The best is the enemy of the good: why junk food isn’t so bad?

When you start sticking to the right diet, sometimes even a small deviation from the plan can provoke a breakdown. In pursuit of cherished parameters, we carefully count calories, deny ourselves sweets and look for healthy alternatives. But as it turns out, not everything is “right” that is considered as such. UK-based food blogger Lucy Mountain debunked myths about popular healthy snacks in her Instagram – some of them are more caloric than sweets.

Dairy Vs. bitter

One of the favorite life style adepts’ favorite life style tips is to replace milk chocolate with bitter chocolate. And it turned out to be a myth. The former has significantly fewer calories than its “healthy” alternative.

However, bitter chocolate is indeed considered more “healthy”. Although it is more caloric, it contains less sugar, more dietary fiber and iron. It is also more nutritious.

However, if you prefer the milk flavor, forcing yourself to eat bitter chocolate to lose weight is pointless. As Lucy points out, in terms of calories, it will turn out to be even more “favorable”.

Cornflakes Vs. granola

Granola is considered a healthy breakfast option. In fact, in it there is no less sugar than in simple cornflakes, and calories – fifty more. Of course, the two products differ in composition, nutrition, and flavor.

However, Mountain recommends listening to yourself first and foremost and choosing what you enjoy. Food should not be automatically converted into calories, says the blogger, you should also be able to enjoy it.

Regular chips Vs. vegetable chips

Vegetable chips have become the most popular snack for those who watch their diet and strive for a beautiful figure. However, for many, ordinary potato chips are a more tasty option. And, as it turns out, less caloric.

The difference in energy value is not so great, but once again confirms that often “healthy” food is exaggerated. Lucy believes that proper nutrition is a rather subjective concept, and it is different for everyone. So if you feel the urge to eat a packet of potato chips, don’t feel bad – you haven’t strayed that far from the plan.

Pasta Vs. nut mixes

The next time you have a sudden craving for a snack, don’t rush to sweep nut mixes off the shelves. A small serving of pasta (~65 g.) has the same number of calories as one handful of almonds (~40 g.). The difference in this case is the ratio of fats and carbohydrates. The former are more in nuts, while the latter – in pasta.

When losing weight, you should not abuse either of them. Pay attention to your diet as a whole. If today you have already eaten your portion of fats, you can give preference to spaghetti. If you’ve gone overboard on carbs, snack on almonds.

Custard Vs. Cashews.

Nuts are rich in protein, and many people consider them a great post-workout snack. However, in addition to protein, they also contain fat, which increases calories. To get 20 g of protein, you’d have to eat about 100 g of cashews, Mountain notes. That’s 3,000 kcal. For those seeking to gain muscle mass, such a “diet” may be suitable. But if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s unlikely you’ll want to eat only nuts.

For comparison, a jar of custard contains as much protein as 40 g of cashews – about 12 g. Only for some reason no one eats it by the spoonful immediately after a workout.

Fast food is not as bad as they say. Of course, you should not abuse it, but you can say that about any food, even the healthiest. If your soul is asking for a burger, don’t be afraid to derail your diet – nothing bad will happen from one sandwich.

Do not fixate only on the energy value and strictly record how much and what you ate. Proper nutrition is not so much about calorie deficit as about the ability to listen to your body, because there is no universal healthy and suitable for everyone diet. If today you have enough vegetable chips and granola – fine. But if tomorrow you want cornflakes and milk chocolate, don’t deny yourself the pleasure.