Post 14: What 200 Calories Looks Like

I stumbled across a post on Facebook that showed exactly what 200 calories of different kinds of food really looks like.  I thought I'd share it here with some thoughts and see how aware the group is of what's going into your body.  Keep in mind that this is a straight calorie count, so it doesn't take into account how much fat or carbs are in each dish.  Also, for your information, 1 lb = 453.6 grams.  So, without further ado, here is a 200 calorie serving of:

Apples (385 grams)

Avocado (125 grams)

Bacon (34 grams)

Sesame Seed Bagel (70 grams)

Flax Bread (90 grams)

Butter (28 grams)

Baby Carrots (570 grams)


Celery (1425 grams)


Medium Cheddar Cheese (51 grams)


Coke (496 ml)


Cheeseburger (75 grams)


Glazed Donut (52 grams)


Doritos (41 grams)


Eggs (150 grams)


French Fries (73 grams)


Gummy Bears (51 grams)


 Honeydew (553 grams)


Hot Dog (66 grams)


Ketchup (226 grams)


Hershey Kisses (36 grams)


Whole Milk (333 ml)


M&M's (40 grams)


Uncooked Pasta (56 grams)


Peanut Butter (34 grams)


Splenda (50 grams)


Sliced Smoked Turkey (204 grams)

I really think it helps to be able to visualize how many calories are in common foods people eat.  That plate of french fries looks great, but when you picture it with two halves of a cheeseburger, ketchup, and a large Coke, you're looking at 1,000 calories (not to mention a ridiculous amount of fat).  The really shocking ones for me are the butter, the cheese, and the peanut butter.  I know for a fact that I use at least that much peanut butter (who am I kidding, I probably use at least twice that much) when I'm making a sandwich.  Both Molly and I are super guilty of throwing cheese on everything, and I think because it is shredded we somehow trick our brains into thinking we can use a little bit more.  That small little cube of cheddar is probably half of what we use in a given day.  I can't remember the last baking recipe I made that used only that much butter.  It also makes me realize just how few calories I take in when I'm doing my current diet, and how I need to stop feeling guilty about some of my choices.  I try to maintain between 1,500-1,800 calories a day, but my two eggs, a half bag of baby carrots, an orange, and an apple (I, of course, eat a full supper, but that's rarely over a 500 calorie meal) leave me more than enough wiggle room during the day to throw in a handful of shaved turkey and 3 lbs of celery.  What do you guys think?  Are there any items that surprised you?  How mindful of calorie counting are you in your given day?  

- Jeff