This is one in a series of food photo diary posts in which I track my food in pictures. I’m also counting my calories. Read all about it in this post or click here to view my calorie intake in a nifty spreadsheet.
I never really thought of myself as a fat fiend, but since tracking my calories these past few days, I’m kind of surprised by the percentage of my daily calories come from fat. My fat intake is typically over 30%, while the Dietary Reference Intake system recommends I get 20-35% of my calories from fat. Should I worry? I don’t think so. At least not yet. The DRI is not all knowing. And most of my fats come from good things like avocado, olive oil and nuts. I feel like I eat these things in moderation, so why stop now?
I do have one regret, and this points to the crapulence of calorie counting: today I payed too much attention to the numbers. Feeling a little unsure about that fat percentage, and wanting to up my protein, I decided to buy fat free yogurt today. What a mistake. I don’t care what all those fans of Fage 0% Greek yogurt say – this stuff doesn’t hold a candle to the real thing. I don’t like shortcuts when it comes to food, and this is the last one I plan to make. I’d rather have less of the good full fat stuff than more of the lower fat, less tasty stuff, no matter how much protein it packs.
Monday was a bit of a failure on the calorie consumption part… I ended up running a 488 deficit instead of my goal 100 surplus. See, I need that full fat Greek yogurt. How could I ever have doubted this?
Diary for Monday, May 26, 2009
Calories in: 1,897
Calories out: 1,409
Deficit: 488 (whoops)
Breakfast
Bircher muesli with blueberries, bananas and Greek yogurt.
Calories: 340 kCal
Protein: 10 grams
Fat: 10 grams
Carbs: 56 grams
Beverage
Orangina, consumed out of desperate fatigue. Totally unnecessary, but cold.
Calories: 150 kCal
Protein: 0 grams
Fat: 0 grams
Carbs: 39 grams
Walk
A 3-park walk with Tim around Clissold Park. Calories burned: about 300 kCal.
Lunch
Tim’s awesome scrambled egg lunch, with toast, avocado, roasted tomato, and asparagus.
Calories: 338 kCal
Protein: 15 grams
Fat: 18 grams
Carbs: 32 grams
Snack
Chickpea salad with carrots and cucumber.
Calories: 223 kCal
Protein: 8 grams
Fat: 9 grams
Carbs: 29 grams
Dinner
Grilled tofu and veggies with quinoa and salad, followed by an apple for dessert (not shown).
Calories: 357 kCal
Protein: 16 grams
Fat: 14 grams
Carbs: 52 grams
I’m so with you on the 0% Fage. WHY GOD WHY is all I can say. The 2% is pretty tasty but the full fat, plaster your walls with it stuff is really the granddaddy of Fage š
Thoroughly enjoying these posts, your photos are so lovely!
Once you go full fat, you can never go back. Or at least I can’t. I’m glad I’m not the only one. Now, what to do with the rest of this 0% yogurt? Smoothies? I have some fresh soured cream in the fridge I might mix with it to make it more like what I’m used to.
Glad you’re enjoying the post, and thanks for the props on the photos!
Hello darlin girl! Hope your Memorial day was as fanfreakin relaxing as mine.
I think I could look at your food all day it’s so pretty…
Happy Tuesday!
With Love,
Emily
Thanks, Emily! I DID have a very relaxing Memorial day, er, “Bank Holiday” as they call it here in the UK. But nevertheless, a great weekend overall. Beautiful weather and lots of glorious food. =D
What do you do with the rest of the avocado when you only use two small slices (probably 1/8 of a whole avocado)?
Do you use the food database that you posted about the other day when counting calories? I did a search for sushi in it but when it returned zero results I decided it wasn’t for me.
Mmm chickpea salad.
Everyone’s different- some people need higher fat diets, other people need higher protein or higher carb. I wouldn’t worry if I were you! We all have various needs.
No answers to my questions. š