all produce is not equal

For this post I want to share with you the calorie count of some fruits and vegetables. The information was obtained from the USDA nutrient data base. <a href="http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/">http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/</a><br />Each item is of the same weight, 100 grams, which is below the usual serving size for most of these items and far below the size many people actually consume. So this is not a list of calories for a piece of fruit or a serving of broccoli but a comparison of energy density. You can determine the amount of calories in a serving of food by using the above link.<br />This is also NOT a tool to denote a food as good or bad. This is an exercise in awareness. Be aware that not all fruits and vegetables are equal. Remember too, that Dr. Walter Willett encourages more vegetables per day than fruits. A variety of foods is best, and yes, it would be wise to not always choose the highest calorie ones.<br /><br />All of these foods are fresh and do not have anything added to them. The amount is 100 grams. All foods are uncooked except the black beans and lentils.<br />Remember this is the amount of calories for that food at the 100 g serving size. Most of these items are eaten at 150 to 200 gram sizes. I did list them from least to most calorie dense. Do remember though, this is by weight and some things are heavy, i.e. watermelon and some are very light, i.e. mushrooms.<br />The veggie list should give you good ideas for volumetric meals. Also, today I uploaded a full day food diary on You Tube... which shows you all the food I ate on a recent Saturday. <br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=760kHgpLUL4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=760kHgpLUL4</a><br /><br /><u>Fruits</u> <br />Watermelon 30<br />Strawberry 32<br />Cantaloupe 34<br />Honey dew 36<br />Peach 40<br />Orange 46<br />Plum 46<br />Apricot 48<br />Pineapple 50<br />Apple 52<br />Raspberry 52<br />Blueberry 57<br />Pear 58<br />Kiwi 61<br />Sweet cherry 63<br />Mango 65<br />Grapes 69 <br />Banana 89<br /><br /><br /><u>Vegetables<br /></u>Summer squash 16<br />Tomato 18<br />Bell Peppers 20-30<br />Mushroom 22<br />Eggplant 24<br />Greens 26<br />Broccoli 30<br />Spaghetti squash 31<br />Green beans 31<br />Carrots 41<br />Butternut squash 45<br />Onion 40<br />Potato 69<br />Peas 81<br />Corn 86<br />Sweet potato 86<br />Lentils (cooked) 116<br />Black beans (cooked) 132

all produce is not equal

For this post I want to share with you the calorie count of some fruits and vegetables. The information was obtained from the USDA nutrient...

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Labeling

I am working on a new public service announcement regarding fruit juice which I hope to have ready tomorrow evening. I did get some interesting feedback from yesterday's post regarding the amount of sugar ( by weight and teaspoons) in many of our popular beverages. Readers were especially surprised to find that what they thought was a health promoting beverage at best and an healthy alternative to soda at the least, was neither. <br /><br />I am a label reader. I generally won't consume a product if I can't figure out what is in it, and that makes me unique. That is unfortunate.<br /><br />I bring this up today as I was just reading more about Wal-Marts new initiative to have eco or green labels on all store products so that the consumer can tell if sustainable practices were used in the manufacturing of said product. In the Wall St Journal article that I was reading, there was concern noted by some that the concept was complex and scientific which would make the task of creating a consumer friendly label rather daunting. Another person said that they envisioned the labels to be much like the nutrition labels that were commissioned by the FDA in 1990. Not such a good comparison.<br /><br />I think that the labels are a fantastic idea and the more information that becomes required the better. The problem is, there hasn't been adequate education on how to read and use the labels. The info is available on line and in handouts, but seriously, have YOU ever seen it? One of the reasons many people drink fruit juice is because they think it is healthy, but a label check would quickly prove otherwise. We have got to learn how to determine a food's content, what is good and bad in that content, and then make healthy choices so that we can avoid illness. This is why nutrition info on menus are also needed.<br /><br />Here is a link to some of the educational material available for reading food labels. Remember, the <em>serving size </em>is very important. Many times you are reading about a third or half of the package but eating all of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/ucm114022.htm">http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/ucm114022.htm</a>

Labeling

I am working on a new public service announcement regarding fruit juice which I hope to have ready tomorrow evening. I did get some interes...

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