What Do 200 Calories Look Like?

Sometimes we find out that our sense of what an amount is has nothing to do with the actual reality of the amount. This typically happens when the amounts are presented in alternative units. For instance, the Bubba Gulp project, part of the Value Meal: Design and (over)Eating exhibit, does this by collecting a person’s annual intake of corn syrup and presenting it in a huge barrel. You might not blink an eye at 8 gallons—after all, that’s less than a tank of gas—but seeing a barrel that’s as big as you are certainly changes our perception of the units!

Wisegeek.com has a page up in which they compare 200 calories across various types of food.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average adult needs to consume about 2000 – 2500 calories to maintain their weight. In other words, you have a fixed amount of calories to “spend” each day; based on the following pictures, which would you eat?

Some of the food options include: ketchup, grapes, celery, peanut butter, hot dogs, and gummy bears. Educational, and some nice photos!