CHORIZO: What's the *&$%ing Deal?

[ClassyEcdysiast]

When plugging "beef chorizo" into a calorie counting app, there's a lot of different options and an enormous range. I've been having trouble meeting my deficits lately and I imagine it has something to do with counting my calories incorrectly, so I've started to re-assess how many calories I assign to certain foods and meals. Given the large amount of variance in beef chorizo numbers, I assume this might be one of them.



Those are the top 4 results for beef chorizo, and the top 3 results for "extra lean ground beef", which mine is made with. Although the serving sizes look scattered, they are all according to 0.8lb. Given that this stuff is essentially only extra lean ground beef and water, it'd likely be less calories per pound than simply ground beef, right?

Here's the label info:



How many calories am I actually eating when I consume a package of this stuff?

[WonderPug]

Firstly, I hope you understand that the quantity of a food you consume determines the nutrient content.

Next, I hope you understand that the ingredients use to prepare a food, in the specific amounts used, determine the nutrition composition of that food.

Lastly, I hope you understand that the name of a food does not determine the nutrient content of that food.

[ClassyEcdysiast]

Firstly, I hope you understand that the quantity of a food you consume determines the nutrient content.

This makes me so annoyed it's like you didn't read the OP. It states "Although the serving sizes look scattered, they are all according to 0.8lb." So again, 0.8lb is the quantity of the food in every instance.

Next, I hope you understand that the ingredients use to prepare a food, in the specific amounts used, determine the nutrition composition of that food.

That's why I posted the label! Also, I don't know what ingredients are in the foods posted on MyPlate - I ASSUME they're just plain beef chorizo, but if not, I'd love to know that. Hence why I'm posting a thread, so you can say MyPlate's foods are usually based on concoctions rather than just the raw meet. Again, completely aware of it. Working off the assumption that it's only ground beef + spices and trying to find out which entries are accurate.

Lastly, I hope you understand that the name of a food does not determine the nutrient content of that food.

I'm working with what I've got. I don't have any way to be more specific than I am. I actually did assume that "extra lean ground beef" determined the fat content of the beef. Is that not correct?

"The USDA defines an extra-lean cut of beef as a 3.5-ounce serving (about 100 grams) that contains less than: 5 grams total fat. 2 grams saturated fat. 95 milligrams cholesterol."

[WestAfrica]

Idk why you are so mad lol. Honestly if you can't find or guesstimate the cals don't eat it. I mean if its mainly just lean beef then go with that and look at whats in the sauce and guess those aswell. Stay mad tho.

[ClassyEcdysiast]

Idk why you are so mad lol. Honestly if you can't find or guesstimate the cals don't eat it. I mean if its mainly just lean beef then go with that and look at whats in the sauce and guess those aswell. Stay mad tho.

I'm not mad at the food, WestAfrica, I was annoyed that a poster with a huge rep/post count (i.e. someone [presumably] very knowledgeable) treated me like I can't tell up from down, whereas I'd likely benefit from a more thought-out opinion from them. The reason I didn't just post my question on its own ("How many calories do you think this package of beef chorizo has in it?") is because I figured people would tell me "just look that **** up on MyFitnessPal", and so in trying to preempt that and show I actually did some homework on my own, I've somehow taken myself backwards. Can you see how that might be annoying?

Re: "if you can't guesstimate it don't eat it". I mean, I guess I can do that, although I don't really want to if I can help it. I really enjoy the food for how filling it is and it's also really tasty, so I'd definitely prefer not to take it out. I originally was assessing it as 700 cal but I'm thinking I should assume it's close to 900. That seems to make no sense given the amount of calories in extra lean ground beef, and this is that plus water... Again, not angry at chorizo's existence, it's delicious.

[lizdaly]

I'd go with the numbers for lean ground beef (maybe go for 90/10 instead of 93/7 or 96/4 to be safe). In Argentina, "chorizo" is actually a blanket term for many types of pork or beef sausage. That would explain the huge variance in numbers, depending on what cut of meat was used to make the sausage, and what else was added to it. Since you know what type of beef was used, and that nothing else was added to the sausage, you can use "lean ground beef" to be more specific than "chorizo." Next, whether the 0.8lb serving is measured raw or cooked will change the calorie count. Meat loses weight after cooking (water evaporation and fat drainage), so 0.8lb of cooked chorizo is more meat than 0.8lb of raw chorizo. On the myfitnesspal website, rather than the phone app, you can search for "90% ground beef - raw," and get an entry added by the site itself, rather than users, which is likely to be more accurate. Good luck!

Edit: just saw that the chorizo has "soybean oil" in it, so it does contain something caloric other than lean ground beef. But it's so far down in the ingredient list, it's probably negligible in calories, especially if you underestimate the leanness of the meat at 85% or 90%.

[ClassyEcdysiast]

I'd go with the numbers for lean ground beef (maybe go for 90/10 instead of 93/7 or 96/4 to be safe). In Argentina, "chorizo" is actually a blanket term for many types of pork or beef sausage. That would explain the huge variance in numbers, depending on what cut of meat was used to make the sausage, and what else was added to it. Since you know what type of beef was used, and that nothing else was added to the sausage, you can use "lean ground beef" to be more specific than "chorizo." Next, whether the 0.8lb serving is measured raw or cooked will change the calorie count. Meat loses weight after cooking (water evaporation and fat drainage), so 0.8lb of cooked chorizo is more meat than 0.8lb of raw chorizo. On the myfitnesspal website, rather than the phone app, you can search for "90% ground beef - raw," and get an entry added by the site itself, rather than users, which is likely to be more accurate. Good luck!

Edit: just saw that the chorizo has "soybean oil" in it, so it does contain something caloric other than lean ground beef. But it's so far down in the ingredient list, it's probably negligible in calories, especially if you underestimate the leanness of the meat at 85% or 90%.

Super helpful, thank you.. Using "Beef - Ground, 90% lean meat / 10% fat, raw (hamburger)" I get ~650cal per 0.8lb, ~800 if I use 85/15. It looks like original guesstimate of 700 was fairly close.

[n0useforaname]

Actually OP, it seems you just don't understand what Pug is saying.. Beef Chorizo is so Up/Down because it's a mixture of multiple amounts of crap... including the beef that could have different amounts of fat. So if I make it and give you 1oz.. it could be 150 cals.. If you make it, it could be 200 cals for 1oz. Understand? He wasn't being a dick.. you actually kinda turned that onto yourself. So unless you make it yourself, and weigh every little piece of it, you will never find a "general caloric amount"..

[ClassyEcdysiast]

Actually OP, it seems you just don't understand what Pug is saying.. Beef Chorizo is so Up/Down because it's a mixture of multiple amounts of crap... including the beef that could have different amounts of fat. So if I make it and give you 1oz.. it could be 150 cals.. If you make it, it could be 200 cals for 1oz. Understand? He wasn't being a dick.. you actually kinda turned that onto yourself. So unless you make it yourself, and weigh every little piece of it, you will never find a "general caloric amount"..

Well, okay. That is why I posted a pic of the label.

I think lizdaly set me straight in that I need to be looking up "lean ground beef" instead of "chorizo" if I want to get anything representative.

[n0useforaname]

Now I disagree...


1. If I used MY beef cooking calcs.. It would be 866 cals for the beef alone.. And considering I personally know meat cutters.. If you actually think that your 96/4 beef actually IS 96/4.. you are funny.
2. Contains soybean oil.. Id venture to say 900-1000 cals

[Anthony21]

Moral of the story is get one next time with a nutrional label.

[thrshr01]

Have you checked Sprout's website? They're pretty good at providing nutritional information.

[jd2967]

Send it to me.

Edit: Nvm, just saw your height and weight. Eat all of it.

[n0useforaname]

Have you checked Sprout's website? They're pretty good at providing nutritional information.

The point is.. The people making it arent weighing everything to the gram.. Most who prepare food like that just round about add ingredients. I used to get veggie pizza from a local grocery store.. Everyday the amount of creamcheese added was different.. Along with cheese/veggies. It happens..

[thrshr01]

The point is.. The people making it arent weighing everything to the gram.. Most who prepare food like that just round about add ingredients. I used to get veggie pizza from a local grocery store.. Everyday the amount of creamcheese added was different.. Along with cheese/veggies. It happens..

What? That's not the OP's point. He's complaining about the lack of nutritional data. I know servings vary, I eat at Chipotle for lunch at work every day -talk about varying servings. As long as you're gaining or losing weight (depending on goals), you're golden. I told him to check the company's website to see if they have nutritional info -I did not say it was 100% accurate.

[ClassyEcdysiast]

Now I disagree...


1. If I used MY beef cooking calcs.. It would be 866 cals for the beef alone.. And considering I personally know meat cutters.. If you actually think that your 96/4 beef actually IS 96/4.. you are funny.
2. Contains soybean oil.. Id venture to say 900-1000 cals

This is seems pertinent: I should presume my beef is not as lean as it actually states, and I should not be discounting the soybean oil simply because it's a ways down the list of ingredients. So my lunch today of 3 eggs (240cal), that chorizo pictured above, and a pound of collared greens (150cal) was ~1350 calories, about 250 more than I'd initially thought.

[ClassyEcdysiast]

Have you checked Sprout's website? They're pretty good at providing nutritional information.

Thanks for that because while I did not find the product itself, I did go to the site and find an ad for "85% Extra-Lean Ground Beef" which means they're extremely liberal with what they call "extra-lean".

[lizdaly]

Thanks for that because while I did not find the product itself, I did go to the site and find an ad for "85% Extra-Lean Ground Beef" which means they're extremely liberal with what they call "extra-lean".

hahaha, yeah I've had the same experience. At the butcher shops here in Argentina, they have "common" ground beef, and "special" ground beef. I asked what was "special" about it, and they said that it contained hardly any fat. I asked what percentage it was (the ground beef here is not labeled according to fat percentage), and they said probably around 20%... Oye, I don't want to know what the "common" ground beef is. Yuck.

[n0useforaname]

He's complaining about the lack of nutritional data.......As long as you're gaining or losing weight (depending on goals), you're golden.....I did not say it was 100% accurate.

OP stated he was having TROUBLE meeting his deficits....

He consumes this Beef Chorizo enough to be concerned, and is wondering what actual calories might be...

Nutritional Data in his terms are talking about Pro/Fats/Carbs AKA: Overall Calories...

Myself and Pug also explained that EVEN if they offered nutritional data.. it won't be accurate.. and that the specific food he is eating could vary in calories on any given day, due to the nature of how it is made, and who makes it...

If he wasn't having issues, that's one thing.. but he is. I used to eat at Sheetz all the time, and my go to was a chicken/steak sub with ranch dressing and cheese. If the older 40-50 year old ladies made it.. it was two pieces of cheese, measured out meat, and a tiny squirt of ranch. If the teenagers made it, it was 3-4 pieces of cheese, a handful of meat, and enough ranch to drip from side to side. If I followed the nutritional info on their site, and the teenagers made it everyday.. I'd be screwed.