How much shrimp? 1/3rd of a pound, or about twelve medium shrimp. Yes, one Dorito has more calories than a good sized shrimp. Half a pound of shrimp, which I find a hefty portion for one person, is only 140 calories.

Cookies? Depends on the cookie, of course, but the ones on the shelf here (oatmeal cream pie things -- something like a large oreo with oatmeal instead of chocolate) have 200 calories each -- so if you have more than half of one you're ahead of the cup of milk you're drinking with it.

Cheese? You get 100 calories in two ounces, or about the amount you'd use on a large quesadilla.

Tortillas? Here's another "believe it or not": one large flour tortilla (Mission brand) has 210 calories, more than twice a cup of milk and notably more than the cheese one would put on it to make the quesadilla.

Balance Bars? On par with the cookies, these puppies have 200 calories each, so a mere half (a couple of bites) matches the cup of milk, and a whole one has as many calories as nearly three quarters of a pound of shrimp.

Artichoke? An entire artichoke is only 55 calories, so you'd actually have to eat almost two just to catch up with one cup of milk. More, on the caloric scale, an entire artichoke balances against just four Doritos.

Pepsi? Would you believe they manage to dissolve 10 teaspoons of sugar in one 12 oz pepsi? (Incidentally, Dannon packs 13 teaspoons of sugar in one "French Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt with Raspberries") That makes it 140 cals, or about on par, ounce per ounce, with milk.

So for me this just reconfirms my existing diet theory: steer clear of foods that require an organized civilization to create (farmed grains, refined sugars, etc..). Call it the evolutionary, Zone, life-extension diet.

Lastly, what's a calorie-restricted diet day look like if you just steer away from junk food?

	Breakfast (345):
		2 Eggs (150)
		1 cup OJ (110)
		2 slices Canadian bacon (85)

	Lunch (505):
		Quessadilla (310)
		1 cup broccoli (45)
		12 oz Glass of milk (150)

	Dinner (405):
		1/2 lb shrimp (140)
		1 artichoke (55)
		1 tbs butter, for artichoke and shrimp (100)
		1 cup OJ (110)

	Midnight snack (140):
		1 cup of milk (100)
		1 tsp tahini (40)

	Total: 1405.

Not so bad, eh?

Frankly, I think if you eliminated just MSG and sweeteners, most people would not be inclined to eat much more than the above. Most snacky foods are propelled from the bag to people's mouths by one of those two.

Related link: Physiologic changes in humans subjected to severe, selective calorie restriction for two years in biosphere 2: health, aging, and toxicological perspectives.