Is Hello Panda Healthy? (3 Tips for Weight Loss)

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Packaged in an iconic hexagonal box with the cutest panda logo ever, Hello Panda is one of the most popular Asian snacks that has gained the attention of several people here in the states.

With a unique panda playing a sport on each cookie, these delicious chocolate biscuit snacks are the perfect go-to treat.

Even though Hello Panda is absolutely delicious, is Hello Panda considered healthy? 

Hello Panda contains a high amount of fats and carbohydrates making this not the ideal snack to eat when trying to lose weight.

This treat is very calorically dense for such a small bag of cookies, and can easily lead to overeating and thus hinder your weight loss goals.

However, just because Hello Panda is not the best food to eat when dieting, this does not mean you can not enjoy this snack!

In this article, we will be discussing three great tips that will help you understand more about the nutrition behind Hello Panda and how to enjoy this sweet snack while still losing weight:

Tip 1: Understand how many calories are in Hello Panda

Tip 2: Eat Hello Panda in moderation

Tip 3: Make sure to exercise when eating Hello Panda 

Let’s get started!

Tip 1: Understand How Many Calories are in Hello Panda

Just like other very popular Meiji snacks, Hello Panda is made to be a convenient and bite-size product that is appealing to people of all ages.

In this section, we will be going over the nutritional information for Hello Panda and why it is important to understand. 

For every box of Hello Panda cookies (60 grams), there are around 310 calories with 17 grams of fat, 37 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of protein.

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As you can see, Hello Panda is a high-calorie snack that has a lot of fat and excess carbohydrates that makes this not the ideal food to eat regularly. 

The reason why we want to avoid foods that are high in calories and fat like Hello Panda is that this can easily put you in a calorie surplus which makes it impossible to lose weight.

On top of that, foods that have a lot of sugar and carbohydrates rarely make you full and can quickly make you hungry again.

So how exactly do you figure out whether or not you’re eating too much?

The most important thing to remember is that the only way to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit or consume less than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

Your TDEE is essentially the amount of calories that you burn throughout the day and is composed of: 

  • Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): The number of calories you burn at rest (when you’re just sitting there and not doing anything) 

  • Calories Burned From Activity: The number of calories you burn when doing any physical activity (i.e. walking, running, sports, washing dishes) 

  • Thermic Effect of Food: The number of calories you burn when you are eating and digesting food 

You may now be wondering, how do you figure out your TDEE? This is very simple!

All you have to do is go onto any credible fitness website, like Bodybuilding.com or NASM, and find their calorie calculator.

By putting in your sex, height, weight, and activity level, this calculator can help you generate an approximate number that is your TDEE.

Once you know your TDEE, to be in a calorie deficit, aim to eat around 300-500 calories less than your TDEE every single day.

Although you may not see results in the first couple of days, or maybe even the first week, it’s essential to trust the process and stay consistent. Weigh yourself every single day, at the same time to get the most accurate results. 

My favorite way to track how many calories I am eating every day is by using MyFitnessPal, which allows you to easily input your food into a journal and help you calculate how many calories you are eating throughout the day.

Remember that everyone’s body is unique, and the TDEE calculator is simply an estimate.

If you still do not see any results within around two weeks, try lowering your calorie intake by around 150-250 calories and observe the results.

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Drink plenty of water throughout the process, and don’t forget to stay patient and consistent. 


Tip 2: Eat Hello Panda in Moderation

Now that you have a good idea of the nutritional value behind Hello Panda, you know it is not the ideal food to eat when trying to lose weight.

But just like we promised, this does not mean you can not eat Hello Panda when going on a diet! It is all about portion sizing and maintaining a deficit. 

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For every small bag of Hello Panda (21 grams) there are around 110 calories with 6 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbohydrates, and 1 gram of protein.


This is significantly fewer calories compared to the larger bag and is a perfect, low-calorie sweet treat that is easily incorporable into your diet. 

If you are really craving Hello Panda, I highly recommend just purchasing the smaller bag that contains only a few of these cookie snacks.

By buying a smaller bag, this prevents you from overeating and snacking on these delicious sweet treats. 

This also applies to other snacks that you like to eat!

If you really enjoy eating food, like chips, people think that buying a family pack and only eating a couple is the same as eating a small bag.

In reality, this makes it more difficult for you to control, and 10 pieces of chips quickly become half the family bag. 

Even though Hello Panda is not the healthiest food, eating a couple of your cravings is perfectly fine.

In fact, it is ideal for you to incorporate some of your favorite foods into your daily intake because this makes them easier to maintain in the long run. 

Remember, consistency and sustainability are key, and if you can not sustain your weight loss diet for a long time, this can make it very difficult to see lasting results. 

Tip 3: Make Sure to Exercise When Eating Hello Panda 

Nutrition is the most important factor that goes into weight loss, but exercise can be a great supplement or tool to help you reach your goals more successfully.

It is really hard to “work off” a bad diet, so do not rely on running or the gym to help fix a calorie surplus. 

However, exercising is a great way to stay healthy, it helps with stress levels, and is better for you in the long run.

To help complement your weight loss journey, I recommend increasing your calories burned from activity. 

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Try to get at least 10,000 steps every single day by getting in a morning walk, going for an evening hike, or doing more chores throughout the day.

Increasing your daily exercise can have a profound impact and can help you really get those extra calories burned off to make your weight loss journey even more successful. 

For every mile that you walk or run, you are burning approximately 100 calories.

By walking or running around 3 miles every single day, you are burning an extra 300 calories that you would not have had and can put you in a bigger surplus!

Choose your favorite form of cardiovascular activity to keep you active and moving so that you can maintain a calorie deficit and a strong cardiovascular system.

That way, you can still enjoy your favorite foods, like Hello Panda, and get your ideal physique!

Weight loss should not be a painful and unbearable process, but a maintainable lifestyle that pushes you to be a healthier and stronger person. 

Conclusion 

Remember, although nutrition is a huge factor that influences weight loss, it is important to pair this journey with exercise as well.

Especially strength training.

Several years of research on the benefits of weight training have shown that individuals that do some sort of consistent resistance training at least 3-5 times a week have shown not only a great amount of weight loss but are also able to keep the weight off! 

The secret to this phenomenon is that strength training leads to a build-up of muscle.

Not only does your body recomposition into a more fitting and athletic-looking aesthetic, but having more muscle also increases your resting metabolic rate which essentially means you burn more calories at rest! 

Now that we know the importance of muscle we need to make sure we stay on track with our workouts.

Consistency and longevity are the two key factors when building muscle so there will be some commitment involved.

We understand that not everyone has access to a gym membership or feels comfortable starting off in such an intimidating environment.

Although I would strongly recommend that everyone should get a gym membership, don’t worry we got your back!

You can either go to the gym or build one for yourself. It really just comes down to 3 pieces of equipment that you need to do most workouts.

These three are the workout bench, dumbbells, and gym flooring. Check out our recommended gear page to see our best picks for these pieces of equipment here. 

https://www.aspirefitnesswalnut.com/home-workout-equipment

If a home gym is not for you then getting a membership somewhere works too. As long as you are starting your muscle-building journey, we’re happy! 


The Asian Weight Loss Cookbook

The 15 Fat Burning Meals Cookbook features our favorite recipes that you can use to get closer to your fitness goals.

Become your own personal trainer with the guidance of this book and make this the year you achieve your insurmountable fitness goals.


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PHILLIP PAK

Phillip Pak is a fitness expert who has been training clients for 6 years. Throughout his fitness journey, Phill has done it all when it comes to diet and nutrition. He is now the owner of Aspire Fitness Walnut where his main goal is to help those who are seeking to find the best version of themselves. Phillip is also a NASM Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC) and a NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT).