Calories are a terrible way to choose lunch
A 250-calorie salad that leaves you hungry at 4pm is not a win. Satiety, protein and fibre predict how your afternoon actually goes.
Dr. Maya Krishnan
Head of Nutrition
6 min read
I get asked for the lowest-calorie item on our menu several times a week. It is the wrong question, and answering it honestly usually surprises people.
The 4pm problem
A 250-calorie lunch that leaves you raiding the office biscuit tin at 4pm has, in practice, cost you more than a 480-calorie bowl that carries you to dinner. The daily total is what matters, and satiety is what determines it.
- Protein is the most satiating macronutrient per calorie, by a wide margin
- Fibre slows gastric emptying — 10g+ per meal makes a measurable difference
- Fat contributes to satiety but is calorie-dense, so it needs a portion ceiling
- Volume matters independently: your stomach has stretch receptors that report to your brain
“Choose the bowl that makes 4pm uneventful. That single decision will do more for your week than shaving 200 calories off lunch.”
How to read our menu instead
Look at protein first, fibre second, calories third. If a bowl clears 20g of protein and 8g of fibre, you can largely ignore the calorie figure — it will keep you full, and full is what keeps the rest of the day honest.
