Ask Mary

Your personal nutritionist

By Mary Hartley, RD
Director of Nutrition

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Calorie Count does not prescribe a particular diet or tell people to avoid particular foods.  We only ask that you eat a balanced diet with all of the food groups represented.  After you eat from the necessary food groups, you can then spend the "extra" calories on discretionary foods if you wish.  "Discretionary calories" are foods that may be tasty, but lack nutrients.  Sweets, such as regular soft drinks, candy and cakes, are in that category, as are very fatty foods like bacon and deep fried items.  A 1400 calorie diet allows for 170 discretionary calories a day.  See the discretionary calories allowed at various intake levels on this chart from MyPyramid.com.