The calories in your favourite snacks

The number of calories an average man should consume in a day are 2500 while a woman’s daily requirement is 2000 calories.

Do you know how many calories you consume when snacking?

Fries

A medium size portion of plain fries contains approximately 350 calories. If topped with sauces, the caloric value goes up. For example, each teaspoon of tomato sauce gives an extra 4 calories.

Slice of bread

A slice of whole wheat bread weighing approximately 30 grammes contains approximately 74 calories while a slice of refined wheat bread of the same weight gives about 79 calories. The calorie content increases if the bread is buttered. For example one teaspoon of margarine increases the calories by 34.

Biscuits

A medium sized whole wheat biscuit contains approximately 44 calories while a similar sized made of refined wheat contains roughly 49 calories.  

Popcorns

A 30-gramme packet of salted popcorns gives roughly 110 calories. Calorie content increases with additional ingredients and flavors.

Crisps

A small 30-gramme packet of salted potato crisps gives about 130 calories. The calorie content goes up with additional ingredients and flavours.

Bacons and sausages

Processed meats like bacon and sausages have been linked to increased risk of cancer and heart diseases in numerous studies. One deep fried peace of beef sausage gives approximately 143 calories, 644mg of sodium and 20g of fat. One slice of bacon will give you 44 calories, 178 mg of sodium and 3.5 9 of fat.

Burger

A medium sized cheese burger topped with a single slice of cheese, a tablespoon of ketchup and mayonnaise gives approximately 450 calories.

Deep fried chicken

One leg quarter piece of chicken gives approximately 534 calories, 31 g of fat, 550mg of salt. During deep frying, essential nutrients in the chicken are destroyed and the meat toughened which makes it very difficult for the body to digest.

Noodles

A 175-gramme packet of noodles contains approximately 420 calories. Noodles are high in simple carbohydrates, sodium and food preservatives, but low in fibre, vitamins and minerals. They are also loaded with chemicals that put an extra load on the organs like flavor enhancers, thickeners, flour treatment agents, stabilisers, preservatives, anti-caking agents, acid regulators and emulsifiers

Soda

500 ml of soda gives approximately 53 grammes of sugar which is more than double the recommended amounts for health. The same bottle gives approximately 210 calories with no other nutrient value.

Alcohol

A tot of liquor or spirit gives approximately 96 calories, a glass of wine gives around 120 calories and a 500ml bottle of beer contains approximately 170 calories. Alcoholic drinks are associated with increased risk of many non communicable diseases, with the risk increasing with increased consumption.