Easy Count Calories

Inventory Your Kitchen 

ow that you have an idea of how many calories you could eat and when, do an inventory of all the foods in the pantry. When I did my inventory, I included serving sizes and calorie counts. For foods like fruits that don't have a label, This is a great site for detailed nutritional information.

Then I did the same with the fridge and freezer. Don’t forget to list drinks and condiments. I also added a few extra foods that I didn’t currently have in stock, but I like to eat. My thought was; If I only have a limited number of calories, I want them to be from food I really enjoy.   

In the past, I would go on a diet and start that day. No plans. I just thought I could eat less and be good. After a few days, I would be hungry and frustrated and quit. This time I wanted to be sure I could come up with enough foods that I enjoyed, that added up to 1300 calories, for at least a week. Then I would start.  

Documenting had helped me lose before so to begin, I kept a paper on the table next to my list of food and added up the calories as I went. I would decide for the whole day so when I got hungry, I knew exactly what I would eat next and stay on the plan. 

The foods I prioritized are personal, based on a lifetime of eating. How you space your calories and what you plan to eat will be unique to you. 

Not making time to do this list kept me from losing weight for years. This took me a couple of hours, but it was absolutely worth it because I was finally losing! 

Simplified Documenting

After a couple of weeks documenting my calories, I decided it needed to be easier, first I simplified how I thought about my calories for the day.

200 calories before lunch

550 from lunch until dinner

650 from dinner to bedtime. 

I adjusted the serving sizes of the foods I often ate. 

I rounded the calories to be whole numbers like 10, 50 or 100.Then printed the list for the kitchen.

This is my list with the calories averaged for easy counting. 

Easy Count Plan

Apple 100 calories for 1 whole

Avocado 70 calories for 1/4 whole

Banana 100 calories for 1 whole

Bell Pepper 10 calories for 7 raw strips

Blackberry 10 calories for 5 berries

Blueberries 20 calories for 20 berries

Broccoli 10 calories for 3 florets

Butter 50 calories for 1.5 teaspoons

Butter spread 20 calories for 1 teaspoon 

Cabbage 10 calories for 1/2 cup 

Cantaloupe 50 calories for 1 cup

Carob 50 calories for 1 heaping teaspoon

Carrots 50 calories for 1 cup

Cauliflower 10 calories for 1/2 cup

Celery stick 2 calories for 3 inches long

Cereal Grape-nut flakes 70 calories for 1/2 cup scant

Cheddar 100 calories for 1/4 cup

Cheese stick low-fat 50 calories for 1 stick

Cherries 5 calories for 1 cherry

Chicken, cooked and diced 75 calories for 1/3 cup 

Chicken, canned 100 calories for 5 oz. can

Corn sweet 75 calories for 1 cob

Cucumber 1 calories for 1 slice

Dinner roll 140 calories for 1 roll

Egg 70 calories for 1 whole large egg

Egg white, boiled 35 calories for 2 large eggs

Grapes, 3 calories each 50 calories for 15 grapes

Greek yogurt low fat 10 calories for 1 tablespoon

Green beans canned 15 calories for 1/2 cup

Grilled chicken breast 125 calories for 3oz. deck of cards

Ham or turkey 60 calories for 4 thin slices

Hamburger bun 180 calories for 1 bun

Hidden Valley dry mix 2 calories for 1 teaspoon dry mix

Honey 20 calories for 1 teaspoon 

Hot dog bun 150 calories for 1 bun

Jalapeno in a jar 5 calories for 1/4 cup

Ketchup 20 calories for 1 tablespoon

Kiwi 40 calories for 1 whole 

Lettuce, Iceberg 10 calories for 1 cup

Mango 60 calories for 1/2 cup

Maple syrup 15 calories for 1 teaspoon

Mayo Best Foods 30 calories for 1 teaspoon

Medjool date 70 calories for 1 date

Milk Almond vanilla unsweetened 2 calories for 1 tablespoon

Milk Almond vanilla unsweetened 30 calories for 1 cup

Molasses 10 calories for 1/2 teaspoon 

Mozzarella cheese 30 calories for 2 tablespoons

Mozzarella slice 50 calories for 1 slice

Mushrooms sliced 25 calories for 7 oz can

Mustard, yellow 5 calories for 1 heaping teaspoon

Oatmeal, dry 70 calories for 1/4 cup scant

Okra - 30 calories for 1 cup

Onion 16 calories for 1/4-inch slice

Onion, raw 60 calories for Whole large onion

Onions 30 calories for 1/4 cup cooked

Orange 40 calories for 1/2 whole

Orange juice 110 calories for 1 cup

Papaya 40 calories for 1/2 cup

Parmesan 20 calories for 1/4 cup grated

Peach 60 calories for 1 whole 

PB fresh ground 20 calories for 1 teaspoon

PB fresh ground 60 calories for 1 tablespoon

Peas - 8 g protein 60 calories for 1/2 cups

Pickle, dill stacker 5 calories for 1 slice

Pickle, bread & butter 10 calories for 1 slice

Pineapple, canned 30 calories for 1 slice

Potato 150 calories for 1 medium

Pretzels 100 calories for 24 sticks

Provolone 70 calories for 1 slice

Raspberry 10 calories for 10 berries

Romaine 15 calories for 2 cups

Spinach 10 calories for 1.5 cups

Squash, yellow 10 calories for 1/2 cup

Steak 230 calories for 3 oz.

Strawberries 5 calories for each berry

Street Tacos flour tortilla 35 calories for 1 small tortilla

Sweet Potato, cubes 75 calories for 2/3 cup

Texas Toast garlic bread 140 calories for 1 slice

Tomato 20 calories for 1 whole tomato

Tomato 5 calories for 1 slice

Tomato, cherry 10 calories for 3 tomatoes

Watermelon 50 calories for 1 heaping cup

Whole Wheat bread, low calorie 45 calories for 1 slice

Yogurt Greek low fat with fruit 80 calories for 5.3 oz.

This is my list; yours will be unique to you. By averaging the calories, you can save time documenting by calculating your calories in your head. 

NEXT: Do I Need to Exercise to Lose Weight?

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