Grilled Cheese

I had a grilled cheese sandwich tonight that I made using two slices of orowheat healthy multi-grain (90 cals/slice), two tablespoons of smart balance buttery spread (80 cals/tbsp)  and one slice of fat free singles american cheese (30 calories).   My question when I search grilled cheese sandwich it looks like all the choices have calories in the upward of 600 calories.  Do I use the individual calories of each ingredient or does the calorie count change for the way it is prepared?  Wow! I will stay away from these if they are 600 calories.

I'd go with the individual ingredients. That's what I do when I make a grilled cheese sandwich.

I think the sandwiches you looked at that contain 600 calories are "restaurant prepared"grilled cheese sandwiches, which probably contain multiple slices of cheese...large amounts of butter etc... so since you know exactly how much of each thing you used... go with the ingredients.

Go with the individual ingredients... There's no such thing as a standard grilled cheese sandwich really.   The same applies to a lot of other things... A home-made burger created from good quality, lean minced beef, grilled and served in a wholewheat bun is a different (and healthier) animal to some flabby, low-quality offering from a street vendor.

Thank you both. I wasn't sure since I've seen some same items with different calories depending on how it is cooked. examples, bread/toast, eggs scrambled/poached.  I love this site and appreciate all your help. I joined on 2/2 and just hit my 15lb loss mark today.

-Julie

Bread calories are different to toast only because the toast is dehydrated... A 2oz slice of bread turns into a 1.5oz slice of toast but the calories stay the same.  And the entry for 'scrambled eggs' assumes that they've been prepared with milk and butter.   If, like me, you scramble your eggs with just a spot of milk the calorie count is much lower.

Well done on losing 15lbs...

Thanks. You told me when I first started on my first posting to be careful of having an all or nothing mentality. I do believe that comment has "guided" me to be successful. If I know I'm going to eat that piece of cake on a special occassion, I just plan a lower calorie meal to accompany it.   I started at 244, and just hit 229.   Thanks for all your help.

-Julie

I ALWAYS use the individual ingredients of an item, if I know what it is.  Otherwise, I will look it up.  That almost always only applies to food from restaurants.  Everything else I eat can be figured out from the nutrition label.  Good job on the weight loss!

If you used 370 calories worth of ingredients the sandwich is obviously going to be 370 calories not 600! Where would the other 270 come from? If anything it will be less because of crumbs lost, or bits of melted spread/cheese going awol...

May I jump in and make a suggestion on the grilled cheese that will cut the butter out completely?  When I came to Greece I was pleasantly surprised at how they made grilled cheese sandwiches.  They simply grill it in a waffle or pancake iron.  It's much simpler and less messy than the frying pan version I remember.  They usually do spread butter on the bread but I don't, it doesn't need it.  Two slices of bread, cheese and even a cold-cut if you like, once grilled you can add tomato slices and/or lettuce and voila!  Very basic ingredients, very countable and controlled.  

We don't make 'toasties' in a frying pan either. Some people do them under the grill but we have sandwich toasters which are like lconalis said - like a waffle or pancake iron. You're supposed to spread on the outside but a small amount would do and when you buy the machine it usually comes with instructions to 'season' the non stick bits with spread before you use it so you may not need spread on the sandwich at all.

I just use my george foreman grill normally for grilled cheese- i normally use the diet bread fron wonder- 40 cals per slice- and usually 2 pcs of fat free cheese, so the sandwich just ends up being 140 cal, and if u only use 1 pc of cheese it will only be 120 cal- and when i use the grill, the bread somehow has sort of a buttery taste to it, its good!

When I make grilled cheese, and it's not very often because I'm a lousy cook, lol, I use Martin's Whole Wheat Potato Bread (70 calories per slice), 2 slices of Veggie Smoked Provolone Cheese (35 per slice and the veggie cheeses melt really good), and I use 1 tbsp of Smart Balance Light to spread on the bread before putting it in the pan.  I got mine perfect the last time I made it, and it's not that costly in calories, 260 total for the sandwich (including the Smart Balance).  I do agree with everyone saying count the individual ingredients, because yes, the 600 calorie one is probably the restaurant version.

i make half a grilled cheese.  that way i don't feel like i have to be mingey with the cheese ;)