They are everywhere. 100 calories of Hostess cupcakes. 100 calories of chips ahoy. 100 calories of decadent Godiva chocolate cheesecake with chocolate graham crust and gorgeous dark chocolate shavings. Okay, maybe the last one is not a real food item but if it was, it would be about the size of a nickel. If I’m going to enjoy dessert, I want to know that I’m enjoying dessert. It doesn’t happen often, and almost always for a special occasion out. Life is too short for skipping dessert FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
But all these 100 calorie things are good for self-control and portion size. I get that. What I don’t get is that they are being used by millions of people as an alternative to the real thing, right? But what is the real thing? The real thing has zero nutritional value. The real thing is just as processed, just as sugary, fatty, whatever just a smaller version.
Allow me to introduce a new perspective. I found this on the Weight Watcher message boards, specifically, the old Core (now called Simply Filling, Filling Foods, etc). Weight Watchers participants have the option to count points for any food, or stick to real unprocessed food in their most natural state and eating until SATISFIED—not stuffed. Some of their rules, I don’t agree with although I understand the reasoning. Nut butters are not on the Filling Foods list due to their fat content and their altered state. A smoothie made from real fruit is not a filling food because only food in their natural state make the list. It’s all about nutritional density. It’s still an awesome approach to clean eating.
A poster named Kippy did some research and found a list of real food in 100 calorie portions. Check this out.
This list was originally put together by Kippy2006. It is not intended to function as a real snack list (although for some of the entries, it certainly is reasonable)
It’s a *thought starter*, an illustration to show how much more REAL food you can get for 100 calories compared to a nutrition-less 100 calorie pack.
1/4 of an avocado
1.75 cups apple slices
1 medium banana
1 cup grapes
2 cups berries
1.5 cups sliced peaches
1.25 cups orange sections
1.25 cups blueberries
2 cups diced watermelon
1 cup sliced pears
1.33 cup diced pineapple
1.5 cups raspberries
1 cup cherries
2 large kiwifruit
3 clementines
4 cups cherry tomatoes or 10 plum tomatoes or 3 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 medium baked sweet potato
1 small baked white potato
2 cups carrot strips or slices
12 cups torn lettuce
10 large broccoli spears
8 cups sliced cucumbers
5.5 cups sliced bell or sweet peppers
5 cups whole raw mushrooms
32 spears cooked asparagus
2.5 cups cooked green beans
80 snow or sugar snap pea pods
4.5 cups mixed vegetable salad (without dressing)
1/2 cup cooked grain/rice/pasta (most, bulgur is 3/4s cup)
1 jumbo hard boiled egg
20 large boiled or steamed shrimp
2 oz chicken breast meat (a little more than 2 oz)
2 oz sirloin steak (a little less than 2 oz)
0.75 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 cups air-popped popcorn
Compared to:
Less than an ounce of some kind of packaged cookie crispy thing