Calories vs Nutrition

You know how a lot of daytime TV shows have that "eat this, not that" bullshit where they say you should, by default, eat the one with less calories?

That pisses me off, because it's bad advice. They pay no attention to which one is actually healthier. Just which one has fewer calories.

A serving of pretzels may have less calories than a serving of peanuts, but it is not healthier! Peanuts have protein, and fiber, if they have the skins. Pretzels are 100% refined carbohydrates, which are no better than sugar. No fiber. No protein.

An ice cream cone may have fewer calories than a Jamba Juice, but assuming that the Jamba juice has real fruit and/or juice in it, the ice cream cone is not healthier!

Compare white sugar, pasteurized table honey (not raw), and raw sugar. They all have the same calories, but raw sugar is better for you, because it still contains some semblance of vitamins and minerals in it.

Watching your calories is important, but you also need to make sure you're making the most nutritious choices. Losing/maintaining weight isn't going to do you much good if your health is poor because you eat garbage all the time!

High-calorie, nutrient dense foods are always better than lower-calorie, nutritionally empty foods like ice cream and pretzels. If you're counting your calories, you'd do yourself a favor to use them wisely. To eat empty calories is a waste.

And people wonder why their health is suffering? People are idiots. They can't be bothered to think for themselves, they need TV to tell them how to think, what to eat and how to live. How pathetic.