High-Calorie Food Surprises, from Granola to Pesto

Think granola is a lighter breakfast option than bacon? Think again: One cup packs the same caloric punch as 10 slices. VIEW OUR GALLERY of 13 foods that give burgers and doughnuts a run for their money.

Danielle FriedmanDanielle Friedman

05.31.10 9:23 PM ET

With Memorial Day cookouts behind us and swimsuit season looming, now seems the perfect time to examine just what we’ve been putting in our mouths. To keep it simple, we’re looking only at calories—those basic units that are guaranteed to make us gain weight, if we don’t compensate with activity. Factors like nutritional value, fat, sodium, and sugar aren’t considered. But if you think you’ve been eating healthy and found your waistline mysteriously expanding, our equations might explain why. Plus, the 41 deadliest fast-food meals.

Note: Calorie counts are estimates and may vary.

Click Image to View Our Gallery of Calorie Surprises

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Danielle Friedman is an assistant editor at The Daily Beast. She has worked as a nonfiction book editor for Hudson Street Press and Plume, two imprints of Penguin Group. Her writing has been published in the Miami Herald, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and on CNN.com. She is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.