Ok so you have your macro-nutrients/caloric needs figured out, but now how do you figure out your calories? Or perhaps your in position where you have less control over the making of your food (i.e. campus food court) so you are trying to figure out the calories in those meals. Either way, you have a few options.
MyFitnessPal
It’s actually unbelievable how accurate this app has become, especially since UnderArmor acquired it. You can download it for iOS or Android and be on your way, super easy.
The Rule of Thumb Charts
Honestly, this is the 2nd best alternative to MyFitnessPal. It’s quick and easy, there are many out there. My favourite is SparkPeople’s, located here. If you want to make things even easier, and do not want to spend time entering meals into an app then print the charts! Put them up on the fridge, and bam you can calculate on the go really easily.
Use Objects Around You
If you can remember that a few common objects are the rough portion of a food, you can make things pretty easy to calculate. This list located here, provides a few different examples. My favourite, a small baked potato is the equivalent of my computer mouse, or 90 calories.
There you have it. Keep in mind, with meal planning and repetition, you’ll start to rely less and less on counting calories exactly and just rolling with estimates.