Personal Trainer Says A McDonald’s Cheeseburger Is Healthier Than A Protein Cookie, Follows Up With Proof
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people started to put more focus on personal health problems, and people’s health consciousness has greatly improved. Exercising, choosing nutritious food and taking care of our mind and body is crucial to our wellbeing.
However, sometimes it seems absurd how little we know about the things we eat. Whether it’s complicated food labels or misleading marketing techniques, figuring out if we’re eating right can be tricky. In an attempt to help her 367K followers navigate this field, personal trainer Laura Ghiacy explained in one of her videos that when looking at the stone-cold facts, a McDonald’s cheeseburger is actually better for you than a protein cookie.
Scroll down to find her insights and make sure to share your thoughts in the comments!
Laura Ghiacy, a personal trainer who has 367.4K followers on TikTok, compares the nutritional value of a McDonald’s cheeseburger and a protein cookie
Laura Ghiacy is an experienced personal trainer with a broad background in fitness including nutrition, one-on-one training, group training and corporate training programs. The video she posted on TikTok was relevant to so many people that it went viral and received more than 18.3M views with 27.4K comments.
Bored Panda reached out to Laura and she was kind enough to answer a few of our questions. When asked about what her mission as a personal trainer is, Laura said she wants to ensure that anyone and everyone feels entitled to exercise because it can actually be enjoyable. The certified personal trainer does not focus on weight loss or physical changes but instead tries to cut through the Diet Culture nonsense. According to her, this system of beliefs claims that “thin = healthy and therefore thin = better… which is simply not true!“
“Health has no size and one’s health cannot be judged by the size of their body, but Diet Culture will have us believe that our health can be belittled down to a clothing size or worse, BMI, and that’s what I am trying to cut through,” Laura explained. “Take diets for example; 98% of all diets fail, yet there is a multi-billion dollar industry that is profiting from this making us feel shame over failing at a diet when it is the one thing that actually failed us.“
When food comes to mind, the fitness specialist expressed her ideas on food packaging and labels: “It has become very common for people to obsessively look at the back of food labels, count calories/macros,” she said. “Although it is common, it isn’t normal and can quickly escalate into disordered eating patterns.”
The fitness influencer listed the nutritional differences between these two foods before concluding that taste is the most important here
One thing that has contributed to food stigma skyrocketing is that the marketing around it has become very clever: “We think that because something says “high protein” that it is automatically “healthy” and therefore better, which is wrong.” And whilst Laura is keen for people to become savvy to the marketing and “smoke & mirrors” around foods, it would be irresponsible of her to promote scrutinizing food labels.
So misleading marketing techniques make it very difficult for consumers to figure out if the food is actually healthy. As Laura said, food marketing “wants us to part with our hard-earned money on products that we don’t actually need! Do we need a cookie with an abundance of protein? No. But are we made to think we do because protein is the “in-fashion” macronutrient and other macronutrients have been demonized and we’re made to feel shameful over what we eat? Absolutely.” And she is not OK with that.
Image credits: lauraghiacy
Laura wishes to remove the shame around our bodies and what we consume. The number of comments under the video where people said “You’ve made me feel less guilty about eating a burger…” was astounding to her. “Guilt is not an ingredient in any food but we’re made to think we are “bad” for eating stigmatized foods,” she said, “We’re not. And if one video on TikTok can help someone feel a bit less shame… then that’s what I’m here for.”
@lauraghiacy IS A PROTEIN COOKIE HEALTHIER THAN A @McDonald’s CHEESEBURGER? #protein #cheeseburger #healthyeating #balance #fitnesstiktok ♬ original sound – Laura Ghiacy
Here are some of the reactions people had after watching the video
I think this should say "Protein cookie even unhealthier than McDonalds burger", because clearly neither of these things is healthy. Also, that cookie is giant!
By not “healthy” I guess you mean devoid of nutritional value. There’s obviously macronutrients, so there’s that.
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Unless this woman is a dietician or a nutritionist, then you shouldn't take her advice at face value. "Trainer" does not always mean "know what they are talking about".
A single cookie with 400 kcal is definitely unhealthy. That's the amount of calories an entire meal has.
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Would also note that "The Complete Cookie" is essentially a marketable protein bar/supplement. The initial point is to have decent marconutrients in order to facilitate caloric intake for performance/bodybuilding/powerlifting/CrossFit, etc.. Sugar helps with the absorption of electrolytes and also assists with digestion and, in turn, processing the proteins, fats and carbs of the cookie. All that said... it's also a cookie/treat food. Why would it be comparable to a cheeseburger in the first place?
It's comparable because for many the cheeseburger is a treat food too, and for something billing itself as a "protein cookie", I would expect the protein to outweigh the sugar content. It would be great to compare this cookie with a normal one, because in terms of calories it doesn't seem that far off a big cookie.
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Facts left out of this unabashedly biased review: The cookie has 1/3 the sodium; 5x the fiber; and is free from soy, dairy, HF corn syrup, preservatives and GMOs, unlike the burger. Don't get your "stone-cold facts" from Tiktok, folks.
Sodium is not a problem many people make it out to be. Soy, dairy, what are wrong with those unless you have an allergy problem? The high fructose corn syrup was covered in the sugar content because that is all it is. Preservatives is a broad word. Preservatives are not always bad (in fact, personally, I don't mind them because they keep food fresher so there is less waste). GMOs, do people really still think they are some kind of boogeyman? Again it is another broad term that has little to no meaning in the context in which you used it. The only good point you made is the fiber. Don't get your facts from random BP comments (yes I am aware of the irony of my statement).
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I don't know that I would go so far as to say that the cheeseburger is 'healthier'. Less unhealthy != healthy.
I think the point was to not make the cheeseburger out to be the boogeyman that it is. Supersize me has been a very influential "documentary" in which none of the points he made could be reproduced in a scientific study.
Load More Replies... I have some problems with this post. 1. First of all, a lot of people view calories and carbs as something bad, but they are really important. As an athletic person, you need around 3000 calories per day and 5-7 grams of carbohydrates per kilo of weight. When you think about this cookie, it’s probably something you would eat before you work out or run. Plus, the carbs in the cookie are mostly complex carbs and the burger has mainly processed, simple carbs. 2. The actual ingredients. Do you know how many ingredients are in a single McDonald’s bun?! There’s more than 10, and if you’ve ever baked bread, that’s not normal. The McDonald’s burger has WAY more unhealthy ingredients. 3. Sodium. Mcds burger has 750mg of sodium and the cookie has only 230. Also the mcds burger has lots of sodium nitrates that can cause heart disease.
Which is healthier, a cookie, or a cheeseburger - um. Neither is healthy. At all. What the hell is wrong with people?
Apparently you don't know what you're talking about but, fine, amuse us. What part of a cheeseburger isn't healthy?
Load More Replies... Ok, she found the unhealthiest cookie in the world. Who would think a cookie is healthy anyways. On the other hand, no one was tortured, killed for that cookie, and didn't have to waste a couple of thousands liters of water to make it. Also even very unhealthy cookies go bad at some point. Whereas those burgers are forever, like the plastic food of Dorian Gray
In MY point of view the McDonald's is trash primarily because of the taste. Since we do homemade burgers I'm not able to even look at the McDonald's 🍔
Maybe tiktok genius is getting a little grease from Mickey D for this unbiased, scientific vid?
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This person obviously doesn't understand biochemistry. She neglects the types of fats and the types of carbohydrates as if they are all the same, but they are metabolized differently in the body. But I guess what can you expect from a personal trainer?
Meh. I just don't like cheeseburgers, never have. I stopped eating McDonald's food well over 10 years ago when it gave me horrid stomach & gut pain. Give me a bison burger cooked up in a bit of real butter, with grilled onions, mushrooms, & BACON JAM, on a fresh baked Sister Schuster's dinner roll - I make them small, like sliders.
This is dumb! I don’t like when people compare 2 things that don’t need to be compared! I think I only clicked on this because I wanted to be annoyed and it worked 😂😂😂
Im pretty sure that the protein cookie doesnt contain the same ingredient thats used to make plastic bendy but whatever.
Idiot, who apparently shills for McDonald's, is all I got from this inane presentation. A white bread bun made with bleached flour, a fake cheese slice high in fat and sodium, and the saturated fat in the beef. None of those things are good for you. Also, which food source has more vitamins and minerals? The cookie is healthier than that cheeseburger. Since " food is food", eat a loaf of white bread a day for a week and then eat the same calories in a salad a day the following week. Then tell me which week made you feel better. Our bodies need proper nutrition. If this dingbat wants to scarf McDonald's cheeseburgers, then have at it, sis. But don't act as if it's a better choice than a protein cookie made with healthier ingredients. Are people really this simple-minded?
However, most people will stop at one cookie. Most people will not stop at just one burger.
I think this should say "Protein cookie even unhealthier than McDonalds burger", because clearly neither of these things is healthy. Also, that cookie is giant!
By not “healthy” I guess you mean devoid of nutritional value. There’s obviously macronutrients, so there’s that.
Load More Replies... Unless this woman is a dietician or a nutritionist, then you shouldn't take her advice at face value. "Trainer" does not always mean "know what they are talking about".
A single cookie with 400 kcal is definitely unhealthy. That's the amount of calories an entire meal has.
Load More Replies... Would also note that "The Complete Cookie" is essentially a marketable protein bar/supplement. The initial point is to have decent marconutrients in order to facilitate caloric intake for performance/bodybuilding/powerlifting/CrossFit, etc.. Sugar helps with the absorption of electrolytes and also assists with digestion and, in turn, processing the proteins, fats and carbs of the cookie. All that said... it's also a cookie/treat food. Why would it be comparable to a cheeseburger in the first place?
It's comparable because for many the cheeseburger is a treat food too, and for something billing itself as a "protein cookie", I would expect the protein to outweigh the sugar content. It would be great to compare this cookie with a normal one, because in terms of calories it doesn't seem that far off a big cookie.
Load More Replies... Facts left out of this unabashedly biased review: The cookie has 1/3 the sodium; 5x the fiber; and is free from soy, dairy, HF corn syrup, preservatives and GMOs, unlike the burger. Don't get your "stone-cold facts" from Tiktok, folks.
Sodium is not a problem many people make it out to be. Soy, dairy, what are wrong with those unless you have an allergy problem? The high fructose corn syrup was covered in the sugar content because that is all it is. Preservatives is a broad word. Preservatives are not always bad (in fact, personally, I don't mind them because they keep food fresher so there is less waste). GMOs, do people really still think they are some kind of boogeyman? Again it is another broad term that has little to no meaning in the context in which you used it. The only good point you made is the fiber. Don't get your facts from random BP comments (yes I am aware of the irony of my statement).
Load More Replies... I don't know that I would go so far as to say that the cheeseburger is 'healthier'. Less unhealthy != healthy.
I think the point was to not make the cheeseburger out to be the boogeyman that it is. Supersize me has been a very influential "documentary" in which none of the points he made could be reproduced in a scientific study.
Load More Replies... I have some problems with this post. 1. First of all, a lot of people view calories and carbs as something bad, but they are really important. As an athletic person, you need around 3000 calories per day and 5-7 grams of carbohydrates per kilo of weight. When you think about this cookie, it’s probably something you would eat before you work out or run. Plus, the carbs in the cookie are mostly complex carbs and the burger has mainly processed, simple carbs. 2. The actual ingredients. Do you know how many ingredients are in a single McDonald’s bun?! There’s more than 10, and if you’ve ever baked bread, that’s not normal. The McDonald’s burger has WAY more unhealthy ingredients. 3. Sodium. Mcds burger has 750mg of sodium and the cookie has only 230. Also the mcds burger has lots of sodium nitrates that can cause heart disease.
Which is healthier, a cookie, or a cheeseburger - um. Neither is healthy. At all. What the hell is wrong with people?
Apparently you don't know what you're talking about but, fine, amuse us. What part of a cheeseburger isn't healthy?
Load More Replies... Ok, she found the unhealthiest cookie in the world. Who would think a cookie is healthy anyways. On the other hand, no one was tortured, killed for that cookie, and didn't have to waste a couple of thousands liters of water to make it. Also even very unhealthy cookies go bad at some point. Whereas those burgers are forever, like the plastic food of Dorian Gray
In MY point of view the McDonald's is trash primarily because of the taste. Since we do homemade burgers I'm not able to even look at the McDonald's 🍔
Maybe tiktok genius is getting a little grease from Mickey D for this unbiased, scientific vid?
Load More Replies... This person obviously doesn't understand biochemistry. She neglects the types of fats and the types of carbohydrates as if they are all the same, but they are metabolized differently in the body. But I guess what can you expect from a personal trainer?
Meh. I just don't like cheeseburgers, never have. I stopped eating McDonald's food well over 10 years ago when it gave me horrid stomach & gut pain. Give me a bison burger cooked up in a bit of real butter, with grilled onions, mushrooms, & BACON JAM, on a fresh baked Sister Schuster's dinner roll - I make them small, like sliders.
This is dumb! I don’t like when people compare 2 things that don’t need to be compared! I think I only clicked on this because I wanted to be annoyed and it worked 😂😂😂
Im pretty sure that the protein cookie doesnt contain the same ingredient thats used to make plastic bendy but whatever.
Idiot, who apparently shills for McDonald's, is all I got from this inane presentation. A white bread bun made with bleached flour, a fake cheese slice high in fat and sodium, and the saturated fat in the beef. None of those things are good for you. Also, which food source has more vitamins and minerals? The cookie is healthier than that cheeseburger. Since " food is food", eat a loaf of white bread a day for a week and then eat the same calories in a salad a day the following week. Then tell me which week made you feel better. Our bodies need proper nutrition. If this dingbat wants to scarf McDonald's cheeseburgers, then have at it, sis. But don't act as if it's a better choice than a protein cookie made with healthier ingredients. Are people really this simple-minded?
However, most people will stop at one cookie. Most people will not stop at just one burger.
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