You probably already know Doctor Mike from Tiktok and Instagram. He’s a board-certified doctor who is good at making educational videos (which often go viral!).
And now he’s teaming up with MyFitnessPal to ask strangers on the street about their nutrition knowledge. You know, the basics like how much protein, sugar, and calories are in everyday foods.
The result? Well, pay attention to yourself:
Gaps in nutritional knowledge
Dr. Mike’s video isn’t the only evidence that the general population lacks basic nutrition knowledge.
In a recent MyFitnessPal survey, we found that the majority of respondents underestimated the amount of grams of fat in foods like fish tacos, Caesar salad, and avocado. In fact, these foods contain almost twice as much fat as survey respondents thought.
Even more surprising, 88% of people surveyed said they didn’t really have a clue how much protein, fiber, carbs, sugar and salt they were eating daily.
“Whatever your health goals are, it’s important to have at least a general idea of how much you’re consuming across major nutrient categories,” says Katherine Basbaum, registered dietitian at MyFitnessPal. “Even for the average healthy adult, having too much of some nutrients and not enough of others can impact whether you reach your goals.”
For example: If you’re trying to improve your gut health and microbiome, it’s important to know if you’re getting enough fiber to help the healthy bacteria in your gut. It’s also good to know how much sugar you’re consuming. Excess sugar can quickly harm your gut health.
Calorie confusion
If Dr. Mike’s video is any indication, people aren’t good at estimating calorie counts either. In the video, most people overestimated the amount of calories in peanut butter. Their answers ranged from 100 to 800 calories (spoiler: it’s 180 calories!).
“Overestimating the calorie content of foods can negatively impact your overall health for several reasons. Some foods contain lighter or healthier ingredients, which in our minds might equate to fewer calories, but in fact, sometimes foods that her richer and “Higher calorie foods actually have fewer calories than healthier foods,” Basbaum says. “For example, according to the recent MyFitnessPal survey, many respondents guessed that a cheeseburger had more calories than two fish tacos. In reality, a cheeseburger typically has around 380 calories, while two fish tacos total around 490 calories.
That’s why it’s always good to check calories from a reliable source. While counting calories isn’t your preferred way to track what you eat, overestimating or underestimating calories can slow or block the achievement of your goals.
“There is no generic number of calories each person needs to maintain a healthy weight,” Basbaum adds. “This varies from person to person and depends on a number of factors, including age, gender, weight, height and activity level.”
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How to improve your nutritional IQ
So how do you determine what your nutritional needs are? Where should you look for information about what’s actually in your food?
Don’t worry: brushing up on your nutrition knowledge is easier than you think. There are many ways to increase your nutritional IQ, and one of them is to simply check the label.
“Pictures and health claims on the front of packages give you very little information about the nutrition and quality of the foods they contain,” says Basbaum. “It’s a marketing tool to sell you the product.” If you really want to increase your nutritional IQ, read the nutrition label on the back of the package.
It’s not just packaged foods that have this nutritional information. “The same goes for restaurant food. If it is a restaurant chain with more than 20 locations, it is required to publish its nutritional information on its website and on its sites.
If you want a database of these foods and more, use MyFitnessPal. “It can give you almost all nutritional information in one convenient place, whether it’s packaged foods and restaurants or fresh foods like meats and produce,” Basbaum says.
Our members say: According to our recent MyFitnessPal survey, 87% of respondents agree that being able to accurately log the foods they eat would help them keep tabs on their food/calorie intake.
Whatever you choose, learning more about the nutrition in your foods can help you make better choices, achieve your goals, and feel like a better version of yourself. And if Dr. Mike ever approaches you on the street to test your nutritional IQ, you’ll be ready.
The article Dr. Mike Tests Strangers’ Nutritional IQs in New Video appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.