Old, fat guy needs way to calculate calories in recipe

kojaks43

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Jun 15, 2012
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Usually I can determine the calories per gram in a recipe. That is because I use the total amount for all ingredients. Now I am trying to make something by using all of one item and a smaller number of grams of a calorie dense ingredient.

I want to add dried fruit to nonfat Greek yogurt. The yogurt is .6167/gram. The dried fruit is 5 calories per gram. What I want is a combination of the two that add up to only 1.25 calories/gram. That means I can only add .6333 calories/gram to realize that yield, What I don't know is how to figure how many grams of the dried fruit I need to add to obtain the 1.25 calories per gram.

227 grams of Greek yogurt = 140 calories.
30 grams of dried fruit = 150 calories.

Can someone show me a formula I can use?

Your guidance will be greatly appreciated.
 
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Take the number of grams of yogurt that you would like to use and multiply it by 0.1689 to obtain the required number of grams of dried fruit.

OR, take the number of grams of dried fruit that you would like to use and multiply it by 5.9217 to obtain the required number of grams of yogurt.
 
Thank you for the prompt replies to both Colacanth and mmm4444bot


Sorry to be a pest.

Remember when I said I was old? Algebra in 10th grade was very long ago. I mean, not that long that we were scratching problems in the sand with a stick, but it has been a while. I need help understanding your equation.

I understand the calories/gram for the yogurt + the calories/gram for the fruit needs to equal 1.25 calories/gram.

But then the wheels fell off the wagon. Where did the 560 and the 4540 calories/gram for yogurt and fruit come from? Not sure where the 1135 came from either.

Your continued help is appreciated.

k
 
I need help understanding your equation.

This need for understanding an equation is only to satisfy your curiosity or desire for self-enrichment, correct? Otherwise, if you're the old guy in some math class (been there) of which this exercise is a part, we would appreciate knowing.

Here is how I tackled the relationship between dried-fruit weight and yogurt weight.

x = grams of yogurt

y = grams of dried fruit

We know that dividing the yogurt-and-fruit mixture's total calories by its total grams yields the value 1.25, so we think:

calories/grams = 1.25

The calories in the mixture come from yogurt (0.6167 calories times x grams) and from dried fruit (5 calories times y grams). Hence, the mixture's total calories are:

0.6167x + 5y

Clearly, the mixture's total weight (in grams) is x + y.

Using these algebraic expressions, we can write an equation to model the earlier relationship where the ratio calories/grams has the value 1.25:

(0.6167x + 5y)/(x + y) = 1.25

This is the equation that I solved for both x and y, to find the results in my previous post.

You need to use about six times as much yogurt as dried fruit to obtain a mixture that is 1.25 calories per gram.

Cheers ~ Mark :cool:

PS: We cannot on these boards teach entire algebra topics (eg: how to solve equations involving two variables); however, we can provide lesson links for online algebra courses/videos on particular topics. We are also happy to answer specific questions, if you get stuck. Please tell us what you've tried thus far.
 
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This need for understanding an equation is only to satisfy your curiosity or desire for self-enrichment, correct?

Yes, I find I need to these calculations every once in a while. Knowing the equation, makes me self sufficient. It was nice that your first post delivered the answer, but the second post from both you and Colacanth reminded me how to do algebra. As long as I save these threads, I should be able to recreate this for other recipes.

I'll have to work on the equation JeffM sent me. JeffM, I appreciate your effort and time spent writing that all down, and I will try to understand how it works in the next few days.

Thank you all.

k

It appears I can not cc this thread to JeffM and Colacanth. That being true, mmm4444bot, if you happen to see either of them on your way to gym, tell them thanks a lot!
 
It appears I can not cc this thread to JeffM and Colacanth.

There's probably no need for cc'ing; using various methods, this site automatically flags threads for participants whenever a new post is added. :cool:
 
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