Overweight and Underweight

by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

Saving Energy

The body uses fewer calories at rest than when active, and least of all during sleep. Therefore, any extra sleep or rest which an underweight person gets will help him to gain. Whatever energy can be saved during waking hours by riding instead of walking, sitting instead of standing, and relaxing as often as possible will add to the calories saved.

A healthy person who decides to gain weight, and who sticks to his program of taking in more calories than he needs, and of spending as few as possible in needless physical activity, can be sure that sooner or later his efforts will meet with success.

CALORIE TABLES

FOOD		MEASURES[4]	CALORIES
Almonds		12-15	100
Apple butter		1 tablespoon	40
Apples, baked		1 large and 2 tablespoons sugar	200
	fresh	1 large	100
Applesauce, sweetened		½ cup	100
Apricots,
	canned in sirup	3 large halves and 2 tablespoons juice	100
	dried	10 halves	100
Asparagus, fresh or canned		5 stalks 5 inches long	15
Avocado		½ pear 4 inches long	265
Bacon		2-3 long slices cooked	100
Bacon fat		1 tablespoon	100
Banana		1 medium 6 inches long	100
Beans,
	canned with pork	½ cup	130
	dried	½ cup cooked	135
	lima, fresh or canned	½ cup	100
	snap, fresh or canned	½ cup	25
Beef
	corned	1 slice 4 inches by 1½ by 1	100
	dried	2 thin slices 4 by 5 inches	50
	hamburg steak	1 patty (4 to 5 per pound)	150
	round, lean	1 medium slice (2 ounces)	100
	sirloin, lean	1 average slice (3 ounces)	150
	tongue	2 slices 3 inches by 2 by ⅛	50
Beet greens		½ cup cooked	30
Beets, fresh or canned		2 beets 2 inches in diameter	50
Biscuits, baking powder		2 small	100
Blackberries, fresh		1 cup	100
Blueberries, fresh		1 cup	90
Bologna		1 slice 2 inches by ½ thick	100
Breads
	Boston brown	1 slice 3 inches in diameter, ¾ thick	90
	corn (1 egg)	1 2-inch square	120
	cracked wheat	1 slice average	80
	dark rye	1 slice ½ inch thick	70
	light rye	1 slice ½ inch thick	75
	white, enriched	1 slice average	75
	white, enriched	1 slice thin	55
	whole wheat, 60%	1 slice average	70
	whole wheat, 100%	1 slice average	75
Broccoli		3 stalks 5½ inches long	100
Brownies		1 piece 2 inches by 2 by ¾	140
Brussels sprouts		6 sprouts ½ inch in diameter	50
Butter		1 tablespoon	95
Cabbage, cooked		½ cup	40
	raw	1 cup	25
Cake
	angel	¹/₁₀ of a large cake	155
	chocolate or vanilla, no icing	1 piece 2 inches by 2 by 1	100
	chocolate or vanilla, with icing	1 piece 2 inches by 1½ by 1	100
	cup cake with chocolate icing	1 medium	250
Cantaloupe		½ of a 5½-inch melon	50
Carrots		1 carrot 4 inches long	25
Cashew nuts		4-5	100
Cauliflower		¼ of a head 4½ inches in diameter	25
Caviar		1 tablespoon	25
Celery		2 stalks	15
Cheese
	American cheddar	1 cube 1⅛ inches square or three tablespoons grated	110
	cottage	5 tablespoons	100
	cream	2 tablespoons	100
Cherries, sweet		15 large	75
Chicken,
	broiled	½ medium broiler	100
	roast	1 slice 4 inches by 2½ by ¼	100
Chinese cabbage		1 cup raw	20
Chocolate
	almond bar	1 bar 5-cent size	200
	fudge	1 piece 1 inch square by ¾ thick	100
	malted milk	fountain size	460
	mints	1 mint 1½ inches in diameter	100
	plain bar	1 bar 5-cent size	240
	sirup	¼ cup	195
	unsweetened	1 square	162
Cider, sweet		1 cup	114
Clams		6 round	100
Cocoa, half milk, half water		1 cup	150
Cocoanut		3 tablespoons dry	100
Cod liver oil		1 tablespoon	100
Cod steak		1 piece 3½ inches by 2 by 1	100
Cola soft drinks		6-ounce bottle	75
Collards		½ cup cooked	50
Cooking fats, vegetable		1 tablespoon	100
Corn		½ cup	50
Corn sirup		1 tablespoon	75
Cornflakes		1 cup	80
Cornmeal		1 tablespoon uncooked	35
Cornstarch pudding		½ cup	200
Crackers
	graham	1 square	40
	peanut butter-cheese sandwich	1 cracker	45
	round snack-type	1 cracker 2 inches in diameter	15
	rye wafers	1 wafer	25
	saltines	1 cracker 2 inches square	15
Cranberry sauce		¼ cup	100
Cream
	light	2 tablespoons	65
	heavy	2 tablespoons	120
	whipped	3 tablespoons	100
Cream-puff shells		1 shell	85
Cucumber		½ medium	10
Custard, boiled or baked		½ cup	130
Dates		4	100
Egg		1 medium size	75
Eggplant		3 slices 4 inches in diameter ½-inch thick	50
Endive		average serving	10
Escarole		average serving	10
Figs, dried		3 small	100
Flour, white or whole grain		1 tablespoon unsifted	35
Frankfurter		1 sausage	100
Gelatin, fruit flavored
	dry	3-ounce package	330
	ready to serve	½ cup	85
Ginger ale		1 cup	85
Gingerbread, hot water		2-inch square	270
Grapefruit juice, unsweetened		1 cup	100
Grape juice		½ cup	80
Grape nuts		¼ cup	100
Grapes,
	American or Tokay	1 bunch—22 average	75
	seedless	1 bunch—30 average	75
Griddle cakes		1 cake 4 inches in diameter	75
Halibut		1 piece 3 inches by 1⅜ by 1	100
Ham, lean		1 slice 4¼ inches by 4 by ½	265
Hard sauce		1 tablespoon	100
Hickory nuts		12-15	100
Hominy grits		¾ cup cooked	100
Honey		1 tablespoon	100
Ice cream		½ cup	200
Ice cream soda		fountain size	325
Jellies and jams		1 rounded tablespoon	100
Kale		½ cup	50
Lamb, roast		1 slice 3½ inches by 4½ by ⅛	100
Lard		1 tablespoon	100
Lemon juice		1 tablespoon	5
Lettuce		2 large leaves	5
Liver		1 slice 3 inches by 3 by ½	100
Liverwurst		1 slice 3¼ inches by ½ thick	100
Lobster meat		1 cup	150
Macaroni		¾ cup cooked	100
Maple sirup		1 tablespoon	70
Margarine		1 tablespoon	100
Marshmallows		1	20
Milk
	buttermilk	1 cup	85
	condensed	1½ tablespoons	100
	evaporated	½ cup (1 cup diluted)	160
	skim milk, dried	2½ tablespoons	100
	skim milk, fresh	1 cup	85
	whole milk	1 cup	168
	yogurt, plain	1 cup	160
Mints, cream		½ inch cube	5
Molasses		1 tablespoon	70
Muffins
	bran	1 medium	90
	1 egg	1 medium	130
Mushrooms		10 large	10
Mustard greens		½ cup cooked	31
Noodles		¾ cup cooked	100
Oatmeal		¾ cup cooked	100
Oil (corn, cottonseed, olive, and peanut)		1 tablespoon	100
Okra		10-15 pods	50
Olives
	green	6 medium	50
	ripe	4-5 medium	50
Onions		3-4 medium	100
Orange		1 medium	80
	juice	1 cup	125
Oysters		5 medium	100
Parsnips		1 parsnip 7 inches long	100
Peaches
	canned in sirup	2 large halves and 3 tablespoons juice	100
	dried	4 medium halves	100
	fresh	1 medium	50
Peanut butter		1 tablespoon	100
Peanuts		10	50
Pears
	canned in sirup	3 halves and 3 tablespoons juice	100
	fresh	1 medium	50
Peas
	canned	½ cup	65
	fresh, shelled	¾ cup	100
Pecans		6	100
Pepper, green		1 medium	20
Pickles, cucumber
	sour and dill	10 slices 2 inches in diameter	10
	sweet	1 small	10
Pies		(sectors from 9-inch pies)
	apple	3-inch sector	200
	lemon meringue	3-inch sector	300
	mincemeat	3-inch sector	300
	pumpkin	3-inch sector	250
Pineapple
	canned, unsweetened	1 slice ½ inch thick and 1 tablespoon juice	50
	fresh	1 slice ¾ inch thick	50
	juice, unsweetened	1 cup	135
Plums
	canned	2 medium and 1 tablespoon juice	50
	fresh	2 medium	50
Popcorn		1½ cups popped	100
Popovers		1 popover	100
Pork chop, lean		1 medium	200
Potato chips		8-10 large	100
Potato salad with mayonnaise		½ cup	200
Potatoes
	mashed	½ cup	100
	sweet	½ medium	100
	white	1 medium	100
Prune juice		½ cup	100
Prunes, dried		4 medium	100
Pumpkin		½ cup	50
Radishes		5	10
Raisins		¼ cup	90
Raspberries, fresh		1 cup	90
Rhubarb, stewed and sweetened		½ cup	100
Rice		¾ cup cooked	100
Roll, Parker House		1 medium	100
Rutabagas		½ cup	30
Salad dressing
	boiled	1 tablespoon	25
	French	1 tablespoon	90
	mayonnaise	1 tablespoon	100
Salmon, canned		½ cup	100
Sardines, drained		5 fish 3 inches long	100
Sauerkraut		½ cup	15
Sherbet		½ cup	120
Soup, condensed		11-ounce can
	Bouillon		25
	Mushroom		360
	Noodle		290
	Tomato		230
	Vegetable		200
Spaghetti		¾ cup cooked	100
Spinach		½ cup cooked	20
Squash
	summer	½ cup cooked	20
	winter	½ cup cooked	50
Strawberries, fresh		1 cup	90
Sugar
	brown	1 tablespoon	35
	granulated	1 tablespoon	50
	powdered	1 tablespoon	40
Sweetbreads		1 pair medium-sized	240
Swiss chard		½ cup leaves and stems	30
Tangerines		1 medium	60
Tapioca, uncooked		1 tablespoon	50
Tomato juice		1 cup	60
Tomatoes, canned		½ cup	25
	fresh	1 medium	30
Tuna fish, canned		¼ cup drained	100
Turkey, lean		1 slice 4 inches by 2½ by ¼	100
Turnip		1 turnip 1¾ inches in diameter	25
Turnip greens		½ cup cooked	30
Veal, roast		1 slice 3 inches by 3¾ by ½	120
Waffles		1 waffle 6 inches in diameter	250
Walnuts		8	100
Watermelon		1 slice 6 inches in diameter 1½ inches thick	190
Wheat
	flakes	¾ cup	100
	germ	1 tablespoon	25
	shredded	1 biscuit	100
Alcoholic Beverages
Beer		8 ounces	120
Gin		1½ ounces	120
Rum		1½ ounces	150
Whiskey		1½ ounces	150
Wines
	champagne	4 ounces	120
	port	1 ounce	53
	sherry	1 ounce	38
	table, red or white	4 ounces	89-95

FOOTNOTES

[1]These tables are based on numerous Medico-Actuarial studies of hundreds of thousands of insured men and women.

[2]A calorie is a measure of the amount of heat (energy) which the body can get from a given amount of food.

[3]See [page 18] for list of Group I and II vegetables, and for lower-calorie fruits.

[4]1 cup equals 8 ounces. 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon. 4 tablespoons equal ¼ cup.