You probably already know Doctor Mike from Tiktok and Instagram. He’s a board-certified physician who happens to be great at making educational videos (that often go viral!).
And now he’s partnered with MyFitnessPal to quiz strangers on the street on their nutrition knowledge. You know, the basic stuff like how much protein, sugar, and calories are in everyday foods.
The result? Well, watch for yourself:
Gaps in Nutrition Knowledge
Doctor Mike’s video isn’t the only evidence that the general population lacks foundational nutrition knowledge.
In a recent MyFitnessPal survey, we found that the majority of respondents underestimated how many grams of fat are in foods like fish tacos, a Caesar salad, and an avocado. In fact, those foods contain almost double the fat than what survey respondents guessed.
Even more surprising, 88% of respondents said they do not really have any idea how much protein, fiber, carbs, sugar, and salt they consume daily.
“No matter what your health goals are, it’s important to at least have a general idea of how much you are getting in the major nutrient categories,” Katherine Basbaum, a registered dietitian with MyFitnessPal says. “Even for the average healthy adult, having too much of some nutrients and not enough of others can affect whether you meet your goals.”
For example: if you’re trying to improve your gut health and microbiome, it’s important to know if you’re getting enough fiber to help the healthy bacteria in your gut. It’s also good to know how much sugar you’re eating. Excess sugar can quickly derail your gut health.
Calorie Confusion
If Doctor Mike’s video is any indication, people aren’t good at estimating calorie counts either. In the video, most people overestimated the amount of calories in peanut butter. Their answers ranged from 100-800 calories (spoiler: it’s 180 calories!).
“Overestimating the calorie content of foods can have a negative impact on your overall health for a number of reasons. Some foods contain lighter or healthier-sounding ingredients that in our minds might equate to it being lower calorie, but in fact, sometimes foods that sound richer and more calorie-dense actually have fewer calories than the healthier-sounding ones,” Basbaum says. “For example, per the recent MyFitnessPal survey, many respondents guessed that a cheeseburger contains more calories than two fish tacos. In reality, a cheeseburger typically contains around 380 calories, while two fish tacos add up to about 490 calories.”
This is why it’s always good to check calories from a reliable source. While calorie counting may not be your go-to way of tracking what you’re eating, over and underestimating calories can slow down or stall your goals.
“There is no one generic number of calories every person needs to maintain a healthy weight,” Basbaum adds. “It varies from person to person and depends on a number of factors including age, gender, weight, height and activity level.”
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How to Improve Your Nutrition IQ
So, how do you figure out what your nutrition needs are? Where should you look for information about what’s actually in your food?
Don’t worry: it’s easier to brush up on your nutrition knowledge than you might think. There’s so many ways to boost your nutrition IQ, and one way to do that is to simply check the label.
“The images and health claims on the front of packages give you very little information about the nutrition and quality of the food inside,” Basbaum says. “It’s a marketing tool to sell you the product.” If you really want to bump up your nutrition IQ, read the nutrition facts label on the back of the package.
It’s not just packaged foods that have this nutrition info available. “The same goes for restaurant foods. If it is a chain restaurant with more than 20 locations, they are required to post their nutrition information on their website and at their locations.”
If you want a database that contains these foods and more, use MyFitnessPal. “It can give you almost all the nutrition information in one convenient place, whether it’s packaged and restaurant foods or fresh foods like meats and produce,” says Basbaum.
Our members second that: according to our recent MyFitnessPal survey, 87% of respondents agree that being able to accurately log the food they’re consuming would help them keep an eye on their food / calorie intake.
Whatever you choose, learning about the nutrition in your food can help you make better choices, achieve your goals, and feel like a better version of yourself. And if Doctor Mike ever approaches you on the street to challenge your nutrition IQ, you’ll be ready.
