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Dietician Shows Shockingly Small Differences Between High and Low Calorie Meals

By Kelly Richman-Abdou on August 10, 2018

SNEAKY ‘SALADS’ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Unfortunately calorie heavy dressings, too much grain and not enough veg can result in a ‘salad’ with calories closer to that of a risotto. Here’s how easily it can happen, even with ‘salads’ of similar bulk… ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔸On the left • 1 cup cooked Pearl Barley • 70g Haloumi • 1/3 Zucchini • 2 florets Broccoli • 1/4 Capsicum • 50g Eggplant • 3 Cherry Tomatoes • 200g Poached Chicken • 1/2 cup herbs • Dressing of 2tsp EVOO and 2tsp Balsamic Vinegar ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔹On the right • 1/2 cup cooked Pearl Barley • 35g Haloumi • 2/3 Zucchini • 5 florets Broccoli • 1/2 Capsicum • 100g Eggplant • 5 Cherry Tomatoes • 100g Poached Chicken • 1/2 cup herbs • Dressing of 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar and 2tsp seeded mustard ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Feb 12, 2018 at 11:24am PST

Promising to put a “real talk” spin on standard nutrition information, dietician Paula Norris isn't one to sugarcoat—especially when it comes to calorie counting. In an eye-opening, ongoing series of photos, Norris asks her Instagram followers to “spot the difference” between high and low calorie meals.

In each picture, Norris presents a side-by-side look at pairs of seemingly healthy plates of food. While they often look nearly identical to one another, a closer look at the servings reveals their subtle differences, from portion size to protein amount. To illustrate the big impact of these small changes, Norris has labeled each dish with with the number of calories it contains, proving the big power of tiny tweaks.

According to Norris, it is these minor adjustments that make all the difference. “Green powders, juice detoxes, Paleo and blood type diets–unfortunately they’ve been shoved in our faces making healthy eating unnecessarily complicated,” she writes on MintFit. “The focus needs to be on smaller, sustainable dietary changes.” In order to help you make these changes, Norris adds detailed captions to each post, ensuring that her approach to calorie counting is crystal clear.

Think you're up for the “spot the difference” challenge? If so, you can find the clever series on Norris' food-centric Instagram page.

In a clever Instagram series, dietician Paula Norris visually demonstrates how small changes can drastically alter a plate of food's number of calories.

SMALL CHANGE DIET ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While 170 Calories difference doesn’t seem huge, a few small changes like this across the day can be the difference between weight gain, maintenance and loss ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3 almost unnoticeable changes like this across your day will cut the calories required to lose 0.5kg per week. So while 170 Calories doesn’t sound like much, it can help you get to your goals. And because the difference between these bowls in bulk is minimal, both will be filling! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On the left 🔹3/4 cup muesli 🔹100g full fat yoghurt 🔹1Tbsp sultanas 🔹1/4 cup mixed berries 🔹1 Tbsp Chia seeds 🔹1 tsp Pomegranate seeds ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On the Right 🔸1/2 cup muesli 🔸100g reduces fat yoghurt 🔸3/4 cup mixed berries 🔸2 tsp Chia seeds 🔸1 tsp Pomegranate seeds

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Dec 8, 2017 at 2:34pm PST

Can you spot the difference between these low and high calorie meals?

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Both of these meals are healthy but depending on your goals you may make some modifications for more or less calories. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This one is also important as while good fats are ofcourse amazing for and required by our bodies- the calories can add up. So if you’re trying to move some weight you need to be aware of portions of even good fats. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔸On the left • Large (220g) Salmon fillet (when raw) • 2tsp oil for pan frying • 1 serve (~200g) soba noodles • 1 Tbsp Edamame • 1/4 carrot – julienned • 1/2 cup cooked spinach • 25g Broccoli (~2 florets) • 1/2 medium Avocado 🥑 • 1 tsp lime juice • 1/4 cup basil • 1/2 tsp sesame seeds ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔹On the right • Small (150g) Salmon fillet (when raw) baked without added fat • 1/3 serve (~70g) soba noodles • 2 Tbsp Edamame • 1/2 carrot – julienned • 3/4 cup cooked spinach • 50g Broccoli (~2 florets) • 2 cherry tomatoes • 1/4 medium Avocado 🥑 • 1 tsp lime juice • 1/4 cup basil • 1/2 tsp sesame seeds ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A fish spot the difference for you @judithhross 😚 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Apr 25, 2018 at 1:25pm PDT

These posts are NOT to encourage calorie counting but are to demonstrate the impact that ingredient manipulation can have on the overall calories in a meal (obviously important for those of you who are trying to lose weight) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On the left: 🔸50g Feta 🔸200g Sweet Potato 🔸4 Cherry Tomatoes 🔸1/2 cup Baby Spinach 🔸1/4 small Capsicum 🔸1/6 medium Zucchini 🔸1 cup cooked Quinoa 🔸180g Poached chicken 🔸Dressing of Balsamic Vinegar + Olive Oil ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On the right: 🔹25g Feta 🔹100g Sweet Potato 🔹8 Cherry Tomatoes 🔹1 cup Baby Spinach 🔹1/2 small Capsicum 🔹1/3 medium Zucchini 🔹1/2 cup cooked Quinoa 🔹120g Poached chicken 🔹Dressing of Balsamic Vinegar ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #Spotthedifference

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Jan 14, 2018 at 11:36am PST

A chicken Pad Thai spot the difference for you @judithhross 😚 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You can apply some of the below modifications based on your fitness goals- if you want to gain weight or maybe you want to maintain but have higher energy requirements- go left. If your goal is to lose or maintain weight – go right. This Pad Thai is on MEDIUM sized dinner plates (hence why they fill up most of it!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔸On the left • 200g cooked chicken thigh • 2tsp oil for cooking • 130g (when dry) rice noodles • 1/4 red onion • 1/2 carrot – julienned • 3 snow peas – chopped • 1Tbsp Soy sauce • 1/2tsp Fish sauce • 1Tbsp Lime juice • 1/2 egg ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔹On the right • 120g cooked chicken breast • 1tsp oil for cooking • 70g (when dry) rice noodles • 1/4 red onion • 1 carrot – julienned • 8 snow peas – chopped • 1 bunch Chinese Spinach • 1Tbsp Soy sauce • 1/2tsp Fish sauce • 1Tbsp Lime juice • 1/2 egg ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Apr 15, 2018 at 1:24pm PDT

You can apply some of the below modifications based on your fitness goals- if you want to gain weight – go left. If your goal is to lose or maintain weight – go right. The bulk of these meals is pretty much the same, so both will be equally filling. This is important because satiety is one of the major challenges when trying to lose weight and many people think they need to eat smaller meals. This is simply not necessary! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔸On the left • 3 small soft shell tacos • 1tsp oil for cooking • 1/2 garlic clove • 1/2 brown onion • 200g Regular mince • Taco seasoning + herbs • 1/2 tin tomatoes • 4 cherry tomatoes • 1/4 small corn cob • 50g Avocado • 40g full fat cheddar cheese ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔹On the right • 3 large lettuce leaves for shells • 1Tbsp water for cooking • 1/2 garlic clove • 1/2 brown onion • 100g Extra lean mince • 70g red kidney beans • 1 small grated carrot • Taco seasoning + herbs • 1/2 tin tomatoes • 8 cherry tomatoes • 25g dices capsicum • 1/4 small corn cob • 25g Avocado • 10g Parmesan cheese (Parmesan has a much sharper flavour so you can get away with much less) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Apr 2, 2018 at 1:28pm PDT

Too big a burrito? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ok so the size of the wrap (which saves about 100cals) makes this one more obvious but the other differences save you an extra 300cals! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔸On the left • Large wrap • 1tsp oil for cooking • 1/2 brown onion • 160g Regular mince • Taco seasoning • 1/2 tin tomatoes • 1 cup lettuce • 1/2 tomato • 50g Avocado • 40g cheese ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔹On the right • Medium wrap • 1/2 brown onion • 100g Extra lean mince • 50g black beans • 1/3 Zucchini • 1/2 medium carrot • Taco seasoning • 1/2 tin tomatoes • 1 cup lettuce • 1/2 tomato • 25g Avocado • 20g Low Fat cheese ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Feb 26, 2018 at 11:16am PST

Healthy Fried Rice ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔸On the left • 1 1/2 Cup Brown Rice • 1/4 Capsicum • 1/4 Cup Peas • 1/2 Cob Corn • 1/2 Egg • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce • 1/4 Carrot • 180g chicken • 2 tsp Oil ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔹On the right • 1/2 Cup Brown Rice • 1/2 Cup Cauli Rice • 1/2 Capsicum • 1/2 Cup Peas • 1/2 Con Corn • 1/2 Carrot • 1/2 Egg • 8 Green Beans • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce • 100g chicken ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Mar 8, 2018 at 11:38am PST

Ever since I studied Dietetics, I haven’t bothered with drastic diet changes to achieve goals because I know how short term, unsustainable and depressing they are. Changes I make are small, almost unnoticeable and spread across days and weeks. Decreasing the serve size of energy dense foods and increasing portions of low energy density foods has been key for me. A lot of small changes can add up! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔸On the left • 175g beef • 4 potatoes (150g) • 20g Spinach • 1 floret Cauliflower (40g) • 1 slice Zucchini (25g) • 1 stalk Broccolini (25g) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔹On the right • 100g beef • 3 small potatoes (80g) • 40g Spinach • 3 florets Cauliflower (100g) • 3 slices Zucchini (74g) • 3 stalks Broccolini (60g)

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on May 18, 2018 at 4:25pm PDT

EASY WAYS TO SAVE CALS IN YOUR STIR FRY ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On the left: 🔹2 tsp oil for cooking 🔹1Tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce 🔹280g Chicken (1 medium breast) 🔹1 cup Brown Rice 🔹Half the amount of Veg (1/4 red capsicum, 1/2 small carrot, 1 Medium Mushroom, 2 pieces Broccolini) 🔹2 tsp Soy sauce, 2 tsp Oyster sauce, 2 tsp Lime Juice ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Healthy Swaps on the Right: 🔸No oil for cooking (you can use water or the sauce instead) 🔸1tsp Sriracha instead of Sweet Chilli (it’s stronger flavour means you need less) 🔸150g chicken 🔸1/2 cup Brown Rice 🔸Double the Veg. (1/2 red capsicum, 1 medium carrot, 2 Medium Mushrooms, 1/2 bunch Broccolini) 🔸 2 tsp Soy sauce, 2 tsp Oyster sauce, 2 tsp Lime Juice

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Nov 18, 2017 at 1:18pm PST

If you’re trying to lose weight then it can be easy to overdo the cals on even seemingly healthy meals like stir fry! See below 👇🏽 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ***As a note- I have weighed the non starchy veg for this demo but I DO NOT weigh non starchy veg at home- I throw as much as I can in! Scales are good to keep portion sizes in check for meats, starchy carbs and good fats (although measuring in spoons, cups usually works for a lot of starchy carbs and fats) but weighing is not required for non starchy veg! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On the left 🔸50g capsicum 🔸20g zucchini 🔸2 stalks broccolini 🔸1 large mushroom 🔸15g beans 🔸1/2 small onion 🔸200g beef (when cooked) 🔸2tsp oil 🔸1Tbsp sweet chilli sauce 🔸2tsp oyster sauce 🔸2tsp lime juice 🔸1 cup cooked rice ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On the right 🔹100g capsicum 🔹50g zucchini 🔹3 stalks broccolini 🔹1 large mushroom 🔹40g beans 🔹1/2 small onion 🔹100g beef (when cooked) 🔹Spray oil 🔹1tsp Sriracha 🔹3tsp oyster sauce 🔹2tsp lime juice 🔹1/2 cup cooked rice

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Jul 16, 2018 at 2:05pm PDT

COOK HEALTHIER ______________________________________________________ Bowl on the left made with 🔹180g regular mince 🔹1 tsp Oil for cooking 🔹15g Parmesan 🔹1 cup cooked pasta . 🍝Save some cals by 🔸Replacing 1/2 cup pasta with zoodles (but still keeping 1/2 cup pasta!) 🔸Use less mince (100g) and choose extra lean 🔸Add 1 grated carrot, a fresh tomato and extra grated zucchini 🔸Start cooking with a small amount of water instead of oil 🔸Use a smaller amount of Parmesan (5g) [both have tinned tomato, herbs, garlic, onion and chilli]

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Oct 16, 2017 at 2:32am PDT

HEALTHY SWAPS FOR YOUR LASAGNE ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ One the left (per serve) 🔹150g Standard Mince 🔹2tsp oil to cook mince 🔹100g cream 🔹40g Cheese for white sauce and to top ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On the right (per serve) 🔸100g lean Mince 🔸Use water to cook in fry pan (less need for Oil when you’re using so many tasty ingredients!) 🔸1/2 Medium Carrot 🔸1/4 large Zucchini 🔸Replace 100g cream with 75g Ricotta + 25ml milk (to get right consistency) 🔸12g Parmesan cheese to top. Parmesan has a sharper flavour which means you need less on top. Using Ricotta for white sauce means you can go without cheese 🔹🔸[Both contain 1/4 brown onion, 1 lasagne sheet, 35g tomato paste, 1/4 tin tomatoes, chilli, thyme, oregano and parsley per serve]

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Nov 15, 2017 at 11:52am PST

EASY WAYS TO CUT CALS ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • Reduce oil in cooking. Try spray oil. • Replace some of the starchy carbs with non-starchy vegetables • Add moderate amounts of healthy fats (nuts, seeds, oil in dressing) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A post shared by Paula Norris, Dietitian 🇦🇺 (@movingdietitian) on Jun 10, 2018 at 1:33pm PDT