You probably already know Doctor Mike from Tiktok. Instagram. He’s a board-certified physician who happens to be great at creating educational videos (often viral on the internet!).
And now he’s partnered with MyFitnessPal to quiz strangers on the street about their nutritional knowledge. These are basic things like the amount of protein, carbohydrates, and calories contained in your daily meals.
result? Well, see for yourself:
Nutrition knowledge gap
Dr. Mike’s video is not the only evidence that the general public lacks basic nutritional knowledge.
A recent MyFitnessPal survey found that the majority of respondents underestimated the number of grams of fat in foods like fish tacos, Caesar salads, and avocados. In fact, these foods contain almost twice the amount of fat that survey respondents estimated.
Even more surprising, 88% of respondents said they had no idea how much protein, fiber, carbohydrates, sugar, and salt they were consuming each day.
“No matter your health goals, it’s important to have at least a rough idea of how much of each macronutrient category you’re consuming,” says Katherine Busbaum, R.D., MyFitnessPal . “Even for an average healthy adult, having too much of some nutrients and not enough of others can affect whether or not you can reach your goals.”
Example: If you are trying to improve gut health It’s important to know if you’re getting enough fiber to support healthy bacteria in your gut. It is also important to know how much sugar you are consuming. Remove excess sugar immediately disrupt intestinal health.
calorie confusion
If Dr. Mike’s video is any indication, people aren’t very good at estimating calorie counts either. In this video, most people overestimated the calorie content of peanut butter. Their answers ranged from 100 to 800 calories (spoiler: 180 calories!).
“Overestimating the calorie content of foods can have a negative impact on your overall health for a variety of reasons. In our minds, we may think it’s low in calories, but in reality, it’s low in calories. sound richer, “Something higher in calories actually has fewer calories than something that sounds healthier,” says Basbaum. “For example, in a recent MyFitnessPal survey, many respondents estimated that one cheeseburger contains more calories than two fish tacos. usually contains about 380 calories, but two fish tacos add up to about 490 calories.”
This is why it’s always good to check calories from reliable sources. Calorie counting may not be the go-to way to track what you’re eating, but underestimating or underestimating your calories can delay or stall your goals. There is.
“There is no general number of calories that everyone needs to maintain a healthy weight,” adds Basbaum. “It varies from person to person and depends on many factors, including age, gender, weight, height, and activity level.”
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How to improve your nutritional IQ
So how do you know your nutritional needs? Where can you find information about what’s actually in your food?
Don’t worry. Improving your nutrition knowledge is easier than you think. There are many ways to increase your nutritional IQ, and one way is to simply check the label.
“Images and health claims on the front of the package provide little information about the nutrition or quality of the food inside,” says Bassbaum. “It’s a marketing tool to sell your product.” If you really want to increase your nutritional IQ, read the nutrition facts label on the back of the package.
It’s not just processed foods that have this nutritional information. “The same goes for restaurant food. If it’s a chain restaurant with 20 or more stores, Required Post nutritional information on your website or store. ”
If you want a database containing these foods and more, use MyFitnessPal. “Whether it’s packaged foods, restaurant foods, or fresh foods like meat and produce, you can get almost all the nutritional information in one convenient place,” says Basbaum.
Our member said: According to a recent MyFitnessPal survey, 87% of respondents agreed that being able to accurately record the foods they’re consuming would help them keep track of their diet and calorie intake.
No matter what you choose, learning about the nutrients in your food will help you make better choices, achieve your goals, and feel better about yourself. And even if Dr. Mike approaches you on the street to challenge your nutritional IQ, you’ll be ready.
The post Dr. Mike tests strangers’ nutritional IQ in new video appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.
