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How many chocolate chip cookies do you need to fill you up? Me, I don’t get out of bed without a package. ‘Cause when it comes to putting food in your mouth, how much doesn’t count as long as it tastes good. But imagine what a favor we’d be doing our bodies simply by starting to listen to what they say. And it doesn’t take a whole lot.
Swapping food for healthier alternatives is the way to go, and we present you some of the most easy-to-understand healthy charts that speak numbers and quantities. Take notes, everyone—we are about to build a better snack menu no one will ever feel guilty for.
Scroll down below for Bored Panda’s interview with Graeme Tomlinson, the man behind the widely popular Instagram account The Fitness Chef known for myth-busting nutrition infographics about making wise food choices.
This post may include affiliate links.
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Many people on social media have found the Fitness Chef infographics useful when looking for healthier alternatives in their everyday food choices.
Graeme told us that most calorie-dense foods have their lower calorie alternatives. “These are an excellent opportunity to continue eating a food you enjoy, but which also supports a fat loss goal, because to lose fat, you must consume fewer calories than you expend.” In other words, you need to get to the calorie deficit.
On the other hand, Graeme assures readers that you don’t need to ban sugar or carbs from your diet, because “there is no evidence to suggest they individually make you fat.”
#4
Biljana Malesevic 5 years ago
Do you know how much of peanut butter is 40g? And 30g of jam? On one piece of bread? That would be too much, no one puts that much.
#5
Pamda Panda 5 years ago
I get the point that our choices add up, but I'm keeping the cream in my coffee, thanks.
The fitness chef said that you need to “work out an enjoyable way to include them in moderation alongside nutritious food.”
Many of us do make mistakes with our food choices simply because we don’t fully understand the nutritional components of that food. “For example,” Graeme explained, “for someone trying to lose weight, believing that eating any amount of nutritious, calorie-dense foods like nuts or oily fish is ok just because they support some aspects of health may be problematic if it means they are no longer in a calorie deficit.”
#9
Katherine Boag 5 years ago (edited)
Apples make me hungrier, while i find banana to be fairly filling. Swap them!
Graeme believes that virtually any food can be eaten, but “we need to understand our overall diet over time.” Since there’s so much misinformation and confusion published online, his advice is “to follow those with the least extreme advice.”
For more advice, check out Graeme’s bestselling book “Eat What You Like & Lose Weight For Life” and his meal planner app.
#10
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago
Almond flour + coconut milk + maple syrup + vanilla extract + chocolate chips = a awesome, healthy cookie (no dairy milk, no sugar and lot more calories).
#11
Siv Øiesvold 5 years ago
This was busted a long time ago. You don't need litres of water a day. There is water in a lot of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Your body tells you when it wants fluids by making you thirsty. Pouring in 2-4 litres a day will deplete your natural salt and mineral-levels, electrolytes. It is harmful.
#12
CrunChewy McSandybutt 5 years ago
It's funny, but since I've gone vegan, my iron levels are way up.
#13
Ivana 5 years ago
So I was talking to one of the cardiologists on our board and she said diet coke is worse for you because it increases the risk of heart disease and strokes. If the whole idea of picking diet is to be healthy then diet sodas are the complete opposite of what you want to drink. Just don't drink a ton of sodas every day.
#15
Yvonne Blau 5 years ago
So the message is... go eat at McD instead of trail mix? What am I missing?
AndyR 5 years ago
I think the message is you shouldn't compare things with incomplete information. That and nutrition is more than just calories and protein.
Load More Replies...
Aimee Simmons 5 years ago
that smoothy has added ingredients. those nuggets are deep-fried in an oil that may give you a**l leakage, and that soda is full of more than one kind of sugar. Sugar activates the same receptors in your brain as cocaine. My God, this thread is pissing me off.
Lora Mad 5 years ago
Sorry, most of these contradict common sense, and I am starting to believe all of this is a fast food marketing campaign to convince us that 150 cals of sugar and aspartam is way better than 200 cals of avocado. Well, they should go s* themselves actually, because we've all seen Americans and they're all healthy and slim, YEAH!
David Stutzmann 5 years ago
If you bother to read the ENTIRE post in the review, you'll find it says this: 804 cal of rather healthy food (fruit juice with sugar from these fruits and dried fruits with their sugar, therefore) are much better for your health ("MAKES YOU THIN") than 598 cal of c**p in a fast food with lots of refined sugar added and ultra processed food (hence the title "MAKES YOU FAT"). In other words, calories don't mean anything, it's all about the quality of the product! Afterwards, if you don't understand that ...
Load More Replies...
Bobbie Kooiman 5 years ago (edited)
I’d rather have heavier clean calories than garbage calories. It’s not just about the amount of calories. It’s the nutritional value and I guarantee soda and fried chicken are not the way to go to maintain health. This is dumb.
Deborah Blair-Krosnicki 5 years ago
I think this post is maybe missing the idea of overall nutritional value. If you eat the McDonald's you are still going to be hungry and have almost no nutrients, whereas if you eat the trail mix you have a lot of nutritional value and probably won't be that hungry afterwards.
Renato Babic 5 years ago
ok agree you can sometimes find less calories in McD, but that there you see are trans-fats hard to utilize calories on fride chicken and for coke there you have high GI, basically your body will be run down with fast digesting carbs which will spike your insulin level and if you don't burn them fast it will storage as fat on you
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago
Makes you thin, nourished, and filled for longer period of time. McD's make you fat and malnourished.
Randy Klefbeck 5 years ago
It does not break down how your body processes that stuff. Not a really good comparison. Not just about calories. I feel absolutely sick after eating fast food, as opposed to pretty good after eating nuts and fruit. It does not mention the fact that the nut mix has significantly more fiber than the nuggets, and more of the calories are going to be fat and oil in the chicken.
Juniper Jennifer 1 year ago
No-one drinks half a litre of smoothie at a time. The healthy side would also cost a bomb
Randle Brown 2 years ago
Well, the lower calorie fast food is empty calories with little to no nutritional value. While the other might have more calories, it also has actual nutritional value.
Jane Shead 4 years ago
There's a massive nutritional difference between these things! It's not all about the calories!
David Cooper 5 years ago
Ever since I saw how they mix that pink ooz with those chicken bits, I now stay far away from chicken nuggets.
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago (edited)
JustRoz, have a heart attack or stroke..... bingo! Take care of your health while you still have it; being sick and not having a quality life sucks, only better to being dead, I guess.
Load More Replies...
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago
The sugar content in the drink is the only bad similarity; the choices on the left are better than McD's.
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#17
#20
Nicola Roberts 5 years ago
By the looks of things, "Protein" has replaced "Organic" in the latest marketing techniques.
#21
#24
cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
That's a total nonsense. To count in calories is already a nonsense but to compare 80g to 40g is a nonsence too. Garlic is excellent for the health, cranberries contains fibers, mint help you to digest...you can't compare calories to eat healthier, you have to know what you eat. 100kcal of protein, carbohydrates or lipids do not affect the body in the same way, and with or without fibers and other elements that's good for the health count a lot. Everything is good, we need all of it, no food is an enemy, just know what you eat and take pleasure eating. It's not just fuel, we are not SUVS.
#25
Hazel Waring 5 years ago
Who eats this much anyway?! Two slices of toast is a huge meal, especially as a dessert with a chocolate spread - let alone 4!
#32
Mama Panda 5 years ago
I would love to know where this person is getting their calorie counts from because they are way off the mark. First off there is no way that anyone would eat 143 blueberries in one sitting. Second when researching the caloric intake of these amounts, I get a number way below 1000 calories.
#34
Yvonne Blau 5 years ago
Who can eat a whole large pizza and 2 double chocolate bars for dessert??
#37
#38
Saico Hipe 5 years ago
A lot of these figures aren't even accurate. A single 1.5 oz (45mL) serving of vodka contains 97 calories. Anything with at least 1 serving of alcohol in it (equal to 18mL) would be at least the same. Even if you're calling a serving 1 oz (30mL) that's still 65 calories. It seems the person who put this together spent a lot more time making it look nicely than researching their facts and figures.
#42
Anna McHugh 5 years ago
As a vegan, I must admit, I miss mackerel. But then, I can also spell it properly.
#43
#47
#52
CbusResident 5 years ago
BUT: the fruit juices on the left would have more fiber and vitamins and antioxidants. Also b/c the sugars are in large part from fruits they're not as much 'simple sugars' as the corn syrup or cane sugars that are in the sodas. That means the fruit juice sugars don't cause as much of spike in the glycemic index, they don't induce more eating as quickly.
#55
Sinkvenice 5 years ago
The oil isn't just so things don't stick, it's for flavour too. At least get someone to write this whole thing who knows what they're talking about.
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What do you think ?
Sill Marien 5 years ago
Some of it (more than I half I'd say) is pure rubbish - don't tell me Mac is just as good as something with 100% veggie because calories count is the same! Stupid bulshit.
E Menendez 5 years ago
The problem is most people equate nutrient rich foods as being low calorie.
Load More Replies...
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
If you really want to lose weight, go see a dietitian instead of believing some random information on the internet.
Jo Choto 5 years ago
This was so confusing. One minute they are saying fast food is a better deal than "health" food and the next minute, fast food is all the calories in the world. The pictures are very misleading by talking about a large quantity of a food but only showing a small amount in the picture. Adding a ton of nuts to everything will ramp up the calories, and this was done deliberately to skew a lot of otherwise low calorie and healthy options. In the end, this post says that everything can be good and everything can be bad, and what could you possibly learn in the end?
Mama Panda 5 years ago
I have done a lot of research since I am trying to lose weight naturally (no fads). A lot of this is c**p as there are many foods that have much needed benefits that their counterparts do not have. Berries are high in antioxidants for example but I saw them being in the "bad" pile on a lot of these pics. Avocados are high in calories but what they offer is well worth the extra calories. My advice is to research and talk to your doctor before dieting. People who push books on dieting are just after one thing, it's green and it's not your veggies.
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago
Check out the web site Physician Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM); books, scientific facts, backed up by research, not for profit.
Load More Replies...
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
I actually found this list a bit infuriating and is giving people the wrong messages. Calories are not everything, you need to look at the sugar, salt and fat contents as well.
StrawberryParfait 5 years ago
I'm not convinced this person knows much about actual nutrition.
Susan Stead 5 years ago
I had a really hard time with this because it focused mainly on calories. What if you are paying attention to glycemic index? What if you have high blood pressure and need to watch your salt intake? Which foods cause inflammation? And what if you're simply trying to get more nutrition out of your food? The body needs nutrition, and it processes nutrition from food better than a pill. I can't advocate ditching all junk food forever, because that's extraordinarily difficult, but I would absolutely advocate upgrading one's main diet to more nutritious foods. Comparing avocado to Nutella is misleading, if you compare the nutritional values of each. Avocados are food. Nutella is a treat.
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
The damage to the body caused by half these "recommendations"... *shudder*
Davor Jelacic 5 years ago
Why is this featured? One post you are whining how bread is fine but the topping is the problem, but on another a pizza with a paprika as base is fine but the bread is the problem? Creative minds indeed
Laugh or not 5 years ago
Problem I see is that counting only calories will get you thinner, but not healthier or happier. So, not sustainable in the long term for most people.
Estilla Krizsán 5 years ago
this is a stupid post. health is NOT only about calories but the value of the caloried and products consumed
LC Greenwood 5 years ago
This entire post is really irresponsible, misleading and definitely not about health.
LittleMissLotus 5 years ago
Uhhh for a guy who's supposed to be into nutrition and healthy eating, this guy sure seems to forget about nutrition in a lot of these posts... Some of the nutrient comparison charts were interesting though!
BananaGirl 5 years ago
I think it was good, but calories are not the only thing that goes in a healthy body... They didn't seen to care about fibre or anything else...
Ann Mohrmann 3 years ago
I wish people would stop saying that diet sodas taste the same as regular. They don't. They won't. Quit lying.
Ms Forty Seven 5 years ago
The shock & judgement at how much junk people consume & the confusion as to why anyone would choose low cal over a healthy snack shows that a lot of people reading this are 1. NOT AMERICAN and 2. Already in a healthy weight range :) Yes, a healthy, balanced, nutrient-rich diet is by far the best and safest way to eat. However, in the US, media & influencers take advantage of overweight people with very misleading diets & products. Most of Europe has higher food standards, and in other countries, the crappy food junk American eat, isn't cheap (or even accesible)! The most effective way to lose weight is: burn more energy than you consume. Understanding calories helps many people do this. In my case, I first (FINALLY) lost a weight by counting calories, and then maintained a healthy weight by slowly making healthier choices every day. But I'm so thankful I learnt about calories first, because if my weight ever creeps back up on the scale I know an effective way to get back on track.
Vanessa Lapato 5 years ago
I think the most important takeaway here is that portion sizes are important, regardless of how "healthy" a particular food is. Last summer I hit my all-time highest weight and was considerably overweight. I didn't want to diet or count calories, so I decided I'd simply "eat healthy" and the weight would fall off naturally. So I replaced all the burgers and pizza and white bread with yogurt, fruit, nuts, oatmeal, grilled chicken, and salads. I gained 8 pounds in 6 weeks. So I tried a calorie restricted diet instead. At first, I relied on a lot of prepackaged foods that may not have been too healthy in terms of sodium or preservatives, but it was easier to limit myself to a set portion size. I soon realized I had become accustomed to eating way too much food, and it was really hard to re-acclimate. But as I got used to the lower calorie count, then I was able to focus on swapping some of that processed food for more nutritious choices. I lost 47 pounds and am much healthier now.
Jerry Ramsey 3 years ago
It's about awareness! The posters are not telling you what to eat, but be aware and educate yourself, don't just assume!
Lea S. 4 years ago
What about this was supposed to change the way I think? This is all pretty basic health information. Except for the really goofy stuff ....certain foods don't 'make you fat,' or 'make you thin,' and I've never heard society telling me this. I've never heard anyone 'demonize Nutella,' for pete's sake. What I hear is "Well we are being taught this and that....people don't know it's unhealthy." That's nonsense. They are making a choice to eat something unhealthy, and it's their choice to make.
Geth 5 years ago
There are simple changes you can make without obsessing about all this. 1. Stop drinking soda and sugary drinks. 2. Add high-fiber foods to your diet. 3. Replace one non-fruit or veg snack with a whole fruit or veg. 4. Make sure you have at least one portion of fruit or vegs in every meal.
Terry Waters 5 years ago
Some of these images are just so dumb. Like the whole-grain avocado toast vs. the white bread with Nutella, or the 'Instagram breakfast' vs. the McDonalds meal. Those are good meals full of nutrition vs. meals full of bad fats, sodium and sugar among other things. Aka. nutrition over obsessing about calories. And then this person comes along and is like "rethink how the avocado toast is so much better - it contains way more calories!" Facepalm.
John Baker 5 years ago
There's no such thing as "junk food" and there's no such thing as a "superfood." It isn't what you eat that makes you fat, it's how much you eat in relation to how active you are. And the miracle health claims made for things like acai berries or wheatgrass juice (or whatever the "miracle food" of the month might be)? Snake oil. Pure woo.
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago (edited)
This post was made to please "experts" like John Baker. Yes, there IS junk food and there ARE MIRACULOUS GOOD foods which make wonders for your body.....I can attest to the truth of this statement.
Load More Replies... K.Kobayashi 5 years ago (edited)
To everyone saying "don't focus on calories, it's *what* you eat that matters" - that's exactly the dangerous mentality this post is trying to point out. Too often we focus on what is a "good food" vs. "bad food", but don't focus on balance or portion size. As a result, we consume too many calories. If you eat more calories than you burn, you WILL gain weight, and obesity is in itself a health risk.
Sill Marien 5 years ago
Some of it (more than I half I'd say) is pure rubbish - don't tell me Mac is just as good as something with 100% veggie because calories count is the same! Stupid bulshit.
E Menendez 5 years ago
The problem is most people equate nutrient rich foods as being low calorie.
Load More Replies... WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
If you really want to lose weight, go see a dietitian instead of believing some random information on the internet.
Jo Choto 5 years ago
This was so confusing. One minute they are saying fast food is a better deal than "health" food and the next minute, fast food is all the calories in the world. The pictures are very misleading by talking about a large quantity of a food but only showing a small amount in the picture. Adding a ton of nuts to everything will ramp up the calories, and this was done deliberately to skew a lot of otherwise low calorie and healthy options. In the end, this post says that everything can be good and everything can be bad, and what could you possibly learn in the end?
Mama Panda 5 years ago
I have done a lot of research since I am trying to lose weight naturally (no fads). A lot of this is c**p as there are many foods that have much needed benefits that their counterparts do not have. Berries are high in antioxidants for example but I saw them being in the "bad" pile on a lot of these pics. Avocados are high in calories but what they offer is well worth the extra calories. My advice is to research and talk to your doctor before dieting. People who push books on dieting are just after one thing, it's green and it's not your veggies.
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago
Check out the web site Physician Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM); books, scientific facts, backed up by research, not for profit.
Load More Replies... Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
I actually found this list a bit infuriating and is giving people the wrong messages. Calories are not everything, you need to look at the sugar, salt and fat contents as well.
StrawberryParfait 5 years ago
I'm not convinced this person knows much about actual nutrition.
Susan Stead 5 years ago
I had a really hard time with this because it focused mainly on calories. What if you are paying attention to glycemic index? What if you have high blood pressure and need to watch your salt intake? Which foods cause inflammation? And what if you're simply trying to get more nutrition out of your food? The body needs nutrition, and it processes nutrition from food better than a pill. I can't advocate ditching all junk food forever, because that's extraordinarily difficult, but I would absolutely advocate upgrading one's main diet to more nutritious foods. Comparing avocado to Nutella is misleading, if you compare the nutritional values of each. Avocados are food. Nutella is a treat.
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
The damage to the body caused by half these "recommendations"... *shudder*
Davor Jelacic 5 years ago
Why is this featured? One post you are whining how bread is fine but the topping is the problem, but on another a pizza with a paprika as base is fine but the bread is the problem? Creative minds indeed
Laugh or not 5 years ago
Problem I see is that counting only calories will get you thinner, but not healthier or happier. So, not sustainable in the long term for most people.
Estilla Krizsán 5 years ago
this is a stupid post. health is NOT only about calories but the value of the caloried and products consumed
LC Greenwood 5 years ago
This entire post is really irresponsible, misleading and definitely not about health.
LittleMissLotus 5 years ago
Uhhh for a guy who's supposed to be into nutrition and healthy eating, this guy sure seems to forget about nutrition in a lot of these posts... Some of the nutrient comparison charts were interesting though!
BananaGirl 5 years ago
I think it was good, but calories are not the only thing that goes in a healthy body... They didn't seen to care about fibre or anything else...
Ann Mohrmann 3 years ago
I wish people would stop saying that diet sodas taste the same as regular. They don't. They won't. Quit lying.
Ms Forty Seven 5 years ago
The shock & judgement at how much junk people consume & the confusion as to why anyone would choose low cal over a healthy snack shows that a lot of people reading this are 1. NOT AMERICAN and 2. Already in a healthy weight range :) Yes, a healthy, balanced, nutrient-rich diet is by far the best and safest way to eat. However, in the US, media & influencers take advantage of overweight people with very misleading diets & products. Most of Europe has higher food standards, and in other countries, the crappy food junk American eat, isn't cheap (or even accesible)! The most effective way to lose weight is: burn more energy than you consume. Understanding calories helps many people do this. In my case, I first (FINALLY) lost a weight by counting calories, and then maintained a healthy weight by slowly making healthier choices every day. But I'm so thankful I learnt about calories first, because if my weight ever creeps back up on the scale I know an effective way to get back on track.
Vanessa Lapato 5 years ago
I think the most important takeaway here is that portion sizes are important, regardless of how "healthy" a particular food is. Last summer I hit my all-time highest weight and was considerably overweight. I didn't want to diet or count calories, so I decided I'd simply "eat healthy" and the weight would fall off naturally. So I replaced all the burgers and pizza and white bread with yogurt, fruit, nuts, oatmeal, grilled chicken, and salads. I gained 8 pounds in 6 weeks. So I tried a calorie restricted diet instead. At first, I relied on a lot of prepackaged foods that may not have been too healthy in terms of sodium or preservatives, but it was easier to limit myself to a set portion size. I soon realized I had become accustomed to eating way too much food, and it was really hard to re-acclimate. But as I got used to the lower calorie count, then I was able to focus on swapping some of that processed food for more nutritious choices. I lost 47 pounds and am much healthier now.
Jerry Ramsey 3 years ago
It's about awareness! The posters are not telling you what to eat, but be aware and educate yourself, don't just assume!
Lea S. 4 years ago
What about this was supposed to change the way I think? This is all pretty basic health information. Except for the really goofy stuff ....certain foods don't 'make you fat,' or 'make you thin,' and I've never heard society telling me this. I've never heard anyone 'demonize Nutella,' for pete's sake. What I hear is "Well we are being taught this and that....people don't know it's unhealthy." That's nonsense. They are making a choice to eat something unhealthy, and it's their choice to make.
Geth 5 years ago
There are simple changes you can make without obsessing about all this. 1. Stop drinking soda and sugary drinks. 2. Add high-fiber foods to your diet. 3. Replace one non-fruit or veg snack with a whole fruit or veg. 4. Make sure you have at least one portion of fruit or vegs in every meal.
Terry Waters 5 years ago
Some of these images are just so dumb. Like the whole-grain avocado toast vs. the white bread with Nutella, or the 'Instagram breakfast' vs. the McDonalds meal. Those are good meals full of nutrition vs. meals full of bad fats, sodium and sugar among other things. Aka. nutrition over obsessing about calories. And then this person comes along and is like "rethink how the avocado toast is so much better - it contains way more calories!" Facepalm.
John Baker 5 years ago
There's no such thing as "junk food" and there's no such thing as a "superfood." It isn't what you eat that makes you fat, it's how much you eat in relation to how active you are. And the miracle health claims made for things like acai berries or wheatgrass juice (or whatever the "miracle food" of the month might be)? Snake oil. Pure woo.
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago (edited)
This post was made to please "experts" like John Baker. Yes, there IS junk food and there ARE MIRACULOUS GOOD foods which make wonders for your body.....I can attest to the truth of this statement.
Load More Replies... K.Kobayashi 5 years ago (edited)
To everyone saying "don't focus on calories, it's *what* you eat that matters" - that's exactly the dangerous mentality this post is trying to point out. Too often we focus on what is a "good food" vs. "bad food", but don't focus on balance or portion size. As a result, we consume too many calories. If you eat more calories than you burn, you WILL gain weight, and obesity is in itself a health risk.
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