Good Calories Versus Bad Calories
A Trainer Perfectly Illustrates the Importance of Calorie Quality Over Quantity in 1 Photo
The number of calories isn't always indicative of food quality, and this trainer's Instagram photo demonstrates this perfectly. Instagram account bodyfreshfitness shared a side-by-side comparison of what good calories versus bad calories look like. On the left, one cup of orange juice, 200 grams of chicken breast, one avocado, and 70 grams of long grain rice are shown, amounting to a total of 871 calories. And on the right, a McDonald's cheeseburger, fries, and a small Coke Zero are pictured, racking up to 627 calories.
This is a great way to explain how a meal with less calories isn't necessarily the healthier option. Matt, the body transformation coach behind the Instagram account, continued to share in his caption how high calories can be beneficial to your health as long as they're nutrient dense — though they may not be as beneficial for your weight-loss goal.
"To lose weight it's not as simple as just 'eating healthy,'" he wrote. "All food comes with calories and calories matter. Now clearly the meal option on the left of this graphic is the more nutrient dense and healthy option. However it is much higher in calories compared to the highly processed fast food option to the right."
Matt also explained that if your goal is weight loss, too many calories will still add body fat, whether or not they come from processed foods. "Regardless of what you eat, if you eat too much of it you'll gain weight," he wrote. "Demonizing certain food is not a healthy approach for long-term, sustainable weight-loss success."
