Put Your Food to Work - On Calories
Open in browser Heart racing. A pit in my stomach. Remember to breathe… This is the wave of panic that hits me every time I press “publish” on a blog or recipe. A million questions of doubt go through my mind — Will people like it? Or hate it? What if it is too controversial? What if my advice somehow causes harm? So why do I continue to write and publish and take these risks? Because I truly believe that I have a unique perspective to bring to the (figurative and literal) table. There is so much nutrition advice out there — most of it sensationalized “fad” advice — that it is doing a disservice. And that isn’t fair to you, someone who is just trying to do your best. Questions of doubt immediately bubbled up — Should I have included the calorie count? What about a suggested serving size? What if someone thinks that since they are healthy they have “permission” to eat them all in one sitting? What if I ruin someone’s attempt at healthy eating? Dramatic, I know, but real. There are really two ways I could address this Facebook question. The first is short and simple but goes against what I hold to be true about healthy eating. The second is a bit more nuanced and may even be controversial, but is much more aligned with my personal and professional beliefs. It would be easy to succumb to option one. I mean, all I would have to do is type three simple numbers. But once I put those numbers out there I would feel the need to reassure you. So please keep reading so I can dive a little deeper. What about the second type of answer? I tried to honor this approach in my response to the Facebook question, an answer that took an agonizingly long time to write and an even longer time to build up the courage to hit “reply:”
For the record, no one else sent me a message requesting the calorie information. I was surprised by that, but in a way, thankful. I was taught that “a calorie is a calorie,” leading one to believe that all calories are created equal. I was also taught that to lose weight, one must consume fewer calories than they expend, to maintain weight this equation must be equal, and to gain weight you must eat more calories than you use. I went on to teach this approach to clients and patients in my early career as a dietitian. It is a simple “calories in, calories out” math equation, after all, isn’t it? This tweet demonstrates the point quite simply: Laura goes on to explain that a donut and half an avocado have roughly the same calories. What I hope this example demonstrates is that only counting straight calories just doesn’t make sense. So how should calorie information be used? First, acknowledge that calories are a part of the equation but not the whole equation. They are not even the biggest part of the equation. There is so much more information that can tell you if a food is really healthy or not:
What does that all mean? At a reasonable serving size (1-2 energy bites, say), they will provide enough filling fat, protein, and fiber to act as a lasting snack. Pair them with some fresh fruit and cheese and you have yourself a meal (perfect for a day out hiking). Doesn’t that feel better than playing the calorie game? So the next time you are tempted to succumb to calorie guilt, evaluate a given food or ingredient using these parameters. Hopefully, this exercise will show you that foods are so much more than calories. It is time to put your food to work! (hey, that sounds familiar…) I’d really like to know how this approach lands for you, so please comment below! And as always, likes and shares are appreciated. |
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