Once anyone finds out that I'm a registered dietitian, they start asking me about their favorite foods. Recently, a friend inquired why her favorite quinoa bowl has more than 1,000 calories. "Isn't quinoa healthy?" she asked. I quickly told her that just because this dish was higher in calories doesn't necessarily mean it's unhealthy. But this exchange got me thinking about how our culture is so obsessed with calories that we often neglect the overall nutritional quality of food. Once upon a time, people ate food for the vitamins that would ward off disease or the protein that would maintain their hair and nails. We seem to have forgotten about a lot of really important aspects of the food label in order to focus solely on the top line: calories. Here's why that's not necessarily the healthiest way to choose foods.
Calories and Weight
You’ve probably heard that in order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat. But if it were as simple as that, couldn’t everyone just eat 1,000 calories of ice cream every day and lose weight? The equation for weight loss is a bit more complicated than that. While lifestyle and activity obviously play a role, other diet factors come into play. For instance, fat (such as that in walnuts) can help keep you full, so you may eat less throughout the day. This may be true in the case of full-fat versus low-fat dairy, too, as research indicates there’s a connection between reaching for full-fat, higher-calorie dairy and reduced risk of obesity. Plus, plenty of research has been conducted on how eating a high-protein breakfast helps keep you full throughout the morning, causing you to eat less throughout the day.
However, if your goal is to lose weight, total calories will make a difference. Let's go back to that avocado example again. If a 130-pound woman ate three avocados a day on top of her normal diet, (say, avocado toast in the morning, salad with avocado for lunch, and guac at dinner), she would absolutely gain weight from those 900 extra calories, regardless of the fact that those calories came from nutritious avocados instead of from cookies and ice cream. But if she replaced some of the other 300-calorie food items in her diet with a more nutrient-dense food, such as an avocado, it may help keep her full and prevent her from overeating later in the day. The bottom line is that maintaining or losing weight is a balancing act. Calories certainly matter, but the overall nutrient composition of the food matters just as much.
When Do Calories Actually Count?
With all of this conflicting information, it can be difficult to know what's best when you're trying to lose weight, eat healthier, or just be more in tune with what's going to best fuel your body. But it's really about simplifying your diet to choose whole foods and incorporating your indulgences in moderation. "When working with a client to help them choose healthy foods, I always have them start at the source," says Kyle. "How close is this food product to its natural state? Could it be found in the field or farm? The closer a food item is to its natural origins, the more likely it is to be wholesome and nutrient-dense."
With all this said, calories are on the food label (and depending on where you live, on your menus, too) for a reason. They shouldn't be the only thing you pay attention to, but they definitely matter a lot in specific situations. Here are just a few:
The Bottom Line On Calories
Get more acquainted with your diet and look beyond calories. What other nutrients does that food supply? While calories definitely matter, they aren't the only essential element for choosing foods. Replacing high-calorie junk foods with more nutrient-dense whole foods may help you lose weight. But whether you're losing weight or not, nutrient-dense whole foods are sure to help you get and stay healthier. Remember that in some instances, such as if you're running a marathon or carrying a child, calories absolutely matter. But even in these circumstances, the nutrients inside your food are just as significant as the calories.
