Deception in the Kitchen: Learn Which Healthy Foods are Hiding Massive Calories

Even healthy foods can be filled with large amounts of calories. If you’re on a diet, you may want to limit how much you eat of these healthy, high-calorie foods.

Consider eating these nutritious foods in moderation:

1. Quinoa is an ancient and popular grain. It’s showing up in more recipes because it’s healthy, delicious, and has a lot of protein.
   • One cup of quinoa has about 222 calories. That is about the same calorie count as brown rice.
   • The key is to control portion size just as you would for rice or pasta.
   • Quinoa can be used in salads, soups, casseroles, and stir-fry. It can also work well as an alternative to bread crumbs for coating chicken or other foods. Quinoa can brighten any skillet meal that has vegetables and meat.
2. When you think of healthy foods, raisins are usually on the list.
   • Raisins have 129 calories in 1.5 ounces or 43 grams. This is about the size of the small boxes of raisins you see sold in grocery stores.
   • It’s important to eat raisins in moderation. It’s easy to overindulge in them because they’re small and tasty.
   • Consider adding raisins to oatmeal, cereal, or granola. A small amount can make a good topping for these carbohydrate dishes. Raisins also go well with yogurt and other creamy dishes. You can bake them into cookies, muffins, and other sweets.
3. Peanut butter. This popular item shows up on many healthy meal plans. However, it does have a lot of calories. A tablespoon of peanut butter averages about 100 calories. Peanut butter, eaten in moderation, is beneficial because it provides healthy fat and protein.
   • It’s easy to eat more than one tablespoon of peanut butter per meal if you coat toast or bread with it.
   • You can use it as a spread or dip. Peanut butter can also be used as the base of some sauces, such as peanut sesame sauce. It can be added to granola, smoothies, and other meals. You can also use peanut butter to make bars and cookies.
4. Chia seeds. Chia seeds are small, black or brown seeds. They have been showing up in many foods and products because they’re healthy and taste great. Chia seeds have fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients.
   • One tablespoon of chia seeds has about 70 calories.
   • You often see drinks or smoothies made with these seeds. They’re also used to sprinkle on things such as granola, oatmeal, or other dishes.
5. Olive oil. You’ve heard about the benefits of using olive oil to cook in the kitchen. It does have many health benefits, along with the many calories.
   • Two tablespoons of olive oil can have an average of 238 calories. This can vary based on the brand and type of olive oil. However, any type of olive oil is generally considered a high calorie food.
   • You can still continue to cook with olive oil and use it in other ways. The key is not to drench everything in olive oil without thinking about the calories you’re adding.

Be on the lookout for high-calorie foods that can affect your diet. Even healthy foods can have a lot of calories. As with any food, eating healthy foods in moderation will help you keep your calories under control.