One Ounce

Jul 15

Many processed chips, cookies, bars and dessert type items indicate a one ounce serving size on their Nutrition Facts Panel. I find this to be very telling about the calorie density of packaged foods.

Here are the calories in various fruits and vegetables, per one ounce:

Apple - 14 calories
Baked potato (plain) - 26 calories
Carrot - 11 calories
Celery - 4 calories
Grapes - 19 calories
Melon - 9 calories

Whereas most cookies and potato chips are between 140 to 160 calories per ounce (28 grams), even if they are baked, fat-free, whole grain or trans-fat free! This clearly shows that fruits and veggies are the way to go for snacks for those watching their waist.

Our cookie package says:
-Mini size
-Handy snack sack

We wonder if most would treat this bag as a one-serving snack and not realize how many calories they have consumed? 9 small cookies (1 ounce) is a small serving for 130 calories and the bag makes it tempting to keep eating more –That is 1040 calories for the bag!!!!!!!! We would tend to think of these more as a treat not a snack.

Flip over the bag and check the Nutrition Facts Panel - which we have summarized here:

Food and Health Communications has just produced a new game called Nutrition Facts Label Game

It is great for teaching people the difference between package claims and the Nutrition Facts Panel as well as being able to evaluate foods and make better choices in the grocery store.

We have opened the comments section of this blog - if you are reading tell us hi and what you think. We welcome food and cooking questions, too!

food shopping

Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

One Ounce

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