Fruit and Snack Exchange Units and Their Calorie Values
Food Exchanges
Introduction:
Understanding food and
Fruit Exchange Units helps maintain balanced diets and control calorie intake.
One fruit exchange equals
15g carbohydrates ≈ 60 kcal, while one snack exchange equals
60–80 kcal.
An Exchange Unit is a specific amount of a food that is equivalent in energy or nutrient composition to a similar amount of another food.
In nutritional diets, each unit of fruit usually has about 15 grams of carbohydrates and 60 kilocalories of energy.
Fruit Exchange lists
-
- Fruits: 1 medium apple, ½ banana, 2 dates, 15 grapes (≈60 kcal each)
- Dried fruits: 3 prunes, 2 tbsp raisins, ⅓ cup dried mulberries
- Juices: ½ cup orange or apple juice, ⅓ cup grape juice
- Nuts: 10 pistachios or 7 almonds ≈ 60 kcal
- Snacks: 2 biscuits or 3 cups of air-popped popcorn ≈ 60 kcal
Additional Nutritional Tips
Low-calorie salad includes: 1 cup of vegetables, 1 cup of Shirazi salad or ½ cup of cooked vegetables (cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, broccoli, etc.)
Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, lentils, and beans are not considered vegetables and have higher calories.
If you eat dates or raisins with tea, subtract them from your daily fruit portion.
Use a maximum of 1 tablespoon of liquid oil per person when cooking.
For meat dishes (such as pasta), first steam or boil the meat and then fry it in a small amount of oil and spices.
1 cup of broth or soup can be replaced with 3 tablespoons of rice or 1 cup of raw vegetables.
Diet Exchange lists
Tips:
Choose whole fruits, limit sugary snacks, and replace fried snacks with nuts, popcorn, or fresh fruits for a balanced, low-calorie diet.
