Last year, I was that parent standing in the grocery store aisle, calculator app open, trying to figure out if I could “afford” the calories in Sophie’s favorite granola bars while staying under my daily limit. It was exhausting.
Then I realized something: I was spending more mental energy tracking numbers than actually feeding my family well.
The calorie obsession started over 100 years ago
A doctor named Lulu Hunt Peters basically invented calorie counting in 1918. She told people to stop saying “one slice of bread” and start saying “100 calories of bread.” We’ve been stuck in this mindset ever since.
But here’s what I learned from coaching families: calorie counting doesn’t work for busy parents. And honestly, it’s kind of missing the point.
Not all calories are created equal (shocking, I know)
Here’s the thing that broke my brain: 200 calories of gummy bears affects your body completely differently than 200 calories of almonds.
Your body has to work harder to process real food, which actually burns more calories. Plus, the almonds have protein and healthy fats that keep you full. The gummy bears? They spike your blood sugar, crash your energy, and leave you hungrier than before.
When Sophie eats an apple, she’s getting fiber, vitamins, and natural sugars that her body knows how to handle. When she eats the same number of calories in fruit snacks, her body basically goes “What the hell is this?” and stores most of it as fat.
Why calorie counting backfired for me (and probably you too)
I started obsessing over numbers instead of nutrients. I’d “save” calories for dessert by skipping lunch, then wonder why I was cranky and exhausted by 3 PM. Meanwhile, I was justifying processed snacks because they “fit my macros.”
The worst part? I was teaching my kids that food was math instead of nourishment.
Plus, have you ever tried to calculate calories for a homemade family dinner? Good luck figuring out how many calories are in “some olive oil” and “a pinch of this and that.”
What I do instead (it’s embarrassingly simple)
I use my hands. Seriously.
For each meal, I aim for:
- A palm-sized portion of protein (chicken, fish, eggs, beans)
- A fist-sized portion of vegetables
- A cupped handful of carbs (rice, potato, bread)
- A thumb-sized portion of healthy fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil)
That’s it. No apps, no calculations, no mental gymnastics.
For the kids, it’s even simpler
I put real food in front of them and let their bodies figure it out. Kids are actually pretty good at self-regulating when you’re not constantly negotiating with them about “just three more bites.”
The result?
I stopped stressing about food. The kids eat more variety. Joslyn and I have more energy. And nobody’s doing math at dinner.
Your body is smarter than any calorie-counting app. It knows the difference between 200 calories of cookies and 200 calories of real food. Trust it.
— Derek
To your health!
Derek Opperman
Chief Wellness Officer at LifeUP
“I help parents reclaim their energy — not just physically, but emotionally too. Because when you feel better, everything in your life lights up: your parenting, your patience, your purpose. My approach is about small changes that ripple out into big transformation.”
