Counting Calories? Here's How to calculate them in Homemade Food

Are you on a mission to maintain or lose weight? Are you counting calories every day? While it's easy to count calories from packed food, it's difficult to track them down on a home-cooked meal. As pre-packed food gives you the calorie count on the label, all you should do is to read the label before you buy. But when you are cooking a homemade meal, how do you go about it? Let's explore the art of calorie tracking in this blog post.

 

Step 1 of Calorie Counting - Decide What You Want to Cook:

First, think of what you want to cook for the day. Get the menu ready and list the ingredients you'd need right from vegetables to spices and toppings.  This way, you will know what is going into making your food.

Measure the quantities - All Raw:

Now it's time to get your kitchen scale to work. Measure the quantities of ingredients you have taken right from rice grains to pulses and vegetables. If you are using coconut milk or curd or any of the dairy products, measure them too. Keep in mind that all ingredients are to be measured raw. You don't have to measure the quantities of spices and masala powders used for cooking. Well, one exception here is for rice, which can be measured after you cook it.

Check for Calories:

You can use apps like HealthifyMe or FITTR to count calories. Just enter the name of the item used for cooking along with its quantity. The apps will show the number of calories they contain. This helps you to count the total number of calories you consumed in a day.

How Many Calories Should You Consume In a Day?

The amount of calorie intake depends on your fitness goals. Whether you are trying to gain or lose or maintain weight or build muscle, it all depends on the number of calories you consume. For example, you should be on a calorie deficit if your target is to lose weight. Your healthcare professional will help you with the right advice on calorie intake. Alternatively, you can go through the reference documents in the fitness apps to estimate the number of calories required for your body per day.

So, start counting calories every day and check your portions. That way, achieving your fitness goals becomes practical.

Here’s an Example for You:

Say, you are preparing or ordering homemade food that consists of rice, dal, fish curry and curd. Here’s how you can calculate the number of calories you consume through this meal.

1. Steamed rice - 120gm - 120 Cal

2. Tur Dal- 220gm - 174 Cal.

3. Fish - 160gm - 315 Cal

4. Tomatoes - 40gm - 9Cal

5. Ghee - 3gm - 28Cal

6. Curd - 200 gm - 118Cal.

Total number of Calories = 120+174+315+9+28+118 = 764Cal.

That means, with one home-cooked meal, you have consumed 764 Cal. This way, you can calculate the number of calories you consume in your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Keep a track of calories consumed while snacking too.

What if You Are Unable to Prepare Food at Home?

Can you order from outside and put your health at stake? You don't know the kind of oil, the amount of sugar and salt that go into the dishes. But what if you have no alternative? Well, you can fearlessly order home-cooked food.

At FoodRoz, we offer authentic, customized home-cooked food, freshly prepared and served hot at your doorstep. There shall be no place for doubt or skepticism about hygiene and quality, as we prepare food in a kitchen similar to the one in your house. FoodRoz stands with you in your fitness journey and helps you achieve your goals by serving healthy food on your plate.

To know more, visit https://foodroz.com or download our app on play store : Download the app