Quiz: Test your calorie smarts
Updated: Jul. 16, 2019
Think you’re calorie-savvy? Take this quiz to find out how much you know about the calorie count in common foods
How many calories?
When you’re trying to eat healthy-whether it’s to shed pounds or maintain a healthy lifestyle-understanding the calorie count of the foods you eat every day can help you make better choices at mealtime. Take this quiz to see if you know which item packs more calories.
1. A bagel or a pita?
Which has more calories?
a) One bagel, plain
b) One whole wheat pita
Answer: Bagel
Even without butter or cream cheese, a bagel is the more calorie-laden choice. One bagel (10 cm diameter) is 195 calories, while a whole wheat pita (17 cm diameter) weighs in at 170 calories.
2. French toast or pancakes?
Which has more calories?
a) One slice of homemade french toast
b) One homemade pancake, plain
Answer: French toast
If you’re looking for a healthy Sunday brunch option, forgo french toast in favour of homemade pancakes. One slice of french toast is 149 calories, while one plain, 13 cm pancake is 86 calories.
For a twist on your regular pancakes, give one of these recipes a try:
3. Quinoa or brown rice?
Which has more calories?
a) 1/2 cup quinoa
b) 1/2 cup brown, long-grain rice
Answer: Brown rice
When it comes to picking a healthy side dish, opt for 1/2 cup of quinoa, which is 70 calories-and higher in protein than other grains. The same amount of brown rice will cost you 115 calories.
You can also make quinoa your main dish with one of these recipes:
• Quinoa Salad with Mango and Walnuts
• Vegetarian Quinoa Stew
• Quinoa Porridge
4. Bran Flakes or Cheerios?
Which has more calories?
a) One cup of Bran Flakes
b) One cup of Honey Nut Cheerios
Answer: Bran Flakes
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? But it’s just as important to be mindful of what you’re putting in your bowl. While bran is an excellent source of dietary fibre, one cup of Bran Flakes cereal will rack up 185 calories. In comparison, one cup of Honey Nut Cheerios is 134 calories.
5. Red wine or white wine?
Which has more calories?
a) 125 mL of red wine
b) 125 mL of white wine
Answer: Red wine
Grapes are grapes-so they should both have the same calories, right? Turns out, the answer is no. If you want to unwind after work with a 125 mL glass of the red stuff, it’s 90 calories. The same amount of white wine, on the other hand, is 85 calories.
6. Asparagus or brussels sprouts?
Which has more calories?
a) Six spears of asparagus
b) Four brussels sprouts
Answer: Brussels sprouts
In this battle of the veggies, asparagus is the low-cal winner. Six spears of asparagus are 18 calories, while those four brussels sprouts are 33 calories. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still love your brussels-as a cruciferous vegetable, they are packed with healthy nutrients.
7. Almond butter or cashew butter?
Which has more calories?
a) 2 tbsp of almond butter
b) 2 tbsp of cashew butter
Answer: Almond butter
If you’re looking for a new toast topper, either of these nut butters is a great choice as they contain heart-healthy fats. But two tablespoons of almond butter will add 205 calories to your daily total, while cashew butter will save you a few at 190 calories.
8. Spinach or kale?
Which has more calories?
a) 1/2 cup of kale
b) 1/2 cup of spinach
Answer: Spinach
Half a cup of spinach is 22 calories, while the same amount of kale is slightly less at 19 calories. For a nutritious, amazing salad, try mixing these two essential greens together. You can also bake kale to make a healthy, low-cal alternative to potato chips.
9. Salmon sandwich or tuna sandwich?
Which has more calories?
a) Tuna salad sandwich (162 g)
b) Salmon salad sandwich (162 g)
Answer: Tuna sandwich
If your lunch break finds you in line at a sandwich shop, opt for the salmon salad to save yourself some calories. A salmon salad sandwich is 340 calories, while its tuna counterpart weighs in at 371 calories.
Apart from the calorie savings, the salmon sandwich will also give you some great health benefits, due to salmon’s omega-3 content. Salmon is also a good source of vitamin D.
Salmon and tuna aren’t your only fish options, though! Click through for 10 healthy fish recipes.
10. Pretzels or a rice cake?
Which has more calories?
a) 10 sticks of hard, plan pretzels
b) One plain rice cake
Answer: A rice cake
Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean afternoons of cardboard-esque rice cakes! If you control portions of healthy snacks, you’ll feel more satisfied without adding extra calories to your daily total. Ten pretzel sticks, for example, are only 19 calories. That tasteless rice cake? It’s 35 calories. Be smart about snacking and you’ll be much more likely to stick to your healthy eating goals.
Related:
• 10 quick and healthy snacks to stash at work
• 6 foods you thought weren’t healthy, but are
• 6 foods you thought were healthy, but aren’t
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