Know your calories game
INSTRUCTIONS
About the game
This fun and interactive game highlights the calorie content of popular snack foods and
encourages people to choose healthier options.
Many store-bought snack foods contain lots of hidden calories, which can contribute to
weight gain – a risk factor for several cancers as well as heart disease and
Type 2 diabetes.
The game uses Mars bars to show how many calories are found in common snacks.
Players may be surprised to learn that the amount of calories in different snack foods
can vary a lot.
Health workers can use the game to explain the concept of calorie density and to advise
on making healthier low-calorie food choices.
Where to play the game
Health workers can use this game with colleagues, patients and the general public at
health-related events, workshops and in consultations.
Explaining calorie density
All foods give us energy, which is measured in calories. Foods that contain a lot of calories
are known as calorie-dense foods because they provide more calories per gram than other
foods. These calorie-dense foods are often high in fat and/or added sugar.
For example, 100g of chocolate contains around 10 times more calories than 100g of
apple, even though they weigh the same.
• 100g of milk chocolate = 520 calories
• 100g of apples = 52 calories
Fat provides more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrate, so foods that contain
more fat will be higher in calories. You only need to eat a small amount of high calorie
foods to take in a lot of calories without feeling very full.
Eating too many high calorie foods can lead to weight gain, which is linked to several
types of cancer, such as bowel and ovarian cancers.
Foods that are lower in calories, like fruits and vegetables, tend to be lower in fat and
sugar, and high in fibre and water. This adds bulk to these foods, which makes them more
filling, so we are less likely to overeat and gain weight.
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK), 22 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HH
Tel: 020 7343 4200 Fax: 020 7343 4201 Email: [email protected] www.wcrf-uk.org
*WCRF (Trading) Ltd. (Registered Company No. 31000831) is wholly owned by World Cancer Research Fund UK
(Registered Charity No. 1000739) and trades only to raise funds for the objectives of the parent charity
© 2013 World Cancer Research Fund
Eating a diet based on lower calorie foods can help us to maintain a healthy weight.
They can also provide beneficial nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, which are
essential for good health.
Tips for making healthier choices
It is the weight of food in our stomachs that helps us to feel full, not the amount of
calories we eat.
A good example of this is a bag of banana chips, which contains 160 calories – similar to
two fresh bananas. Choosing a fresh banana over the banana chips will help you to eat
fewer calories and leave you feeling much fuller because it contains more fibre and water.
Encourage players to read food labels to see how many calories are in one portion of the
different snack foods. Explain that one packet may contain several portions.
Play the game
You will need:
•
•
•
•
1 whole Mars bar (51g), in wrapper
10 Mars bars (51g) cut into quarters and wrapped in cling film
Foods for calorie comparison (as shown on the answer card)
Answer card
Set-up:
• Place 4 quarters of a Mars bar next to the whole Mars bar to show that they are equal.
• Put the remaining quarters in a single pile.
• Lay out the other snack foods in front of the participants.
How to play the game:
• Ask the participants to show how many calories they think are found in each snack food
by guessing the equivalent in Mars bar quarters.
• Ask them to lay the estimated number of quarters next to each snack food. (Note: not
all pieces of Mars bar need to be used.)
• For example, if the participants think the food is high in calories, they can use several
pieces of Mars bars.
• Reveal the answers and compare them with the participants’ guesses.
Discussion points:
• Did the participants make any correct guesses?
• Do the participants eat any of those foods?
• Were there any ‘healthy’ foods that were higher in calories than participants expected?
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK), 22 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HH
Tel: 020 7343 4200 Fax: 020 7343 4201 Email: [email protected] www.wcrf-uk.org
*WCRF (Trading) Ltd. (Registered Company No. 31000831) is wholly owned by World Cancer Research Fund UK
(Registered Charity No. 1000739) and trades only to raise funds for the objectives of the parent charity
© 2013 World Cancer Research Fund
For more information visit wcrf-uk.org
Guess how many calories can
be found in each snack.
Game: Know your calories
Know your calories game - answers
PRODUCT
WEIGHT
RATIO TO MARS BAR
CALORIES
Cornish pasty
560 calories
(190g, Gregg’s Bakery)
(2.5 Mars)
Blueberry Muffin
447 calories
(125g, Costa Coffee)
(2 Mars)
Salt and vinegar
crisps
262 calories
(1 Mars)
(50g, McCoy’s)
‘Pret Bar’
279 calories
(65g, Pret-A-Manger)
(1.25 Mars)
Sweet and salt
popcorn
115 calories
(0.5 Mars)
(25g, Metcalfe’s)
Kit Kat
(two finger)
(21g, Nestle)
Dried banana
chips
107 calories
(0.5 Mars)
160 calories
(0.75 Mars)
(30g, Whitworth’s)
Strawberries
58 calories
(215g – about 18 strawberries!)
(0.25 Mars)