Nuts & Dry Fruits
Calories in Dry Fruits Mix — Trail Mix, Soaked & Festive Pack
A handful of mixed dry fruits (30g) is 150 calories. Two handfuls: 300. A small festive box (200g): 1,000 calories. Dry fruits are the ultimate calorie-dense snack disguised as a health food. Almonds (575 cal/100g), cashews (553 cal/100g), raisins (299 cal/100g), dates (282 cal/100g). Combined in a mix, they average 500 cal/100g. Healthy? Yes. Low … Read more
Calories in Anjeer / Fig — Fresh, Dried & Soaked
Fresh anjeer: 74 cal per 100g. Dried anjeer: 249 cal per 100g. That is a 3.4x calorie increase from the same fruit. Most Indians eat dried figs (soaked overnight) as a health food. Three dried figs soaked in water: 75 calories. Six: 150 calories. The ‘health food’ label makes people eat unlimited dried figs without … Read more
Calories in Dry Fruits — Per Handful, 100g & Daily Limit
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
Calories in Chia Seeds — Per Tablespoon & Chia Pudding
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
Calories in Flax Seeds / Alsi — Per Tablespoon & Benefits
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
Calories in Coconut — Fresh, Dried, Milk & Oil
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
Calories in Pistachios / Pista — Shelled & Unshelled
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
Calories in Dates / Khajoor — Per Piece & Per 100g
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
Calories in Raisins / Kishmish — Per Piece & Per Handful
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