SHAPE UP
Crunching numbers reveals why Twizzlers trip up M&Ms

By Charles Stuart Platkin

So what should you do?

You need to be alert, read food labels and think on your feet. But just in case you get into a jam, here are a few "choice" comparisons to move you along. You may be surprised to find out which are the better options.

Twizzlers vs. M&Ms

I don't know how many times I've heard people recommend Twizzlers candy when it comes to making more healthful choices. At first glance, Twizzlers appear to be the winner over M&Ms. After all, it is widely known that Twizzlers are low in fat. But did you know one Twizzlers stick contains between 23 and 24 calories, 0.1g fat, 5.4g carbs (unless you have the movie version, which is 30 calories)? Interestingly enough, each M&Ms contains about 4.5 calories, 0.2g fat, 0.6g carbs. If you compare one Twizzlers stick to five M&Ms (about 22.5 calories), calorically, the M&Ms are the better deal. However, if you compare package to package — because we usually eat the entire package — it's a toss-up in terms of calories, but the Twizzlers win because they have almost no fat.

• M&Ms (1.69 ounces): 240 calories, 10g fat, 34g carbs.
• Twizzlers (2.5 ounces): 230 calories, 1g fat, 54g carbs.

Chocolate shake vs. ice cream sundae

I know they both sound great, but if you had to choose one, which would it be? I thought the shake would be the bargain here. Boy, was I wrong. A Dairy Queen shake is consistently higher in calories, fat and carbs than its chocolate sundae. Who would have thought?

• Dairy Queen Chocolate Shake (medium): 760 calories, 20g fat, 129g carbs.
• Dairy Queen Chocolate Sundae (medium): 400 calories, 10g fat, 71g carbs.
• McDonald's Chocolate Triple Thick Shake (12 oz): 430 calories, 12g fat, 70g carbs.
• McDonald's Hot Fudge Sundae (6.3 ounces): 340 calories, 12g fat, 52g carbs.

French toast vs. Belgian waffle

Are you tired of egg-white omelets and want to indulge without blowing your whole diet? French toast and Belgian waffles are both high-calorie, high-fat breakfast choices, but a Belgian waffle wins by a landslide. One serving of Denny's French toast will cost you 1,146 calories, 71g fat, 104g carbs, BEFORE adding any syrup or butter. In contrast, a single Belgian waffle at Denny's without toppings contains 619 calories, 45g fat, 28g carbs.

Fried chicken vs. grilled barbecue ribs

No, I'm not going to tell you that fried chicken is a healthful choice — relax. But when it comes to fried chicken or grilled barbecue ribs, don't let the "grilled" fool you. The grilled baby back ribs at Chili's (with sauce) have 905 calories, 53g fat, 31g carbs. And that's not counting the fries and cinnamon apples that are served with the ribs, which bring the total to 1,574 calories, 82g fat, 125 carbs. Wow! You can have an extra-crispy chicken breast AND a drumstick from KFC for a whole lot less than that: 620 calories, 38g fat, 24g carbs.

Slim-fast vs. Yoo-hoo

This was a surprise. You'd think a diet shake (even if it's labeled as a meal replacement) would have fewer calories, but it doesn't. The winner calorie-wise is the Yoo-hoo drink, with 150 calories, 1g fat, 33g carbs for nine ounces. Yoo-hoo Lite, with only 70 calories, 1g fat, 15g carbs for 9 ounces, is a bargain. A can of Dark Chocolate Fudge Slim-Fast (about 11 ounces) comes in higher at 220 calories, 3g fat, 42g carbs. (In a package-to-package comparison, if you're buying Yoo-hoo at a convenience store, then Slim-Fast is a better deal because Yoo-hoo is sold as a single serving in 15.5-ounce bottles.) The only defense for Slim-Fast is that it's supposed to take the place of an entire meal.

'Healthy' vs. 'regular' frozen dinner

You can't assume that just because something is marked as "healthy" or "lean" that it's lower in calories and better for you — the bottom line is, always look at the nutrition facts panel on the food label. Take a look at Healthy Choice Mixed Grills Chicken with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce. Sounds great — hey, it's chicken and it's grilled — but it has 470 calories, 9g fat, 66g carbs (which, by the way, is not bad). But when you compare it to the heavy-sounding Stouffer's Lasagna with Meat and Sauce, you'll be surprised to find that the "healthier" option actually comes in 100 calories higher and almost double the carbs. The lasagna is 370 calories, 13g fat, 38g carbs. However, the Healthy Choice entrée does have 5 fewer grams of saturated fat than the Stouffer's. And look at the regular Banquet Turkey Meal — it has only 290 calories, 13g fat, 28g carbs. And that's not even a special "lean" or "light" option.

If you have any comparisons you would like to see analyzed in future columns, please send them to info@thedietdetective.com.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a syndicated health, nutrition and fitness columnist.