There was a time in my life when I used to count calories. I even tracked them on MyFitnessPal. For the longest time I thought 300 calories was 300 calories, regardless of what food it came from.
I have learned this is not true. Let’s compare peanut butter and watermelon:
3 tablespoons of Peanut Butter is 300 calories.
1 kilogram (6.5 cups) of Watermelon is also 300 calories.
The quality of calories in both these foods is wildly different.
Peanut butter is relatively more processed, is high in saturated fat (bad), has more sodium, and by the time we are 3 tablespoons in, we are still hungry.
Watermelon is around 90% water, has vitamins and minerals, it’s sweet and hydrating, and we are usually full long before we eat 6.5 cups of it.
But when you log these foods on MyFitnessPal or similar, it just takes up 300 of your daily calories.
There is more to nutrition than just calories. Food for thought.