CHANCES are that when you visit your favourite cafe, you are thinking that it is a much healthier option than grabbing a fast food meal deal from a local drive through.
But the truth is while there may be some “healthy” cafe options, when it comes to calories, fats and sugars — there are plenty to be found in some of our favourite cafe menu items.
A Big Mac and fries contains 900 calories and almost 50g of fat — way too much for a single meal. But what’s really shocking is your cafe breakfast or jumbo toasted sandwich might actually be worse
With the average Australian adult needing just 1200-1600 calories each day, calorie control is important and with the most popular cafe menu choices containing 600-800 calories per serve, it is easy to overdo things when you pick up a snack with your coffee, or top in to pick up a quick lunch on the run. Here are some of the worst offenders.
EGGS BENEDICT
A Sunday morning favourite — a standard serve of eggs Bene and a side of bacon contains more than 1300 calories and 100g of fat in a single serve thanks to the creamy sauce and fat used in cooking. If you consider that a cheeseburger and fries contains half as much fat and fewer calories, it is difficult to argue that the cafe breakfast is a better option nutritionally.
HAM AND CHEESE CROISSANT
One of the most energy dense foods we consume is pastry and when this is teamed with butter, ham and cheese your ‘light’ breakfast on the run becomes a complete calorie bomb. With more than 500 calories and 30g of fat in a single serve it is not much better than a serve of fish and chips which clocks in at 600 calories and 36g of fat.
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ACAI BOWL
A popular breakfast item, with its fresh fruit and grains it is no wonder that this visually appealing breakfast would be considered healthy. When you consider though that the average acai bowl contains 60-80g of sugars thanks to the mix of juice and concentrated fruit syrup, an acai is not much better than a hot fudge sundae and its 60 plus grams of sugars.
CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD
The word salad lures us in and indeed if you make a salad at home for yourself and use lighter dressings, lean protein and small amounts of cheese and creamy sauces you can make a healthy version of a Caesar salad. The mix of high fat ingredients mean that the average Caesar salad contains at least 30g of fat — more than that of a plain steak sandwich or hamburger and salad.
BANANA BREAD
One of the most popular menu items at the local cafe, banana bread seems like a relatively innocent add on to accompany your coffee order, yet really it should be called banana cake with the average slice slab sold in cafes containing more calories than a meal (500-600cal) thanks to the mix of butter or oil, white flour and sugar, at least 20g of sugars and up to 30g of fat. Or pretty similar to that in a couple of scoops of your favourite decadent ice-cream.
CHICKEN & AVO WRAP
If you are looking for a yummy lunch order at the local cafe you can be sure to find a schnitty sandwich or wrap on the menu. With avo, cheese and mayo there are few lunches as tasty as a good old chicken schnitzel sandwich. Unfortunately, it is the mix of fried meat and the high fat mix of cheese, sauce and avo that can mean your healthy chicken sandwich can contain more than 800 calories and 50g of fat or the equivalent of a couple of slices of thick pizza.
SMOOTHIES
If you made a smoothie at home with a little milk, yoghurt and fresh fruit, your smoothie would contain a respectable 200-300 calories and 20-30g of sugars. On the other hand, a large acai or mango smoothie which combines honey, milk, yoghurt and fruit can give as much as 60-80g of sugars or 12-16 teaspoons per serve — more than a flavoured milkshake, fruit juice or even a small soft drink.
Susie Burrell is a dietitian. Follow her on Twitter @SusieBDiet
FAQs
Why calories are important. You need energy from calories for your body to work properly. Your body uses this energy to function properly. To stay at around the same weight, the calories your body uses should be the same as the amount of calories you eat and drink.
Why are calories important for us to be aware of when choosing a meal? ›
People absorb this energy from food and drink. If people consumed only the number of calories needed every day, they would probably have healthy lives. Calorie consumption that is too low or too high will eventually lead to health problems. The number of calories in food tells us how much potential energy they contain.
How do you calculate calories in a meal? ›
Go to the USDA National Nutrient Database and look up the calories and nutrients for each individual ingredient in the correct amount. Enter the information into the Meal Calculator spreadsheet including number of servings for each individual ingredient or recipe.
How much calories should be in each meal? ›
between 200 and 400 calories for breakfast, 500-700 calories for lunch, and 500-700 calories for dinner. You could also incorporate a morning and evening snack for a total of about 400-500 more calories.
Is it really important to count calories? ›
There are many reasons to count calories. Broadly speaking, doing so allows a person to measure how much energy they are consuming per day. If a person takes in more than their body uses, they generally begin to gain weight. If a person takes in less than their body requires, they generally start to lose weight.
Why is it important to understand the calories? ›
Calories indicate the energy content of the food and beverages you eat and drink. Understanding calories can help you make educated decisions about your diet and exercise. There are three main sources of calories in the human diet. They come from the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, and protein.
Do restaurants have to tell you calories? ›
Businesses must also provide, upon request, the following written nutrition information for standard menu items: total calories; total fat; saturated fat; trans fat; cholesterol; sodium; total carbohydrates; sugars; fiber; and protein.
Is counting calories unhealthy? ›
By now, we've established that calorie counting is far from the best way to lose weight. There's also growing evidence that for some people, it may increase the risk of disordered eating. Disordered eating refers to behaviors that are part of eating disorders.
Why is it important to be aware of the nutrition information in the food we eat? ›
You can use the label to support your personal dietary needs – look for foods that contain more of the nutrients you want to get more of and less of the nutrients you may want to limit. Nutrients to get less of: Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Added Sugars.
Why is nutrition important for your body? ›
Good nutrition helps fuel your body. The foods you eat supply the nutrients your body needs to maintain your brain, muscle, bone, nerves, skin, blood circulation, and immune system. Proper nutrition also helps protect you from illness and disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis.
High-calorie foods (also known as calorie-dense or energy-dense foods) include things like:
- chocolate and sweets.
- crisps.
- biscuits.
- cake.
- ice cream.
- fast food, like burgers, fried chicken or fries.
- pastries.
Whatever the reason, you may have asked yourself: can I eat all my calories in one meal? In short, it's not recommended. The one meal a day or OMAD diet is an extreme type of intermittent fasting (IF). It's not practical for most people as it's difficult to eat enough calories and get enough nutrients in one sitting.
Does calories per meal matter? ›
Whether people on a diet eat most of their calories at breakfast or at dinner has no effect on weight loss, but it does affect how hungry they are. Previous research on the importance of calorie distribution across meals for weight loss has been mixed.
Which meal should have the most calories? ›
The bottom line
New research has found that people who eat a big breakfast burn twice as many calories compared with those who eat a larger dinner. They also have less hunger pangs and cravings, especially for sweets, throughout the day.
How many calories are in 3 eggs? ›
Eggs are low in calories
An egg meal commonly consists of about 2–4 eggs. Three large boiled eggs contain less than 230 calories. By adding a generous serving of vegetables, along with a source of fiber and fat like sliced avocado, you're able to have a complete meal for 500 calories.
Why do we need to measure our intake of calories? ›
Counting calories is useful if you want to change your weight, either up or down. Then you want to now how your intake matches up against your usage and storage. In a sense (for average people, neither starving or obese) calories are the cost of nutrition.
Why is it important to monitor the calories in the food that you eat? ›
For those on a weight loss or weight maintenance journey, tracking food intake is a powerful tool. It provides a clear picture of your daily caloric intake and allows you to set realistic and achievable goals. This precision can be a game-changer when working towards weight-related objectives.
Why are calories on menus important? ›
For the average adult, eating one meal away from home each week translates to roughly 2 extra pounds each year. Over the course of 5 years, that's 10 extra pounds. Calorie labeling on menus can help you make informed and healthful decisions about meals and snacks.
Why is access to food calories important? ›
Consistent access to nutritious food supports an individual's growth, energy levels, and immune system function. Food is also deeply connected with family, community, and social interactions.
