie counter. It's how I've lost all of my weight thus far and it's how I'm determined to lose the rest. Calories are ALL I pay attention to.
I eat mainly pre-packaged foods, namely Lean Cuisine, Hot Pockets, etc. But yesterday I went to Walmart and they had some Ceasar salads with the dressing, cheese, croutons, etc. The package said 200 calories for one salad so I thought, what the heck? well, I had it today and it was SOOO good! But now I'm a little paranoid that they are lying about the calories and I'm trying to decide if I should reduce the rest of my daily calories to compensate for it? Because I know that ceasar dressing is usually high in calories so I just can't believe it's only 200 calories. With the Lean Cuisine's and stuff I feel like those calories are for real bc that's what they're sold for.
So do you ladies take the calories printed on the back at face value or do you tend to decrease your calorie count for the day? Any advice would be appreciated!
That does sound alittle low for Ceasar Salad with dressing, but I can't see the size of the package, or if the dressing is light or not. I alway's read the labels carefully, and checks to be sure there is only one serving per package. Sometimes when you read the fine print it has 1.5 or 2 servings per package. If this is only one meal, myself I wouldn't get to crazy about it.
I eat mainly pre-packaged foods, namely Lean Cuisine, Hot Pockets, etc.
So do you ladies take the calories printed on the back at face value or do you tend to decrease your calorie count for the day? Any advice would be appreciated!
First off, I just want to say that I never ever eat pre-packaged food like Lean cuisines and hot pockets? Why? They have tons of sodium and other non-natural "packaging and preserving" things in them. I eat nothing but homemade foods.
And I am also a calorie counter. Big time. I *HAVE* to plan what I am going to eat the next day to stay exactly where I want to be.
So it is still very possible to be a calorie counter even though you are not eating pre-packaged foods as long as you know what a portion of a food is. Know what 4 ounces of chicken is; know what 2 ounces of whole-wheat noodles is. If you don't, get a kitchen scale!
It's impossible for us to tell you if that salad really was 200 calories because we can't see how big it was, how drenched (or undrenched) it was in dressing, etc.
And in reality, it is GOOD if you change up your calorie intake once in a while. Have a day where you eat 300 more calories or something like that because it will keep your body from getting into a rut.
When I am counting my calories, I do give myself about a 100-calorie cushion so that if I do underestimate a serving, it doesn't put me over big time.
And I don't think a little 200-cal salad is going to ruin your whole day if it was really 300 cals. You're fine! Just try to get away from those pre-packaged foods .... it's not that healthy in my opinion.
I LOVE PRE-PACKAGED FOODS!! Whatever, i am a college student and that's all I can afford and I eat soup and Weight Watchers smartones everyday! My trainer and my doctor both think it's ok as long as my blood pressure stays low and I always make sure I am drinking water.
Whatever, i am a college student and that's all I can afford and I eat soup and Weight Watchers smartones everyday! My trainer and my doctor both think it's ok as long as my blood pressure stays low and I always make sure I am drinking water.
I am a college student too; actually a graduate student. I guarantee I have way LESS money than you!!!
Hmmm .... I don't know of any trainer that would say pre-packaged foods are okay but I've never met yours so I guess I can't say. I rarely ever eat soup anymore because of the sodium content (yes, even the lower sodium ones). I guess I am just to the point where I am VERY serious about losing these last few pounds and getting that flat, flat tummy so I am not cutting any corners. No sodium or pre-packaged foods for me.
I really don't worry about the sodium in that stuff...I'm with you Taylor! Love the pre-packaged foods! It's not even so much about the money (it is cheaper) as it's about the huge amount of time you save! And I like knowing EXACTLY how many calories I'm taking in. Bc then I feel better about my day. If I;m guessing I'm stressing (hehe). So yeah...that's why I was worried about the salad (which did have chicken) and it said serving size: 1 salad. So I assume they meant everything that went with it =).
Thanks for your advice ladies. I'm goign to try to not stress out about it but I may cut out one of my 100 calorie pack treats for tonight. Or maybe I'll just sub a soup in for the hot pocket I was going to have...hmm. decisions decisions!
I have also found that preparing your own food is actually cheaper than buying it pre-packaged. Sounds logical to me; you ultimately pay for them preparing it.
That being said, I've always trusted calories on packages. Especially as long as it's an established brand. They have customer trust to lose when their information turns out to be non-accurate. And even if it was not accurate: how many calories will you overshoot? 50? 100? Not something that really matters in the long run anyway. Don't worry about it and eat as you normally would.
I think, like anything else, prepackaged foods are fine in moderation. When I had my own kitchen, I would keep Lean Cuisine meals and other easy-to-prepare meals on hand for busy times, but I didn't eat them everyday.
Now I live in a co-op that is hardcore about buying only whole/organic foods. It's cheaper than when I lived on my own because we pool our grocery money and buy in bulk. It's good food, but sometimes I really miss the convenience of microwavable meals.
And I hate that I feel uncomfortable bringing those kinds of foods into my own home because it might result in you-know-better-than-that looks or unsolicited advice on my eating habits.
Anyway...those are my random thoughts for the day.
I see a lot of back and forth going on about pre-packaged vs homemade foods. I prefer to make my own stuff- just like the taste better and I really need to know what is in the foods I eat (allergies). Plus, I like to eat things that don't normally come prepackaged (whole grains, tofu, etc). Yeah, I'm a geeky health food person.
That aside, I do work for a well respected natural food manufacturing company. First, no company can legally mislabel their products-- they will get audited. Second, there is usually discrepancy between the same foods by different brands due to several factors which can include rounding, nutritional calculating tools (most companies don't use labs to determine this stuff), and information from raw material suppliers. Most companies look to the USDA's nutritional profiles (which anyone can access online) for guidance.
BUT, the fact of the matter is that you can trust what is printed on the label 99% of the time. I would definately recommend double checking the label to be sure about serving size and if you're still worried- try contacting the company online. Many companies will list nutrition facts on their site, as well as list errors in labeling. It can't hurt to send them an email and just check.
Well, when you think about it... calories in the lettuce? Next to zilch. If there's maybe parmesan cheese on it? MAYBE 30-40 cals... if there's a good tablespoon or so on there... and if it's light/calorie-reduced dressing, and a small portion... I'm assuming it's correct. Not to mention what all these ladies have pitched in about the illegality of lying on the label.
And my two cents on packaged vs fresh foods..
At least maintain a healthy balance if you can. I get that you want to be super stringent about your calorie intake, and it is easier to have everything portion controlled for you with an exact number of calories on the side, but... can you live like that forever? What about when you go over to other peoples' houses? What about if and when you have kids, and want them to grow up healthy and strong, by making meals that are nutritious and not necessarily pre-packaged?
Anyhow, I just vote that everyone occasionally, whether a pre-packaged food junkie or not, occasionally go for the fresh foods. And... as a broke college student? Lean cuisine meals cost like.. $2.99-3.99. I can buy a whole bag of pasta, and a jar of pasta sauce, and a big bag of frozen veggies for less than 3 of those, and that makes more than 3 meals, lemme tell you. Pre-packaged is totally a rip-off cost-wise. Unless you're buying Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, to which I say, you're paying 80 cents for something with absolutely no nutritional value, and a LOT of calories.
And... sodium is a killer in terms of making you retain water! You might be lighter than you think without all that preservative junk in ya! Try going fresh for 4-5 days, see if you drop surprisingly!
Calories on pre-packaged foods...
