Vegetables

Vegetables have a reputation for being the easy part of calorie counting. Usually they are.

Then somebody mentions “negative calories,” adds two tablespoons of oil to a roasting pan, or compares a cup of raw spinach with a cup of cooked spinach.

A vegetable does not suddenly become unhealthy because it was cooked, and celery does not perform nutritional magic simply because chewing takes energy.

A rustic brown bowl holds tender golden potatoes sprinkled with fresh herbs
Vegetables

Does a Cold Potato Have Fewer Calories Than a Hot One?

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A cold potato does not suddenly lose a large number of calories after a night in the refrigerator. Cooling changes part of its starch structure, which can reduce how completely some of that starch is digested in the small intestine. So a cold potato may provide slightly less metabolizable energy than the same potato served […]

Halved sweet potatoes on a wooden cutting board with fresh rosemary, seasonings, and olive oil.
Vegetables

How Many Calories Are in a Sweet Potato, and What the Thanksgiving Casserole Adds

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The USDA entry for baked sweet potato gives a clear starting figure: 90 calories per 100 grams. Compare that with a Thanksgiving casserole recipe, and the calculation changes quickly. So how many calories in sweet potato are there? A sweet potato baked in its skin without salt has about 90 calories per 100 grams, and […]

Spaghetti squash and a bowl of pasta displayed side by side with a sign showing question marks for calories, illustrating a comparison of whether spaghetti squash can be a lower-calorie pasta substitute.
Vegetables

How Many Calories in Spaghetti Squash, and Can It Really Replace Pasta?

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Spaghetti squash has one quality that almost sells itself. Once it is baked or cooked, the inside separates with a fork into long strands that look a lot like spaghetti. That is where the name comes from, along with the comparison to pasta that appears almost everywhere people talk about this vegetable. The calorie difference […]

Butternut squash and white potatoes shown side by side for a simple visual comparison.
Vegetables

Does Butternut Squash Really Have Half the Calories of a Potato?

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Butternut squash and potatoes often end up in the same place on the plate. Both can be roasted in cubes or served as a warm side dish, so comparing their calories makes a lot of sense. The numbers floating around online can look a little dramatic, though. One of the more common claims says that […]

Woman eating a fresh vegetable salad with a fork, representing vegetables and satiety.
Vegetables

Which Vegetables Actually Keep You Full the Longest?

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We often look at vegetables through calories. Broccoli has few calories, cucumber has even fewer, potatoes have more. It is easy to get the idea that vegetables with the fewest calories will automatically be the best choice for satiety. Hunger, however, follows slightly different rules. Research on appetite and satiety points to several interacting factors. […]

Celery with a calorie scale and digestive system graphic showing how the body processes it.
Vegetables

Does Celery Really Burn More Calories Than It Gives You?

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Nutrition labels can make even a familiar food worth a second look. Celery is a good example because its low calorie content has inspired a claim that deserves a closer examination. The claim that celery burns more calories than it contains has circulated for years. Does celery really have negative calories? No The body uses […]