A ‘handful of dry fruits’ is the most commonly prescribed Indian health snack. It is also 150 to 250 calories depending on your hand size and what’s in the mix. Most people eat dry fruits thinking they are being healthy without knowing that 100g of mixed dry fruits is 520 calories. More than a full … Read more
Chia seeds have the highest fibre content of any common food: 34g per 100g. A tablespoon (10g) gives you 3.4g fibre for 49 calories. But the real magic: chia seeds absorb 10-12x their weight in water, turning into a gel that fills your stomach. A tablespoon of chia in water becomes a glass of filling, … Read more
Flax seeds have 534 calories per 100g. Sounds heavy. But nobody eats 100g of flax seeds. A tablespoon (10g) is 53 calories with 2.7g fibre and 1.8g omega-3. That tablespoon, sprinkled on your curd or dal, is one of the most nutrient-dense additions you can make to any Indian meal. The key word is ‘tablespoon,’ … Read more
Fresh coconut is 354 calories per 100g. Dried coconut (copra/desiccated) is 650 calories per 100g. Coconut oil is 900 calories per 100g (pure fat). Coconut is one of the most calorie-dense plant foods in existence, and it appears everywhere in South Indian and Kerala cooking. One coconut chutney bowl, a few spoons of coconut in … Read more
Pistachios have a built-in diet hack that no other nut has: the shell. Eating unshelled pistachios slows you down. You crack each one, eat the nut, and the pile of shells on your plate gives you a visual cue of how much you have eaten. Studies show people eat 41% fewer calories from unshelled pistachios … Read more
One Medjool date is 66 calories. One regular date (chhuhara) is 20 calories. Dates are marketed as a ‘healthy sugar alternative’ and they do have fibre, potassium, and iron. But at 282 calories per 100g, they are still concentrated sugar. Eating 5 Medjool dates (330 cal) as a ‘healthy snack’ costs more calories than a … Read more
Raisins are dried grapes. The drying process removes water and concentrates everything: sugar, calories, and the illusion that you are eating something light. 100g raisins: 299 calories. 100g fresh grapes: 69 calories. Same fruit, 4x the calorie density. A small handful of raisins (30g) is 90 calories. That handful looks like nothing on your palm … Read more
Walnuts are the most calorie-dense common nut at 654 calories per 100g. Two walnut halves is 26 calories. That sounds light until you eat 10 halves (130 cal) while reading something, then another 10 because they taste good. 20 walnut halves = 260 calories. The omega-3 benefit is real. The calorie density is also very … Read more
Cashews are the most moreish nut in existence. 10 cashews is 55 calories. But nobody eats exactly 10 cashews. You eat them by the handful until the bowl is empty. A 100g bag is 553 calories, gone in 15 minutes of mindless snacking. The roasted-salted variety is even worse because the salt makes you eat … Read more
10 almonds is 70 calories. That is a perfectly healthy snack. 30 almonds (a ‘handful’) is 210 calories. 100 almonds (which disappears faster than you think while watching TV) is 576 calories. Almonds are the food where ‘healthy’ and ‘calorie-dense’ coexist perfectly. The nutrition is excellent. The calorie cost is high. Measure or suffer. This … Read more