How much calories are in a food?

I've just began to learn about gaining weight today, as I've had no success whatsoever after months of eating and exercising (I've gained muscles, but not weight).

Anyway, that is not my question. I've learned that the most useful way to find how much you need to eat is by counting calories.

Now, I understand knowing how much calories is there in a food is no easy task (except, of course with food that comes with a label on it) and I understand it is a whole set of knowledge about food one needs to obtain to accurately guess the calories in a food.

I just wanted to ask you on any good articles, sites, basically anything that would help me in analyzing everything I eat (perhaps by telling me how YOU do it?).

Thanks.

Just use the food log - as long as you know what the food is and how much you have (a kitchen scale is useful), you can find just about anything. If it isn't in the food database, but you know the ingredients (it's a home cooked meal), you can use the recipe analyzer.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Just use the food log - as long as you know what the food is and how much you have (a kitchen scale is useful), you can find just about anything. If it isn't in the food database, but you know the ingredients (it's a home cooked meal), you can use the recipe analyzer.

Thanks, at first I was eager to use the food log here, but after finding out I can't really find a similar yoghurt to the one I had (10% fat, 144cal is what I found on the label), so that I could add it to my log, I got a little tired of it.

Anyway, I'm sure it is a very useful tool, still I got one additional question - what for example if I eat food in a restaurant and don't know the exact ingredients. Maybe even better example would be soup - I had lots of cabbage soup today, I haven't the slightest idea of the ingredients (well, cabbage).

The problem I guess is that I can't cook. I can cook a great meal when I have a great recipe, but I have no real knowledge of cooking. Also I am very bad at guessing the ammount (or rather weight) or the food. I've recently ordered 600grams of ribs and was amazed by how much that actually is :)

If you have packaged food, you can add it to your own food log using the "add it here" link.

If you eat out, you'll have to just guess - put cabbage soup into the search and see what you get.

Counting calories is always going to be an estimate - even the info on labels won't be incredibly accurate. You just do the best you can. And as you go, you get better at guessing quantities.

Original Post by dahnjahn:
Thanks, at first I was eager to use the food log here, but after finding out I can't really find a similar yoghurt to the one I had (10% fat, 144cal is what I found on the label), so that I could add it to my log, I got a little tired of it....

Try using the 'dailyplate'. I actually think they have a better database. I use them often to counter check some calorie values.http://www.thedailyplate.com/

The only reason I stick with CC is that they have a better forum and better overall program, but if it's precise calories you want, then dailyplate is it.

Also I am very bad at guessing the ammount (or rather weight) or the food. I've recently ordered 600grams of ribs and was amazed by how much that actually is :)

CC'ing is a thing you learn over time. We all mess up now and then with the estimation, but you will get better at it. In general I feel that a calorie difference of about 30cals is not a big deal. One thing that helps is to get a good mental picture of portion sizes. Here's a good link for that:http://education.wichita.edu/caduceus/example s/servings/visual_estimates.htm

If you are searching for more exotic food, then just google it. Say indian "idli" then just google "idli calories". 90% of the time you'll find a reference to it.

Original Post by dahnjahn:

 I had lots of cabbage soup today, I haven't the slightest idea of the ingredients (well, cabbage).

 

Do keep the food log.  If you're trying to gain weight then cabbage soup isn't going to help.   Have a stab at the contents of the soup...... cabbage, stock, potatoes (?), sausage (?).... and enter those into the food log as best you can.  You'll quickly find that everything in a cabbage soup is very low in calories but - if you ate a lot of it - you'd have felt quite full.   'Bulky, filling and low-cal' is the worst combination for a weight-gainer.

If you go to the Weight-gainer board and search 'foods for gaining' you should find suggestions for excellent foods that are the reverse of 'bulky, filling and low-cal'..... i.e. ones that are 'dense, not filling and high-cal'.  A classic is peanut butter.  150 calories of peanut butter is not a big amount so it's easy to eat... and then eat something else as well.   150 calories of broccoli is a whole lb of broccoli.  Eat that and it would be quite some time before you can eat anything else.

Good foods for you as a gainer.....

• Foods with a high fat content.... Nuts, seeds, nut butters, full-fat dairy products (cheese, cream, yoghurts), red meats, oily fish, avocados
• Foods with a dense natural sugar content..... dried fruit, honey, bananas, grapes, dates, fruit juices.
• Complex carbohydrates.... pasta, bread, rice, noodles, starchy vegetables, pulses/legumes, oats
• Other foods.... good quality ice-cream, cakes, chocolate

And the foods that you should cut right back on would be

• Green leafy vegetables and salads
• 'Diet' foods that are low-fat or low-sugar

Thanks for all the answers! I am definitely going to check out the sites you recommended.