Calorie Counter Guide
Calorie counting refers to keeping track of the number of calories in the food one eats so that one won’t eat in excess. It is meant for people trying to manage their weight and for those who are interested in organizing their portion sizes. It is highly dangerous for people with an eating disorder. People who consume appropriate food portions and are not actively trying to lose or gain weight do not require calorie counting.
How do you actually calculate BMI?
BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres, squared. The formula does not consider your gender, your age or your build. It is a ratio between mass and stature.
How to count calories in five steps?
Know your target
Before beginning, set a clear goal. Know why you want to count calories. If it is for the goal of losing or gaining weight, set a realistic number and timeline. Setting an unrealistic target can cause negative effects in the long run and may force you to stop counting calories.
Log by household measure
Every house follows a different recipe and method of cooking. This changes the calories present in a dish across every house. Indian households cook a certain set of dishes on rotation. Creating a log for every dish cooked over the course of time will be beneficial in the long run.
Account for oil
Calculating the amount of oil added while cooking is one of the most important steps for calculating calories. People often underestimate the amount of oil they use because they eyeball it. One level teaspoon of any cooking oil is about 45 kcal. One tablespoon is about 135 kcal.
Pouring the oil with a teaspoon or tablespoon will provide a proper number of calories. The total number of calories in a vegetable will substantially decrease when oil is measured.
Weigh the few things worth weighing
It is very important to measure raw ingredients instead of a cooked meal. There is no official guide to counting calories because every household has a different recipe and uses different ingredients. This is why it is essential to measure individual ingredients, including oil, ghee, butter, sugar, cream and garnishing.
Add all the ingredients used and divide it among the servings consumed. Following guidelines that state the number of calories in cooked food can be misleading, as that number does not incorporate the ingredients your recipe uses.
Review weekly
This is done to ensure that counting calories, when the goal is to lose or gain weight, is beneficial. The target set might be harmful and, therefore, require updating depending on the results procured. It might either be too high or too low.
Reviewing weekly, also, allows you to adjust the number of calories depending on how your week looks. Adjusting the number to suit your daily needs and health is of utmost importance.
So how many calories are in one roti, one katori rice and one katori dal?
Worked from raw ingredient weights, a standard Indian dinner plate looks like this.
| Food and standard portion | Approximate calories | What actually moves the number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 medium roti (30 g atta) | 100 kcal | Ghee brushed on top adds 40 to 45 each |
| 1 katori cooked rice (150 g) | 175 kcal | Portion size. A heaped katori is closer to 220 |
| 1 katori plain dal (150 g) | 100 kcal | The tadka. One teaspoon of oil adds about 45 |
| 1 katori dry sabzi (150 g) | About 100 to 150 kcal | Oil, almost entirely. The vegetable barely matters |
| 1 katori rajma or chole (150 g) | About 150 to 200 kcal | Oil in the gravy and any cream or malai |
| 1 katori plain curd (150 g) | About 90 kcal | Full fat against toned milk, roughly 40 apart |
| 1 teaspoon any cooking oil or ghee | 45 kcal | Nothing. Oil is oil at 9 kcal per gram |
Add it up. Two rotis, one katori of rice, one katori of dal and one katori of sabzi lands somewhere around 550 to 650 kcal before ghee, pickle, papad and a second helping.
How do you calculate calories when dining out and ordering in?
In India, food service establishments holding a central FSSAI license or operating ten or more outlets must display the calorific value in kcal per serving along with the serving size. Delivery platforms have to carry the same information from their restaurant partners. Single-outlet restaurants on a state license are not covered, and neither are tiffin services or event caterers operating under 60 days a year.
The regulations permit a deviation of up to 25 percent in declared nutritional values. A dish listed at 600 kcal is fully compliant anywhere between 450 and 750. This provides flexibility to restaurants across a wide range, which distorts the final number. They also add a generous amount of oil that provides a certain restaurant-like flavor to their food.
What you can do is add in a rough estimate of the ingredients to calculate the amount of calories. It is much better to use your discretion while calculating calories than following the false information provided.
How accurate is calorie counting?
Calorie counting can be a beneficial tool to meet weight loss or gain targets when used correctly. There are certain errors that can come up when attempting to count calories.
Label error
A lot of calorie counting calculators include the values of cooked food, which is inaccurate. Most of the information provided is crowdsourced, which is why it is considered inaccurate.
There also exists the problem of labeling since not every food ingredient is accounted for. This is especially true for regional ingredients.
Portion error
While counting calories, people tend to underestimate the quantity of ingredients because they eyeball it. This will provide an inexact number of calories which, in turn, will give you an inaccurate result. It is always better to properly measure your ingredients using a standard measuring cup or spoon.
Individual absorption differences
Every human being has a different digestive system. The rate at which a person absorbs food is different, so the target set to lose or gain weight cannot function exactly the same for every individual. This is where weekly reviews come in. You know your body the best, and you know how it changes. Whether food is absorbed fast or slowly will affect the final result.
When is calorie counting not the right tool?
Calorie counting is strictly not recommended for people with an eating disorder. It is also advised to stop counting calories when it leads to anxiety or any signs of an eating disorder. One can develop an obsession with counting calories. It is highly possible to form a restrictive or unhealthy relationship with food.
Visiting a mental health professional is highly advised in the case of an eating disorder. Discretion is advised when you begin counting calories.
The Bottom Line
Counting calories is meant to give you a picture of your food consumption habits. It is important to calculate raw ingredients while measuring calories. Calculators that provide the estimate of cooked food are inaccurate to the recipes and portion size of your household. It is essential to take oil into account after measuring it with a standard measuring cup or spoon.
It is imperative to stop counting calories when it feels compulsive and seek medical assistance. It can also lead to an unhealthy relationship with food, which is when you know to stop. When there is no weight loss or gain visible after a course of time, getting a clinical assessment would prove beneficial.
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Questions worth asking before you start
How many calories are in 1 roti?
Roughly 70-120 kcal depending on the size and amount of ghee added. This is a general estimate. It is always better to measure raw ingredients and calculate the number of calories depending on your household measurements.
How do I count calories in Indian curries?
Measure the raw ingredients first. Include the oil and spices used. It is important to use standard measuring cups and spoons to receive the correct amount.
Do I have to weigh my food?
Not as a whole. Measure the oil, rice, grains, vegetables, and raw ingredients. Weighing cooked food will not provide an accurate estimate.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
TDEE minus 300-500 kcal. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) takes into account your age, body weight, height, gender, and activity level to provide your energy levels.
How accurate is calorie counting?
It is typically 20-25% accurate when used correctly. There is a possibility of errors arising. There can be an error with labeling certain ingredients, calculating portion sizes, and individual absorption differences. Consistency matters more in these situations than precision.
How many calories does 1 tablespoon of oil add?
About 120 kcal. This fact changes most people’s counts because they tend to underestimate the amount of oil added due to eyeballing. Using a measuring teaspoon or tablespoon while measuring oil will provide an accurate number.
How do I count calories when eating out?
Estimate high, assume extra oil, and use standard restaurant portion ranges.
Always overestimate the amount of calories present. Assume the fact that they use extra oil, way more than the amount used in household cooking. Use standard restaurant portion ranges, which will make it easier to guess the approximate calories.
Is calorie counting necessary to lose weight?
No, there are several other ways to lose weight. A deficit is required, and counting calories is one of the ways to reach your target of losing weight.
Can calorie counting be harmful?
When the target set is extreme and it pushes the limits of the human body, it can turn harmful. Calorie counting can lead to a restrictive and unhealthy relationship with food. It can cause malnutrition. It may lead to an eating disorder. In such cases, it is important to consult a mental health professional and stop your program immediately.
Medical disclaimer
This article is educational and is not a substitute for individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The calorie figures here are approximations worked from published Indian food composition data applied to standard portions, and they will vary with ingredients, cooking method and portion size. Population reference values are not personal targets. Anyone planning a sustained change to their diet, and anyone living with diabetes, thyroid disease, kidney disease, an eating disorder, or who is pregnant or breastfeeding, should speak to a qualified doctor or registered dietician first. If your relationship with food or with tracking is causing distress, please speak to a doctor or a qualified mental health professional.
