This Is What 300 Calories Look Like, Think Twice Before You Eat!

This visual representation of calories in your food will make you weep salty truth tears!

You hardly go out for fancy dinners or indulge in cheese-y pizzas and the weight still sneaks in? Chances are you have no idea how many calories are there in your food! 

(Photo: The Quint)

If we asked you to imagine what 300 calories of greens, burgers, eggs, chocolates, coffee, milk, look like, will you be able to picture it?

Probably not.

You know regular the calorie bombs - chocolates, cupcakes and cold drinks but when you compare half a burger to 800 grams of broccoli, well... that’s a different story.

Since translating the calorie information on a food label is so damn hard, our visual representation of 300 calories is pure genius.

If you have a snack attack in the middle of the day, let this stack decide whether you’d rather knock down four portions of fruits or a small, decadent treat. Give yourself what you’re in the mood for. Just keep in mind - protein, fiber, and fat help you feel full, so eat snacks with at least one of these.

What Are 300 Calories?

Portion size control is one of the hardest thing for dieters. To lose weight, you should eat around 1800 calories in the whole day. So the average size of one meal comes around 300 calories but what do calories look like?

I’ll get the most heartbreaking one out of the way first:

It’s half a McDonald’s burger!

(Photo: The Quint)

Two cappuccinos! Just two coffees in the whole darn day!

(Photo: The Quint)

It’s also three whole eggs - Nature’s perfect convenient food. Easy to store, a breeze to cook, packed with proteins and delicious when scrambled, poached, or fried into an omelette.

Eggs are also rich in dietary fats, are protein powerhouses and carry a lot of omega-3, which is great for your heart! Remember adding just 10% protein in your food curbs your hunger pangs and keeps you full for longer.

(Photo: The Quint)

300 calories is also a massive plate of broccoli. Make a soup, toss it with salt or whip up a salad - 800 grams of broccoli will make for two entire meals! Not to forget, it’s a fiber overload, low in sodium, almost fat-free, rich in vitamin A, C and potassium.

Guess your parents knew what was up when they told you to finish your broccoli.

(Photo: The Quint)

It’s less than two samosas. And this is excluding the calories of chai and chutney along with it.

(Photo: The Quint)

The bright side, you can have all the cabbage in the world you want!

(Photo: The Quint)

Less Calories Is Not Always Healthy

(Photo: The Quint)

Among the many myths in nutrition, the ‘calorie myth’ is the most persuasive. When it comes to your health, it’s the quality of the calorie that counts, rather than the calorie itself.

And mindful eating could help you drop a few kilos too. According to nutritionists, the theory is that if your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, it holds onto to whatever it gets and it becomes harder for you to lose weight. Also, if the extra calories are from healthy fats, proteins and fiber, you will feel satisfied and full for long. Did I say, away from the bar of chocolates, too?

Here’s explaining it better:

30 cups of black coffee is equal to 300 calories and so is a glass of whole milk. That again is the same as 800 grams of carrots, half a bowl of peanuts and a small bowl of chips.

But are they the same in nutrients?

Nope.

So chose your food wisely. An apple doesn’t sound like a bad snack now, does it?

Credits:
Production - Divya Talwar
Edit - Sujit Lad
Camera - Chintamani Wagh