This week I went into Costa Coffee and was met with a big advert of their brand new “Latte+” range. It’s a brand new Vegan range offering a Protein Latte option, Lattes with additional vitamins and minerals. WOW. You might be thinking. How amazing – a healthy range of delicious Lattes at Costa.
All the good words:
⚫ Protein
⚫ Vegan
⚫ Vitamins
⚫ Minerals
⚫ “Latte Plus”
This is AWESOME! We can now drink Lattes totally guilt free! The world is a much better place right?
Through my research into this, I even found that Veganfoodandliving.com quoted this to be…
“The most innovative drinks range yet”
Costa have STEPPED UP!!!
**EYE ROLL**
Deep down I already knew how this was going to pan out…but I went through the motions anyway.
I’m a total geek when it comes to nutrition, I LOVE comparing “healthy” products with it’s less healthy alternative. I long for the day that I am actually shocked by a product being an actual healthier alternative.
Big companies pay alot of money to other companies to help with their marketing. It isnt a shock that big corporate companies are jumping on the health band wagon with the current situation. The health and fitness industry is about to BOOM and everyone wants a bit.
Those buzz words ringing in everyone’s ears…
⚫ Protein
⚫ Vegan
⚫ Vitamins
⚫ Minerals
When we see them we assume “healthy”. We accept what we are being told and we buy the product and feel better about ourselves for it.
So, how on earth have Costa come up with such an “innovative range of drinks?”
Well they haven’t.
I am going to take the Protein Latte as an example:
Protein content:
Standard Medium Latte: 11.4g
Soya Milk Medium Latte: 10.8g
Medium Protein Latte: 7.5g
No I haven’t made a mistake. The PROTEIN LATTE that Costa are advertising has alot less protein in it than its standard latte. And its more money.
Riddle me this: How is it ok for massive companies to pick on peoples vulnerabilities and make money from it? In 2021, how is it ok that as a nation we are allowing this to happen?
This isn’t just about them charging more money for something that isnt right. This goes far deeper. These companies are telling people it’s ok to eat these products guilt free because that’s the way they are marketed. You won’t even realise you are being brainwashed, you will just accept it and won’t look any further into it.
Take someone who might treat themselves to a Latte once a week because they are trying to lose weight and they know a Latte is more calories. Now they are being told this new range is out and it must be healthy because it has all those amazing buzz words on it. They start having them every day instead – putting themselves in a 150 cal surplus every day and now not losing weight. Will they look at that latte and realise what’s happened? Probably not. Will they blame themselves, feel rubbish and like a failure… probably.
By buying into all these products, we are allowing companies to mislead us and play on the vulnerabilities of those people who struggle to truley understand what is needed to reach their goals.
Another example:
SLIMFAST.
A successful weight loss company, selling its products for 43 YEARS! Thats alot of products sold in alot of years. Theyve grown a very respected business which people buy in to. When it was established, the thought processes were probably right, but in 2021 is it right for big companies to be marketing in this way still?
I don’t think it is.
This is a typical Slimfast snack. 95 cals. Anything less than 100 cals draws people in. Great marketing.
But what if we compared this to a standard Mars Bars. And what if I told you that you’d be better off buying Mars Bars and cutting it in half.
SURELY NOT???
These are 26g and a Mars is 51g in weight.
It’s a Mars Bar chopped in half.
Without going into the detail of the ingredients, it’s full of sugar. You aren’t eating anything better in this product than if you are a Mars Bar.
There isn’t anything of nutritional substance there at all.
These contain 16g sugar. A Mars contains 33g sugar.
It’s literally half a fucking Mars Bar!
These are 6 for £3.00.
A Mars Bar sells for 60p on a average. So if you buy 3 Mars and chop them in half youre eating the same product (With a better taste) and saving £1.20
Slimfast works by encouraging a calorie controlled diet which is what will help you lose weight. I understand that and I know people have had great success on it and thats fab.
But we are in 2021 now, surely this is about the ingredients we are eating as well? We need to learn to fuel our bodies right, not just eat a smaller amount of the shit food. These people should be wanted to teach people what it means to lead a healthy lifestyle – not make money by selling into peoples vulnerabilities again.
Big companies should be on board with this now and should be using REAL ingredients and encouraging people to eat well. Slim fast know exactly what they are doing and they know that just because it says the words SLIMFAST on the product people instantly make the assumption that it is healthy. And it certainly isnt.
“Healthy” and “calorie controlled” can be 2 totally different things.
Learn about the food you’re eating and look after yourself! I promise youll thank yourself for taking the time and knowing what ingredients you are fuelling your body with! The difference in your results and energy levels will be clear.
PLOT TWIST
Flipping it the other way round, here is a little nugget of information for you.
Did you know a Big Mac at McDonalds contains just under 30g Protein?
Makes you look at a Big Mac in a slightly different way doesn’t it?
A Zinger Burger at KFC is over 30g protein.
Do you see how powerful that word is. You can justify yourself eating a Big Mac or a KFC even more just because I’ve told you it’s a high protein food. And that’s with you knowing that it’s certainly not a healthy choice.
This is the power those buzz words have on us.
ONE FINAL MOAN
My final example is quite a general one.
The word: VEGAN.
It’s been a buzz word in the health and fitness industry for a few years now and there is a huge misconception that all Vegan food is healthy.
When I do nutritional plans with Nude Food, I hear examples like this all the time…
“I had a pizza but it was a vegan one so it was alright”
“We ate out the other night, but I had Vegan so I was good”
People are justifying what they are eating by choosing the Vegan option because they think its automatically the healthy choice.
IT ABSOLUTLY ISN’T!
Yes there are some very healthy vegan options. As there are healthy meat options. But we wouldn’t eat a normal burger and think it was the healthiest options. So why do we do it with Vegan food?
Marketing.
Just because it is Vegan does not make it a healthier option.
Just because it says “Protein” does not mean that its made of air.
We need to stop buying into these corporate organisations. They don’t care about your health and wellness, they care about making money and they dont care if they manipulate with marketing tactics in order to get there.
If you want a Mars Bar – eat a Mars Bar. You absolutely DO NOT need to justify what you eat by spending more money on a product and convincing yourself it’s doing you some good. It isn’t.
If you want a protein snack because that’s what you want and you know what you are eating… that’s fine. But don’t be conned into spending more money on something that isn’t all its pretending to be.
Save your money and look after your own wellbeing.
As I’ve said a million times: LEARN the basics of nutrition and take control!
❤❤❤
Kellie x
Coach Kellie 