Why do most people in the UAE get their calories wrong

Walk into any gym in the UAE and you’ll hear it at least once:
“I don’t get it… I’m eating healthy, but nothing’s changing.”

Sound familiar?

Here’s the twist:

Most people in the UAE genuinely try to eat well but drastically miscalculate their calorie intake without realizing it. And it’s not because they’re careless. It’s because modern nutrition, with all its trends, bowls, buzzwords, and brunches, has become… well, confusing.

Despite the health awareness boom, the UAE still faces some of the highest obesity rates in the region. According to insights provided in an NIH article, 44.2% of adult women and 30.9% of adult men in the UAE live with obesity significantl above regional averages.

So the real question becomes:
How are so many well-intentioned “healthy eaters” still getting calories wrong?

Let’s break it down clearly and roll toward solutions that actually work.

Where most people miscalculate calories in the UAE

1. Healthy-looking food ≠ low-calorie food

One of the biggest traps is assuming that “clean” means “light.”

Take a simple salad:

Add dressing, nuts, avocado, cheese, croutons, and a generous “drizzle” of olive oil and suddenly you’re looking at a 600–800 calorie bowl wearing a halo. 

Smoothies, açai bowls, “protein pancakes,” café bowls, same story. Gorgeous, delicious, but sneaky. 

But at Delicut, we get it right. We make sure your calories match your goal while keeping every meal full of flavours.

2. Restaurant portions are supersized

The UAE is a foodie hub and the portion sizes prove it. Shawarma plates, biryanis, pasta bowls, mixed grills… they're usually built for big appetites, not for balanced daily intake.

Your body needs steady fuel, not the feast your plate is serving.

3. The weekend calorie creeping in

Brunch culture is practically a sport here. Add in karak chai, Arabic sweets, beach fries, and late-night outings, and one weekend can erase five disciplined weekdays without you even noticing.

4. The “I workout, so I can eat more” myth

Many believe training hard gives them a free pass to indulge. Here’s the truth: over 80% of fitness progress comes from nutrition, not workouts.

Even athletes don’t out-train their meals, they eat with purpose. The rest of us? We often estimate based on vibes, “this feels healthy,” “this looks fine” and that’s where calories slip through the cracks.

Metabolic & lifestyle factors that make calorie control harder

The UAE’s unique environment plays a role which is almost a global phenomena, this is even supported by an article by NIH:

High stress & poor sleep

These disrupt hunger hormones like ghrelin and insulin, making cravings stronger and control harder.

Sedentary indoor lifestyles

When it’s 45°C outside, most daily movement happens indoors, reducing calorie burn.

Fructose-heavy drinks & desserts

Fructose-heavy drinks increase hunger and fat storage differently and they’re everywhere.

All of this makes calorie control way harder than it looks.

Hidden calorie culprits sabotaging UAE diets

These are the sneaky players most readers don’t realise are derailing progress:

1. Sauces, oils, and “flavor boosts” in local cuisine

Garlic sauce, mandi ghee, biryani oil, laban drinks, heavy dressings, they’re all calorie-dense when served generously especially in takeout dishes.

2. Drinks with meal-sized calories

A single karak chai? 120–200 calories. A frappe or juice? 300+ calories without blinking. Liquid calories go down easy and disappear from memory even easier.

3. Under-eating during the day & overeating at night

This one is HUGE.

Most people in the UAE:

• Skip breakfast
• Eat something tiny for lunch
• Work like crazy
• Come home starving

So they overeat at night to “catch up.”

This leads to:

• Slower metabolism
• Cravings
• Bigger portions
• Poor sleep
• More fat storage
• A cycle that repeats itself

Your body basically goes into survival mode all day… then panic mode at night.

4. Overtrusting “healthy cafés”

Protein pancakes, smoothie bowls, grain bowls, they sound healthy, but without portion control, they often exceed fast-food calorie counts.

The real question: Why is it so hard to estimate calories accurately?

Here’s what actually makes calorie judgment tricky:

1. We underestimate calories- A LOT

Studies show people underestimate intake by 30–50%, and sometimes by 1,000 calories a day especially with ultra-processed or restaurant foods.

2. Emotional & social eating override hunger cues

Food here is celebration, comfort, stress relief not just fuel.

3. “Health halo” bias

If a food is perceived as “healthy,” people automatically assume it’s low-calorie.

4. We overestimate exercise burn

Most people burn fewer calories than they think but eat more because they feel they’ve earned it.

5. The perfectionist trap

If someone goes “off-plan,” they often stop tracking entirely then lose clarity on intake.

Combine all this with UAE hospitality, generous portions, and busy schedules, and it becomes clear:

This is why so many people feel stuck not because they lack discipline, but because they lack clarity.

Why doesn’t calorie counting work as well as people think?

Even the tools meant to help us are imperfect:

Inaccurate food labels

A U.S. based article by Business Insider suggests nutrition labels can be wrong 20%.

Variable absorption

Whole nuts vs. nut butters? The body absorbs calories differently.

Generic calculators

Fitness apps rely on population averages, overestimating calorie burn and are not unique to your metabolism. 

A quality-first approach works better with a meal plan

Experts like Professor Giles Yeo emphasize something important:

Calorie counting is informative but obsessing over exact numbers can be unhelpful.

What works sustainably?

• Prioritising whole foods
• Eating protein and fiber at every meal
• Being mindful of hunger cues
• Choosing meals that support your real lifestyle

Calories matter, but food quality shapes how your body responds to those calories. Hence, at Delicut, nailing both quality and calories isn’t just a checkbox, it’s what we’re truly great at, with help from our nutrition experts and top-tier chefs.

Understanding your true calorie needs

Let’s strip away the confusion.

Calories aren’t the enemy, they’re simply fuel.

Your ideal intake depends on four major factors outlined in Delicut’s nutrition meal plan guide:

• How active you are
• Your age and gender
• Your weight and body composition
• Your fitness goal

And here’s where goal-based eating becomes essential:

If your goal is fat loss

Healthline suggests you need a calorie deficit, not starvation. High-protein, moderate-carb meals help you stay full and maintain muscle.

If your goal is muscle gain

You need a calorie surplus, enough protein and carbs to support recovery. Skipping meals slows progress dramatically.

If your goal is weight maintenance

Balance is key. Your calories in should match calories out, with steady macros to keep digestion, energy, and performance smooth.

Delicut’s macro cheat sheet

Your body thrives with balanced macros:

• Protein: builds & repairs muscle
• Carbs: energy
• Fats: hormone & brain health

Your simplified guide:

• Fat loss: High protein, moderate carbs, lower fat

• Muscle gain: High protein, high carbs, moderate fat
• Maintenance: Balanced macros

In short, you don’t fail because you’re lazy, you fail because planning this daily is a full-time job. Delicut, on the other hand, makes it super convenient, almost like it enjoys taking on this full-time job for you with its goal-based meal plans.

Where Delicut quietly changes this game?

This is where the stress lifts. Delicut was built around one idea:

Make healthy eating ridiculously simple.

Every Delicut meal plan is:

• Calorie-controlled & macro-balanced
• Built for your goal (fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance)
• Portioned precisely, no hidden oils or surprise calories
• Rotated across 50+ dishes weekly
• Delivered flexibly for UAE lifestyles
• Auto-curated by AI if you forget to choose meals

Instead of obsessing, stressing, or estimating, you just… eat. While your meals stay aligned with your goals automatically.

Bringing it home: Calories don’t have to be complicated

Most people in the UAE get their calories wrong not because they’re trying to, but because the food environment is rich, fast, generous, and full of hidden caloric traps.

The fix isn’t perfection. It’s awareness + structure + consistency.

When you fuel in a way that matches your goals, your body finally gets the chance to respond. And when meals are portioned, balanced, and easy, like Delicut designs them, progress stops feeling like a battle and starts feeling like flow.

With the right meals backing you, your body will roll smoother, lighter, and stronger, one delicious bite at a time.