Key Takeaways
- Most Americans surveyed believe two fried fish tacos contain fewer calories than a medium cheeseburger; in reality, fish tacos contain more (550 vs. 493 calories)
- Foods perceived as healthy by respondents are frequently underestimated: fish tacos contain 46g of carbs but people estimate 21g; avocados contain 3g of protein but people estimate 14g
- 78% of Americans surveyed in a 2025 survey report that food labels like “organic”, “low-fat” and “keto” influence their grocery choices, often based on health signaling rather than nutritional content
- 57% of people surveyed in a 2025 survey have avoided entire food groups based on media trends without considering nutritional value
When Americans estimate the nutritional content of food, accuracy varies dramatically based on one factor: whether the food is perceived as “healthy.”
This pattern makes sense. We’ve all been taught that certain foods make for “better” choices—fish over beef, salad over fries, avocado over butter. But the health reputation of a food doesn’t always align with its actual nutritional content, and that gap can make it harder to reach your goals.
The Pattern
MyFitnessPal’s 2026 Nutrition IQ Survey asked 1,000 Americans to estimate the nutritional content of common foods. The results reveal a consistent bias.
For foods perceived as healthy:
- Fish tacos: Contain 550 calories, but people estimate 440. Contain 46g of carbs, but people estimate 21g—less than half the actual amount.
- Avocados: Contain 3g of protein, but people estimate 14g. Contain 22g of fat, but people estimate 13g.
- Caesar salad: Contains 28g of fat, but people estimate 15g.
- Bananas: Contain 29g of carbs, but people estimate 13g.
For foods without a “health halo”:
- Cheeseburger: Contains 493 calories; people estimate 527. Contains 31g of protein; people estimate 20g.
The cheeseburger estimates aren’t perfect, but people actually overestimate its calories, assuming it’s higher than it is. Meanwhile, estimates for foods carrying health associations consistently skew in the opposite direction. When something signals ‘healthy,’ people tend to underestimate calories, fat, and carbs. And across the board, people overestimate protein content in most foods.
Why This Happens
These estimation patterns are a reflection of how we’ve learned to think about food.
According to our Food Bias Survey from 2025, 78% of Americans surveyed report that food labels like “organic,” “low-fat,” or “keto” influence their grocery choices. That influence doesn’t typically come from reading nutrition facts—it comes from the associations those labels carry.
Additionally, 73% report making food choices based on media, and 57% have avoided entire food groups based on media trends without actually considering nutritional value. Over time, these influences create mental shortcuts: fish equals light, avocado equals good fats, salad equals virtuous. These shortcuts can be helpful in some contexts, but they can also lead us to overlook the actual numbers.
The result is a pattern of underestimation. If you’re managing carbs and believe your fish tacos contain 21g when they actually contain 46g, you’ve consumed more than double your estimate. If you’re tracking protein and believe your avocado contains 14g when it contains 3g, you’re starting the day with an 11g gap you didn’t plan for.
The Consequences
These aren’t small errors. They’re consistent biases that compound over time.
Our Food Bias Survey from 2025 found that 70% of people report feeling guilty after eating foods commonly viewed as “unhealthy”—even when those foods might be perfectly reasonable choices in context.
It also creates practical problems. The disconnect may not be around commitment, rather it could be information accuracy.
The Solution
The good news is that this pattern is easier to address than it might seem. When you track your food, you get to see what it actually contains rather than relying on assumptions. A Caesar salad isn’t just “a salad”—it’s 360 calories, 28g of fat, and 18g of carbs. Fish tacos aren’t just “lighter than a burger”—they’re 550 calories with 46g of carbs.
This doesn’t mean you should avoid these foods. It means having accurate information so you can make informed decisions about how they fit your goals.
Over time, tracking may build more accurate intuition. You start to internalize what foods actually contain rather than what their reputation suggests. The gap between perception and reality narrows, and your estimates become more reliable.
The Takeaway
The healthy halo effect is a natural result of how we learn about food. When certain foods are consistently presented as “better” choices, it makes sense that we’d internalize those messages. But those messages don’t always reflect the complete nutritional picture.
The foods that carry health reputations aren’t necessarily wrong choices—they’re just not automatically the right fit for every goal or situation. What matters is having accurate information about what you’re eating so you can make decisions that actually serve what you’re working toward.
The solution is straightforward: track what you eat, pay attention to the numbers, and let accurate information guide your decisions as you work toward your goals.
Methodology: This article draws on data from two MyFitnessPal surveys:
- 2025 Food Bias Survey: 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18-64, conducted March 2025 Both samples were representative of U.S. Census by age and gender.
- 2026 Nutrition IQ Survey: 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18-64, conducted January 2026