Nutrition
What to eat before bed: cottage cheese, banana, fruit and tomatoes
You can eat any of these foods in the evening: your weight depends on the total for the day, not on the hour of the last bite.
Dairy
How to read fat content and ingredients on dairy, and how plant alternatives differ.
Nutrition
How many calories are in coffee with milk and sugar
A 250 ml mug with 50 ml of 2.
Weight loss
Buckwheat and kefir diets: how many calories they provide and where the lost kilograms come from
A day of buckwheat with a kilogram of 1% kefir provides about 930–1,210 kcal, and a day on one and a half kilograms of kefir about 570.
Calorie counting
Milk, kefir and yogurt: converting millilitres to grams
Use the units in the nutrition table when counting milk, kefir and yogurt: grams for values per 100 g, millilitres for values per 100 ml.
Shopping
Glazed curd bars: comparing ingredients and portions
Compare glazed curd bars in two passes: read the curd base, coating and filling ingredients, then convert protein and calories to one bar.
Ingredients and additives
Phosphates in food: what EFSA calculated and where to find them on the label
In 2019 EFSA re-evaluated phosphoric acid and its salts, E 338–341, E 343 and E 450–452, and set an acceptable daily intake of 40 mg of phosphorus per kilogram of body weight, which is 2,800 mg a day for a person weighing 70 kg.
Shopping
What is really in a “milk-containing product” with milk fat substitute
If a pack in Russia says “milk-containing product with milk fat substitute”, the regulation’s own definition allows up to half of its fat phase to be vegetable.
Shopping
Plombir, creamy and milk ice cream: what sets them apart and how many calories they have
In Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union the type of ice cream is set by its milk fat: milk ice cream has up to 7.
Calorie counting
How many calories are in syrniki: fried, baked, with different tvorog
The FoodGPT reference card lists syrniki at 218 kcal per 100 g, so a 50 g syrnik is about 110 kcal.
Calorie counting
How much does a tablespoon of grated Parmesan weigh?
A tablespoon of grated Parmesan weighs 5 g in the USDA reference entry.
Calorie counting
How much does a spoonful of cottage cheese curds weigh?
There is no dependable single weight for a tablespoon of cottage cheese curds.
Calorie counting
Mashed potato calories: what milk, butter and cream add
Mashed potatoes do not have one calorie value.
Shopping
Tvorog: how to distinguish it from a tvorog product
On the tvorog shelf, there are four different products, and the difference between them is specified in the regulation.
Nutrition
Calcium: how much a day, and where to get it without dairy
Adults are advised 1000 mg of calcium a day in Russia and 950 mg by EFSA.
Shopping
Plant-based milk: how it differs from cow's milk
Plant-based beverages replace cow's milk in taste and in coffee, but not in composition.
Shopping
Yogurt: how to choose based on ingredients
In the yogurt aisle, there are three different products with similar names, and the difference between them is defined by law, not by advertising.
Shopping
Cheese: what "45% fat" means on the label
Cheese labeled "45%" does not contain 45 grams of fat per hundred, but rather about 27.
Nutrition
Insulin index: why cottage cheese has a higher score than pasta
The insulin index shows how much insulin is released in response to a portion of food with the same caloric value.
Ingredients and additives
Phosphates: why they are in sausage, cottage cheese, and soda
Phosphorus is an essential element: it is a component of bones, cell membranes, and molecules that transport energy.
Shopping
Condensed milk and "milk-containing product": where is the line drawn
Condensed milk is a product made of two ingredients: milk and sugar.
Shopping
Butter and spread: how to distinguish them and why they are different products
Butter and spread sit side by side, look the same, and cost different amounts.
Allergies
Cow's milk protein allergy: where it hides in ingredients
The most common mistake with this allergy is looking for the word "milk" in the ingredients list.
Allergies
Allergy or intolerance: what is the difference and why it matters
Both conditions are described with the same words: "this makes me feel bad.
Nutrition
Lactose intolerance: why milk becomes harder to digest with age
Milk that caused no issues in childhood may start to trigger bloating and rumbling by your twenties—and this can feel like a malfunction that needs fixing.
From reading to doing. All of it starts in one place — knowing what is on the plate. Photograph it and the calories and macros appear on their own.
Other topics: Protein · Fats · Carbohydrates · Sugar · Sweeteners · Fibre · Water and salt · Coffee and tea · Drinks and alcohol · Supplements and vitamins · Sports nutrition · Training · Sleep and routine · Appetite and stress · Fasting · Gut and microbiome · Diabetes and blood sugar · Hormones · Age · Children · Pregnancy and breastfeeding · Eating out · Travelling · Gatherings · Portion size · Food labels · Storage and shelf life · Meat and sausage · Fish and seafood · Bread and grains · Sweets and snacks · Plant-based · Food diary · What the research shows · All articles
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.