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Calorie Count of Common Raw Foods

A calorie is still a calorie...I'm wondering some of the calorie count of some basics...

1 cup. almond milk???

1 Medjool date???

1 young coconut with coconut water?

Thanks so much...I'd so appreciate it.

 

Comments

  • schmoopeeschmoopee Raw Newbie

    one date is 60 calories

    Almond milk would depend on how you make it, but 1 cup I'd guess would be 40-60 calories

    coconuts are 140:

    http://www.wiliweld.com/coconuts/nutrition.html

  • I gave up calorie counting a long time ago. It really isn't necessary on a raw food diet. Just eat a good variety of fruit, greens and not too much fat.

     

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    I track my calories because I have a hard time getting enough. Try using cron-o-meter. It is a free download for just about any computer.

  • Schmoopee~ Is that a medjool date or just an average date? Thanks for the info too.

    Also wondering, almond flour (1 cup), how much would that be?

    Stevio~ Yah, it seems like a lot of raw food people either eat way too many calories (heaps of nuts, dried fruits, desserts, ect) or not enough (mostly greens and fruit). There's a good balance. I think it's good to track calories once in a while to see how you are doing.

  • I don't count calories either. Before raw i was dedicated to it, but since going raw, it's so much more liberating to have to NOT think about calories. I eat enough to satisfy myself, and when I'm hungry, for me that's plenty to worry about.

  • I don't count calories either. I used to before I went raw. I feel so much freedom eating this way. I usually don't consume a whole lot of fat, but I eat alot of greens and fruits.

  • PamPam

    Many people feel they can eat whatever they want. About 15 years ago, I probably would have agreed with that. But now I have to watch what I eat because I gain very easily. For whatever reason you feel you need to do it, do what works for you!

    I agree with Schmoopee... medjools are 60 calories each.

    Almond milk, I'd estimate at around 60 to 90 calories a cup depending upon the ratio of nuts to water. I use 1 cup of nuts per 4 cups of water so I think my almond milk is on the low end. If you use a 1 in 3 ratio, I'd go for the higher calorie end.

    I used to buy these containers of fresh frozen young coconut at the Asian store. They held about 8 or 9 ounces of liquid and about 1/3 cup of meat. They are marked as 140 calories each. From this, I estimate that the coconut juice is about 90 calories a cup and the meat is around 150 calories a cup (based on 50 cals in 1/3 cup) when it is stil young and jelly-like. When the coconut is more mature (as some young coconuts are when the meat is less opaque and more solid), I think the meat is around 600-700 calories a cup. It's just like nuts... mostly fat so it would be closer to mature coconut.

    I have seen the estimate of 140 per young coconut on the internet. I don't think this is accurate unless the coconut is very young (just a little bit of jelly-like meat inside.)

  • While it's true that a calorie is still a calorie...

    A SAD calorie is not equal to a RAW calorie.

    The body burns more calories digesting SAD food and dealing with the resulting toxicity than it does when a person is mostly or 100% raw. On a SAD diet I need about between 2800 and 3100 calories. Once I went raw I've dropped to about half of that and I'm doing great. If I try and reach that 2800 number I get sick from eating too much.

    I don't track my calories so I can meet the numbers thrown out by SAD nutritionists...I do it to determine how I'm doing in relation to my own observations. If I find myself losing too much weight I can up my calories in a measured way. If I'm gaining I can drop in a measured way.

    Like Stevio mentioned Crono-meter is a great free program that will help you track what you are eating. It's got a HUGE database of food items cooked and raw with very detailed nutritional breakdowns.

  • Thanks for all the feedback...I think it's good just to be aware of the calorie count in the "heavier" items in raw food...simply because I seriously can gain weight on raw food and I can even gain a lot. 1/2 cup of nuts is up to and over 200 cal.

    I don't really worry about the fresh stuff, like greens and fruit...but it's good to be aware of the "heavier" items, because, at least for me, I do gain weight on this stuff.

  • It is hard to find raw calorie counts, isn't it? I haven't tried the cron-o-meter yet.

    200 cals isn't very much but a handful of nuts a day should be enough for anyone, IMO. It's enough for me, anyway. I prefer seeds :) but still, more than half a cup a day? How would you poop? :P

    I have been eating more dense foods lately, trying to transition the BF slowly to a healthier diet and enticing him with gourmet and dehydrated goodies. Fortunately, I haven't gained this week and he's lost 10 lbs! woo, hoo!

    I counted my calories for the first month I was raw and when I tried to eat the 2300 "they" recommended for my height and weight, based on SAD, I'm sure, I was eating all day long and felt stuffed all day long and still only made it to 2100.

    So I quit counting.

    But I think it is a good thing to do it for a week once in a while just to see where you are.

    I like the (FREE) counter and diary feature the have at Livestrong.com

    Cheers, and have fun!

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    www.nutritiondata.com has some of the raw foods, but not almond milk (just almonds), and no specialty raw stuff like raw cacao, agave, etc.

    zucchini breath - I eat lots more than a half-cup of nuts, on lots of days. I pooped 5 times yesterday. :D I also eat & drink lots of other stuff: greens, fruit, veggies, juices, water, seeds, sprouts, oil, coconut, avocados, sweeteners... funny; I tried to limit my calories the other day and even with lots of water, and nutrient-dense stuff like algae, and not exercising (I get much hungrier when I exercise) I still only cut it down to about 2,300 calories. Other times when I've kept track, it's more like 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day.

  • If your worried about too many calories, incorporate exercise into your raw lifestyle. That way you can still indulge in your favorite raw items, but if you're worried they will make you gain weight, go burn it off with some cardio and weights!

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    The main reason I need to be careful about getting both enough calories and enough protein is that when I eat too few of both I get terrible cravings that lead to bingeing on foods I would rather avoid. Like cheese and shrimp. I would rather keep a rough eye on what I'm eating and keep to my greens/fruit/seeds/oils.

  • PamPam

    1/2 cup of nuts is closer to 400 calories! (unless you mean soaked)

  • lol, angie, it's just me, i guess. I can't handle all that dense protein.

    Just another example of how we are all different and have to listen to our own bodies to learn how to eat.

    On a sadder note, an acquaintance of mine is going into rehab for drugs, alcohol and eating disorder.

    She laughs at me for eating raw food, she can't understand how I can "live that way". As if her way is working better. I suggested to her that some of it could stem from food allergies and if she would fast a few days a month and eat more whole foods she might feel better. haha, nope. Doctors know better, right?

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Oh, sad for your friend. :(

    "As if her way is working better" - :D Haha! That's exactly what I was thinking about the person who asked me if I'm getting all the nutrition I need eating this way - he asked me if there's anything I'm missing. I was thinking of proposing a week of the two of us logging what we eat on nutritiondata.com & see if his way is working better.

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