We may think we’re choosing the healthy option when we opt for a low calorie version of our favourite snack, but as The Fitness Chef Graeme Tomlinson has just revealed, the supposedly slimming treats often have even more calories than the original.
With the festive season approaching, those of us trying to get that bit healthier before Christmas Day might be in for a nasty surprise.
Diet foods are often more expensive than their regular counterparts, leaving Brits with larger food bills at this expensive time of year. Many also contain hidden calories, far higher than their full-fat counter-parts.
Known online as The Fitness Chef, Graeme Tomlinson has now taken to social media to show followers that their favourite diet foods might not be quite as healthy as they thought.
Posting on Instagram, Tomlinson highlighted both the diet and regular versions of some of our best-loved products. With comparison graphics, he revealed that some supposedly healthy alternatives to regular products may in fact be counterproductive when it comes to burning fat and losing weight.
With many of these products containing more calories that customers expect, it makes the job of burning them off that bit harder. Featuring a range of products, from chocolate, to drinks and ready meals, the results are astonishing.
Weight Watchers bread
Using Weight Watchers bread as one example, he revealed that the diet version is 102 calories per 40g. He then compared it to Tesco bread, which comes in at 95 calories per 40g and is a third of the price.
Innocent smoothies
In another even more shocking example, he highlighted how an Innocent smoothie has more calories than a bottle of Coke. The supposedly healthy drink has almost as much sugar as the popular fizzy drink brand too.
Weight Watchers chocolate biscuits
These bite-sized treats might be delicious - but they’re also only nine calories less than McVities. They’re also 31p more expensive. Whilst McVities charge £0.29p per 50g, Weight Watchers price theirs at £0.57p per 50g.
Special K Red Berries
Comparing Special K Red Berries 50g serving with 200g of semi-skimmed milk against Coco Pops, it emerged that the supposedly healthier Special K has the exact same amount of sugar. It is also only 3 calories lower than the chocolate cereal brand.
Cadbury’s 30% less sugar Dairy Milk
This low-sugar chocolate bar only has 15 calories less than regular Dairy Milk. However, Tomlinson has admitted that it contains more fibre, which is more likely to fill us up faster and satisfy our desire for more food.
Health coach Tomlinson has gained almost 800,000 followers by highlighting these hidden calories in popular diet products compared to regular versions.
He has reportedly said that when it comes to Weight Watchers "empowering an individual with the basic educational tools to change their lives, they fall short. "
Whilst he hoped to debunk diet food myths, he has admitted on Instagram that the healthier versions can sometimes contain more nutrients and less fat.
He advises those who are looking to lose weight to focus more on their portion sizes rather than calorie-counting.
Amongst his diet comparison posts, Tomlinson also shared some highlighting that higher calories don't always mean a product is worse for you.
He posted showing the identical calories of an avocado vs a tube of Smarties. Here, Tomlinson made it clear that choosing healthier foods is not always about the calorie count. Instead, the nutritional value is always key.
The next time you do your weekly shop, remember to check the labels carefully.
