Why You Should be Counting More than Calories

Many people think that the only thing that pertains to them and their nutrition/weight goals on a nutrition label is the calorie count. It is important to keep in mind that calories are important to watch, however you should also be considering the weight behind them. For example there is such a phrase as "empty calories". You may notice that the brownie you are about to devour only has 100 calories, and that doesn't seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things! But what does this brownie have in it besides calories? Does it have any significant nutrients? Vitamins? Unless it's a superhero brownie, the most significant ingredient it contains is sugar, and therefore the brownie's 100 calories will serve no purpose for your body. When foods are energy dense versus nutrient dense it means that they have way more calories per a small portion than nutrients. This means you are getting much less sustenance than you would be getting if you were to eat a nutrient-dense food. And that is the bottom line: choosing foods that are more nutrient-dense will fill your stomach more than picking foods that are more energy dense and this will give you a feeling of satiety throughout the day meaning that you will snack less and restrict your calories more making it easier to sustain your weight or lose weight!

xoxo, Keely