Viral TikTok Video Proves That A McDonald's Cheeseburger Is Healthier Than A Protein Packed Cookie
It should come as no surprise anymore that just because a food is marketed as a "health food," doesn't make it anything reminiscent of healthy.
Elana
- Published in Interesting
If you've never heard of Lenny & Larry cookies, you may be wondering why anyone would bother comparing a giant chocolate chip cookie to a cheeseburger from McDonald's in the first place. However, unless you've been living under a rock then you've probably heard about low carb, high protein, high fat diets being marketed towards anyone and everyone as the end-all of weight-loss gimmicks.
In particular, you've probably heard about the KETO diet. Not all of Lenny & Larry's products have anything to do with KETO, but a lot of people took an interest in their cookies while looking for vegan and/or KETO snacks to partake in.
Lenny & Larry's cookies are high in protein as well as whole-food, plant based and were first sold in the 90's at Whole Foods, a grocery retailer known for appealing to health conscious individuals. Today, these cookies are available in at most major retailers and in over 30 countries.
If you're looking for a protein-packed sweet treat, you've probably stumbled on Lenny & Larry "complete" cookies. They have giant, soft cookies, and small, crunchy cookies in a wide variety of flavors that anyone who has ever enjoyed a cookie would absolutely drool to think of.
On their front page website, you can see that Lenny & Larry cookies appeal to customers looking for protein, non-GMO ingredients, fiber, and delicious nutrition. Seems innocent enough, right?
LennyLarryPersonal trainer Laura Ghiacy has a lot to say about how foods get marketed as health foods.
Laura has over 371k followers on TikTok with the tagline: "Want weight-loss advice? I’d go elsewhere." It's safe to say you may realize you're in for something different (in a great way) when you stumble upon Laura and her content.
LauraGhiacyLaura knew when she decided to compare the nutritional information to a L&L cookie with a cheeseburger from McDonald's, that she was inviting controversy.
Of course when it comes to health, fitness, and nutrition, there isn't many influencers and content creators who have ever existed who didn't ruffle someone's feathers.
LauraGhiacyLaura is an experienced personal trainer. Her services include nutrition, one-on-one training, group training and corporate training programs.
On her website, she says: "I'm on a mission to ensure that anyone and everyone feels entitled to exercise whilst cutting through Diet Culture nonsense."
LauraGhiacyIn an interview with Bored Panda, Laura explained:
"Health has no size and one’s health cannot be judged by the size of their body, but Diet Culture will have us believe that our health can be belittled down to a clothing size or worse, BMI, and that’s what I am trying to cut through."
LauraGhiacyShe continued:
“Take diets for example; 98% of all diets fail, yet there is a multi-billion dollar industry that is profiting from this making us feel shame over failing at a diet when it is the one thing that actually failed us.“
LauraGhiacyLaura also has big opinions about food packaging labels and the relationship they have with diet culture, health, and fitness. She told Bored Panda:
“It has become very common for people to obsessively look at the back of food labels, count calories/macros. Although it is common, it isn’t normal and can quickly escalate into disordered eating patterns.”
LauraGhiacyWhen Laura decided to list the ingredients side by side from a Lenny & Larry protein cookie compared to a cheeseburger from McDonalds, she came to say that the cheeseburger was healthier and she was ready to prove it.
LauraGhiacyOf course the most logical place to start is with calories.
A calorie is a unit of measurement, specifically measuring energy. From KidsHealth: "When you hear something contains 100 calories, it's a way of describing how much energy your body could get from eating or drinking it."
LauraGhiacyNext up is fat.
Too much saturated fat in your diet can raise your cholesterol, which in turn increases your risk of heart disease. Most health recommendations are to replace saturated fat with unsaturated fat.
LauraGhiacyCarbs, the great enemy of the decade? Century? Who knows?
Does the average carb-hater even know what carbs are?
"Carbohydrates, or carbs, are sugar molecules. Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of three main nutrients found in foods and drinks. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of energy for your body's cells, tissues, and organs."
LauraGhiacyNO LETTUCE BUNS REQUIRED
LauraGhiacyProtein to Protein, the difference is marginal at best.
WebMD insists that protein is "a critical part of the processes that fuel your energy and carry oxygen throughout your body in your blood."
LauraGhiacyDon't forget sugar. WebMD warns:
"When you eat excess sugar, the extra insulin in your bloodstream can affect your arteries all over your body. It causes their walls to get inflamed, grow thicker than normal and more stiff, this stresses your heart and damages it over time. This can lead to heart disease, like heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes."
LauraGhiacyThe most important difference of them all:
LauraGhiacyDoes a Mcdonald's cheeseburger beat out most "health" foods in the flavor department? Surely.
LauraGhiacyLet's not forget the hidden boogeyman: cost.
Financial cost, of course. Why pay more for a food that is less healthy for your body?
The answer is simple: really good marketing and fatphobia told you to.
LauraGhiacyHonestly? Relatable.
LauraGhiacyLaura doesn't actually promote scrutinizing food labels, but she does want consumers to be more savvy when making their purchasing choices and mindful of the "smoke and mirrors."
LauraGhiacyThink about it.
As Laura said, food marketing “wants us to part with our hard-earned money on products that we don’t actually need! Do we need a cookie with an abundance of protein? No. But are we made to think we do because protein is the “in-fashion” macronutrient and other macronutrients have been demonized and we’re made to feel shameful over what we eat? Absolutely.”
LauraGhiacyCheck out the full TikTok video here:
TikTok users from all walks of life quickly chimed in to participate in the discussion.
zachcoenThe video has been "liked" over 2.7 million times.
bestanimations"I'm here for it." Me, too.
sandyperry99Interestingly, a lot of other folks in the industry were quick to chime in... in support!
tasteitwithtiaLaura said that the number of comments under the video where people said “You’ve made me feel less guilty about eating a burger…” was astounding to her.
gifer“Guilt is not an ingredient in any food but we’re made to think we are “bad” for eating stigmatized foods,” she said, “We’re not. And if one video on TikTok can help someone feel a bit less shame… then that’s what I’m here for.”
LauraGhiacyAgreed.
claremorrow_ifbbproA worthy stamp.
dr_idzYes you can!
sagrresEnjoy your cheeseburger.
heyitszayyyyeeeCan we amplify this one especially? Honestly.
thebrittcUnlearning the harmful information we've all been susceptible to can be hard work, especially when it comes to health and nutrition. Let this be an opportunity today to take one step in a better direction, a direction that respects your authentic experience.
You can follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok. You can also learn more about what she may have to offer you by visiting her website.
If you're looking for more influencers to check out, consider Kids Eat In Color and Dr Asher Larmie.