And what are your good food surprises? Things that you found fit into your plan that you never dreamt possible?
Bad Surprises
- Bagels. Bagels are what hit me over the head with how calorific carbs can be. I used to think of them as a healthy breakfast. But there's almost 400 calories in a bakery bagel. That's my whole allotment for breakfast.
- Cereal. Actually measuring breakfast cereal was eye-opening to me. I estimate that I usually ate 2-4 times the recommended amount. But then, it was all I ate for breakfast, not the "good breakfast" of fruit, toast, and milk accompaniment.
- Eggs. I knew they were good protein sources, but didn't realize how much fat they had, too. It surprised me.
- Ramen Noodles. A staple snack or quick meal for me. But not only does it have lots of carbs, it has lots of fat. And one block of noodles is TWO servings. (as if!) So now, when I make it for a quick meal, I know I need to plan for 400 calories. Usually I just make spaghetti instead.
Good Surprises
- Onion Rings. Just for grins I compared onion rings and french fries in Fitday and was shocked at how few calories onion rings had in comparison. In retrospect it makes sense, since you're just worried about the batter and grease and don't have to worry about the carbs of the potatoes. But when I crave fried food (which is happening less and less) I know I can have a cup of onion rings for fewer than 100 calories.
- Bacon. I used to think of bacon and sausage as pretty comparable, calorie-wise. But 1 link of breakfast sausage is almost 300 calories, while 1 slice of bacon is less than 100.
- Bread. I did Atkins for a while, and had the view that "bread is bad." But one slice is only about 75 calories, and toasted with peanut butter makes a good protein/carb snack for fewer than 200 calories.
- Butter. I thought of butter as a definite no-no. But it packs a lot of flavor in a very small package for only 35 calories per pat. And it doesn't have any of the trans-fats that are getting big press nowadays.
- Cottage Cheese. I think my mother single-handedly kept the local dairy in business buying cottage cheese and trying to get me to eat it. But now I like it, and have found that it's a GREAT protein fix for very few calories.
A hardboiled egg or two is the perfect snack or quick breakfast, because it's prepared w/no added fat. 
