Snacks at work: no fridge, with a fridge, with a microwave
Choose a work snack by where it will be kept.
How to log a meal when only the kitchen knows the recipe and the portion.
Choose a work snack by where it will be kept.
The Chicken Teriyaki roll is 410 kcal, the same salad 207, the 15 cm sandwich 382.
Double Cheeseburger is 441 kcal, Grand 514, Big Special 756, Double Big Special 1,042.
Count poke by adding the ingredients in the whole bowl: the base, fish or meat, vegetables, toppings and sauce.
Choose a prepared meal plan by its actual daily menu, delivery terms and full price.
Use the nutrition card for the exact Big Special burger you select, then count the full order separately: fries, drink, sauce and extras.
FoodGPT’s reference card lists borscht at 65 kcal per 100 g, so a 300 g bowl contains about 195 kcal.
The calorie content of a fast food order is determined less by the chosen dish and more by portion size, drink, and sauces: the same dish may have two values in the chain’s nutritional table that differ by nearly twofold.
A slice of a 35 cm pizza weighs about 110 g and gives roughly 285–315 kcal, and a whole pizza gives 2,270–2,520 kcal.
A piece of a roll or nigiri weighs 20–35 g.
Subway publishes nutrition information for its full menu in a separate document.
None of the tricks that work at home apply in a cafeteria: there are no scales, the ingredients are unknown, and portion size is decided by someone with a ladle.
Arguing about which is higher in calories—shawarma or a burger—is pointless: the variation within each name is greater than the difference between them.
At a buffet, calorie counting can only be approximate, and that is normal.
In a coffee shop, calories are often hidden in the cup rather than in the food next to it.
A business lunch is convenient for the very reason it is inconvenient for tracking: the composition is set, the choice is limited to two or three options, and everything is served at once.
Choosing based solely on calories leads to odd decisions: a salad with dressing ends up being "heavier" than a chicken breast, and the lightest item on the menu becomes mineral water.
Calorie counts are usually absent from menus, leading to the natural conclusion that they are not required.
Lunch at a cafe is usually where a food diary falls apart.
A photo of a menu page is transformed into a list of dishes with calorie and macronutrient counts.
Menus often list only the name and price.
Packaging includes mandatory ingredient lists and warnings about traces.
In the dish card, below the photo, there are four numbers, and they look like a measurement.
A home-cooked meal can be calculated by its ingredients, and packaged food can be checked on the label.
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.
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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.