Using Anything Goes Calories

By Dayna Winter, M.S., R.D., Best Life nutritionist

It might be a glass of red wine with your pasta, two chocolate truffles to ward off a mid-afternoon slump or a small bag of chips to satisfy a salt craving. Having a little treat each day can help ward off feelings of deprivation and keep you on track. That's why you're given a certain amount of calories each day (from 100 to 350 depending on your daily calorie intake) to spend on whatever food you'd like. These treats don't have to be the healthiest options; in fact, that's the point of Anything Goes calories. It's entirely up to you how to spend them each day.

You might be relieved to know that not every bite you take has to be brimming with vitamins or other health benefits. Consider it yet another perk of following an otherwise healthy and balanced diet; you can afford a small treat even when you're trying to lose weight. Plus, Anything Goes calories serve an important purpose: They help keep a lid on cravings. When you know you're allowed to eat or drink something you love each day, you're less likely to lose control and binge. And that's what gets you into trouble, not a single cocktail or piece of candy here or there.

Anything Goes calories are based on your daily calorie level, which is tied to how much activity you get. Thus the more you move, the more treats you're allowed. Unfortunately, if you're a woman who's not moving much, you only get 1,500 calories daily, and that's not enough to allow any Anything Goes calories. (Men start at a minimum of 1,600 calories, which allows for a 100-calorie Anything Goes treat.) Getting more splurge calories is a good incentive to bump up your activity level. Here's how it works:

Calorie Level: 1500 Anything Goes Cals: None (Women) Calorie Level: 1600 Anything Goes: 100 Calorie Level: 1700 Anything Goes: 150 Calorie Level: 1800 Anything Goes: 210 Calorie Level: 2000 Anything Goes: 280 Calorie Level: 2500-2550 Anything Goes: 300 (Women); 350 (Men)

You can spend your Anything Goes calories any way you wish. And, of course, you're welcome to use them on treats that also have some nutritional value. Ice cream, for instance, offers some calcium, while dark chocolate contains powerful antioxidants. There's no rule that says you have to use your Anything Goes calories every day. If you know you have an event coming up, feel free to save them up for several days so you can splurge on a slice of birthday cake or other more-caloric treat.

Remember that it's easy to underestimate a food's calorie count so check labels and serving sizes to make sure you don't go over your calorie limit. To learn what certain calorie limits will get you, check out these treats:

100-calorie treats • 8 ounces wine spritzer • 3/4 ounce piece of dark chocolate • 1/2 cup sorbet • 1 1/2 ounces French bread (about 1 1/2 small pieces) • 7 ounces orange-pineapple juice • 1/2 cup low-fat frozen yogurt	150-calorie treats • 1 granola bar (with 140 to 150 calories per bar) • 10 ounces sweetened iced tea • 2 tablespoons Brie cheese with 4 or 5 Triscuit-type crackers • 3/4 cup light ice cream • 7 ounces (just over 3/4 cup) wine • 1 slice plain pizza (1/8 of a 12-inch pie)
210-calorie treats • About 6 bite-size oatmeal raisin cookies • 8 ounces two-percent chocolate milk and 1 1/2 graham crackers • 2 ounces cheddar cheese (one two-inch cube) • 9 or 10 hard pretzel twists • 1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate • 1 pudding snack (Kozy Shack or JELL-O) with 1 tablespoon chopped pecans	280-calorie treats • About 3 plain biscotti (check calories as brands vary) • 1 cup sorbet and 1 1/4 cup strawberries • 1 cup regular ice cream • 1/3 cup chocolate-covered almonds • Mini sundae: 1 cup light vanilla ice cream topped with 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup and 2 teaspoons peanuts • 4 to 8 cups of trans-fat free popcorn and 2 tablespoons mixed nuts
300-calorie treats • 2 ounces olive-oil potato chips or Terra Chips • 2 ounces dark chocolate • 1 1/2 cups light ice cream • 1 Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich, 1 banana and 1 tablespoon bittersweet chocolate chips • 1 pudding snack (Kozy Shack or JELL-O) with 2 tablespoons chopped pecans and 12 chocolate chips • 3/4 cup whole-milk vanilla yogurt with 1 medium banana sliced on top	350-calorie treats • 1 three-inch by three-inch piece of apple cobbler with 1/3 cup regular ice cream • 1/12 of a frosted, two-layer cake (8- to 9-inch diameter for the entire cake) • 16 ounces two-percent milk latte and 2 almond biscotti (160 calories total for the biscotti) • 10 ounces cola and 1 piece batter-fried chicken • 1 1/2 cups white pasta with 1/3 cup marinara sauce • 1 ounce (one-inch cube) cheese on 1 slice baguette and a 7-ounce glass of wine