The study of 2,000 adults found more than a quarter are actively logging their intake on a phone app; with 1 in 5 also admitting they check every product they buy for the calorie information.
Nearly a third outright refuse to eat any high calorie foods; opting to prioritising low-calorie foods, whether healthy or unhealthy, while 45% will exercise if they think they’ve eaten too many.
But 52% never look at labels for fats, and nearly 6 in 10 never consider whether the food they choose might contain vitamins and minerals which might benefit them in some way.
Nutritionist Amanda Williams and CEO of Cytoplan who commissioned the research ahead of launching a new Nutrition Gap Guide for healthcare professionals said: ‘While it’s great to keep an eye on calories, there’s so much more to maintaining a healthy diet, and it seems people are calorie counting in a bid to achieve that but with little understanding of the importance of nutrients.
‘The research has shown there is certainly an appetite for keeping an eye on calorie intake, but perhaps more focus is required on the importance of nutrients which could make all the difference to us feeling and actually being healthier both in the short-term and long-term.’
‘Not all calories are created equal, and it’s important to make sure that if striving to meet a calorie goal each day, we don’t sacrifice nutrient-dense foods.
‘A diet full of nutritious foods is more beneficial than a diet rich in processed foods that might be low in calories, but may not offer vital vitamins and minerals to support overall health.’
It also emerged half of Brits have been more sedentary in the last year or so due to major lifestyle changes; estimating they eat more than 2,000 calories a day.
But they believe they only burn around 1,800 with the Nutrition Gap research showing that a sedentary lifestyle is the number one reason for causing a deficiency in our nutrition levels.
