Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I did that this morning. We went to Cracker Barrel and I was trying to decide between a few different things. Two things had much lower calories. I went ahead and ordered the other thing because I haven't been eating foods like this for the most part.
Here is what I got: A blueberry muffin, yogurt, 2 scrambled eggs and turkey bacon.
That doesn't seem like it should have been terrible but the muffin was more calories than my normal breakfast is alone every day. Muffins absolutely seem like they should be healthy but when it comes to the calories they contain that your body is just not going to use for anything...there are too many.
Normally when we go out to eat for breakfast I have been getting a small sized oatmeal, a small fruit dish, and one scrambled egg for the protein.
I am not a huge calorie counter, but I have been using the website sparkpeople for the last week and as far as this mornings breakfast is concerned, I broke my calorie bank for sure.
A muffin is nothing but carbs, fat and sugar. None of which are really needed. Much healthier to get oatmeal, fruit and egg. But I think you know this. Some muffins have more than 500 calories and they differ in size so much. Add that it came from a restaurant and we all know it has more sugar and fat than those we would make.
If you have to have them, make them yourself with as many healthy ingredients as possible and freeze them in portion sizes.
Or just decide to have one and treat it as a one time treat and go on with life.
Muffins absolutely seem like they should be healthy but when it comes to the calories they contain that your body is just not going to use for anything...there are too many.
People's perception of the 'healthiness' of certain foods can be odd.
I'll have two strips of bacon and two eggs, and while the bacon is not health food, the muffin eater will look at me with pity for my 250 calories of fat and protein while they munch down on 600 calories of sugar.
It's all about reevaluating your diet, which is great that you're doing. A typical bagel is 300-400 calories before any spreads and muffins are 300-600 depending on what's in it. However, that's several hundred empty calories; neither one of those items contributes anything to your body except tons of sugar/excess carbs, which the standard american diet (SAD) has in spades.
To give you an idea, you'd have to eat 14 cups of broccoli, 50 cups of spinach, 1 pound of chicken breast, 1/2 pound sirloin steak, 3-4 chicken thighs, etc. Or, coming in at about 500 calories calories, you could have chicken breast, 2 cups of spinach and some avocado. All of which will keep you much fuller and actually be beneficial for your body.
The easiest rule to follow when changing your diet is called "Green Face." Everytime you eat a meal, it should have something green (spinach, kale, broccoli) and it should have something that used to have a face (chicken, beef, fish).
I use sparkpeople too and it's pretty helpful. It also gives you a range of calories for the day, so if one day you find yourself at the top of your calorie range, the next day you could eat toward the lower end of the range and balance it out.
It's good to have a treat now and then, helps keep you from feeling like you can't live with your diet.
Oh I knew about muffins when I ordered it. I have not been eating any of that kind of food and decided that yes, it was a treat.
I have been eating almost strictly foods from a Mediterranean type diet. I have not been eating gluten. No cakes or anything like that.
I was just posting about how certain foods are perceived. For so many years it seems muffins have been perceived as a "health food" when they really are not.
Hard to believe anyone would think a muffin is anywhere near healthy, but then again people think cereal is healthy
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
