Weight Watchers assigns every food and beverage a SmartPoints value based on its calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein. By tracking your daily SmartPoints, Weight Watchers helps you stay within your personal daily calorie budget to promote healthy, sustainable weight loss. But if you’re accustomed to counting calories, you may be wondering how Weight Watchers points translate into calories. This article will explain how many calories are in 27 Weight Watchers points, the science behind the Weight Watchers points system, and provide point and calorie counts for common foods.
The Basics of Weight Watchers Points
Weight Watchers uses a proprietary formula to calculate every food’s SmartPoints value. The exact formula is not publicly available, but we know it takes into account the calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein in a serving of food. Foods higher in calories and unhealthy fats and sugars have higher SmartPoints values. Fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and other nutritious choices tend to have lower point values.
Here are some of the basics of the Weight Watchers points system:
– Every member is assigned a personalized daily SmartPoints budget based on factors like their gender, age, height, weight, and weight loss goals. The average daily budget is around 30 SmartPoints.
– Members can eat any foods they want as long as they stick within their daily budget. Nothing is off limits or strictly “good” or “bad.”
– Fruits and non-starchy vegetables have a SmartPoints value of zero and do not need to be tracked.
– Each member has an additional weekly SmartPoints budget that can be used flexibly for occasional treats or dining out. This helps prevent feelings of deprivation.
– Activity points (known as FitPoints) can be earned by exercising. They provide a calorie burn bonus that can be saved or traded in for extra SmartPoints.
Under this system, it doesn’t matter whether your daily SmartPoints come from broccoli or brownies, as long as you stick to your budget. But for those used to tracking calories, it can be helpful to understand how many calories are contained in Weight Watchers points.
How Many Calories Are in 27 Weight Watchers Points?
Most Weight Watchers experts estimate one SmartPoint is equivalent to about 50 calories for the average person. However, the exact calorie value of a point can vary based on your personal details used to set your daily budget.
For the typical member, 27 SmartPoints would translate to approximately:
27 SmartPoints x 50 calories per point = 1,350 calories
So for most people following the Weight Watchers system, 27 points is in the neighborhood of 1,350 calories.
However, the calorie value of a single SmartPoint is not a fixed number for everyone. For example, two people could each have a daily budget of 30 SmartPoints. But if one person has a higher calorie need to support their body composition and activity level, each of their SmartPoints may be worth 60 calories. The other person with a lower calorie need may have SmartPoints worth only 40 calories each.
That’s why the point-to-calorie conversion can vary from person to person. It also means that Weight Watchers does not publish a definitive calories per point guide. The app and program materials are designed to keep the focus on tracking points instead of calories.
But with an estimate of 50 calories per SmartPoint for the average member, a 27-point snack or meal would provide roughly one-fourth to one-third of a typical daily calorie intake on Weight Watchers.
Why Weight Watchers Uses Points Instead of Calories
Weight Watchers centers the program around points rather than calorie counting because SmartPoints are a more wholistic way to look at food and diet. Counting calories tends to encourage fixation on numbers without considering nutrition. It also doesn’t account for how filling or satisfying a food may be.
For example, 200 calories from a donut is treated the same as 200 calories from chicken and vegetables based on calories alone. But the donut provides empty carbs and sugar while the chicken and veggies include filling protein and valuable nutrients.
By converting all foods to SmartPoints, Weight Watchers guides you towards wiser meal choices. The donut would have a high point value due to its low nutrition. Meanwhile, the smart protein and produce choices would fit into your daily budget with points to spare.
Weight Watchers points also help address behavioral and psychological hurdles to weight loss. Studies show that tracking points is linked to:
- Lower calorie intake compared to tracking calories alone
- Feeling more satisfied and less deprived after meals
- Decreased feelings of hunger throughout the day
- Less obsession over food and numbers
- More weight lost over time
Participants also report that points set them up for success better than calories because:
- Points are simpler to track than calories
- The ability to earn FitPoints provides incentive to be active
- Flexibility in using weekly points helps satisfaction and sustainability when dining out
- Zero point foods like fruits and vegetables encourage healthy choices
For these behavioral reasons and more, SmartPoints goes beyond just calories to better predict weight loss success.
Point and Calorie Counts of Common Foods
To give a better sense of how Weight Watchers SmartPoints compare to calories, here is a table showing the points and estimated calorie values for some typical foods:
| Food | Weight Watchers Points | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Skinless chicken breast (3 oz) | 3 | 150 |
| Baked potato (medium) | 5 | 250 |
| Apple | 0 | 80 |
| Rice (1/2 cup) | 5 | 250 |
| Yogurt – plain nonfat (3/4 cup) | 2 | 100 |
| Salmon (3 oz) | 5 | 175 |
| Spaghetti (1 cup) | 10 | 500 |
| Chips (15-20 chips) | 13 | 650 |
| Broccoli (1 cup) | 0 | 30 |
As you can see, higher calorie and lower nutrition foods like chips and spaghetti have higher SmartPoints values. Lean protein, fruits, and vegetables are lower in points.
So while the values don’t align perfectly, in most cases higher calorie foods also mean higher SmartPoints. By making choices that stick to your daily and weekly points budgets, you will naturally reduce your calorie intake.
Should You Count Both Points and Calories?
Tracking both SmartPoints and calories is unnecessary and unlikely to improve your results. In fact, experts recommend focusing on one number system to avoid confusion. Most members will have the best experience and weight loss sticking to points alone.
However, some members may prefer to have a rough idea of the calories they are consuming for comparison’s sake. In that case, it is fine to do an occasional check of calories just out of curiosity using the 50 calories per point estimate. Apps like MyFitnessPal can help look up calorie counts.
But constantly double tracking points and calories will not provide significant benefit. Calorie burn from activity on Weight Watchers is also already accounted for with FitPoints. So for most people, sticking to daily and weekly SmartPoints is advised for simplicity and success.
Should You Eat All Your Points?
An area of debate for some Weight Watchers members is whether or not to eat all of their daily and weekly SmartPoints. Some reasons members may intentionally not use all of their points include:
- Accelerating weight loss results
- Saving points for a later day
- Feeling it encourages better food choices
- Personal preference
However, Weight Watchers experts note that eating all of your points as part of a balanced diet is linked to the greatest long-term success. Benefits of eating all of your daily and weekly SmartPoints include:
- Prevents feelings of deprivation that lead to overeating or bingeing later
- Allows enjoyment of a wide range of foods in moderation
- Keeps your metabolism humming
- Gives you energy for exercise
- Encourages you to make healthier choices to fill your points budget
Many members are surprised they still lose weight steadily when they eat all of their points. Saving points is often hard to sustain long-term.
The best approach is listening to your body. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. Some days you may come in under your budget, while other days you may need every single point. Your exact calorie and point needs can vary day to day. But overall, aiming to use your full daily and weekly SmartPoints allowance supports healthy, balanced eating without deprivation.
Tips for Tracking and Using Your Points
Here are some tips to get the most success out of counting and managing your SmartPoints:
- Track your points accurately and honestly for all foods and beverages.
- Weigh and measure portions for the most precision.
- Aim for at least 5 servings per day of fruits and veggies since they have zero points.
- Save some weekly points for dining out or social events to balance flexibility and indulgence.
- Take advantage of your FitPoints earned through activity for a little calorie burn bonus.
- Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time to hit your daily target.
- Get creative with how you spend your points. No foods are off limits!
- Focus on how satisfied eating certain foods makes you feel, not just the points.
- Look for ways to make favorite foods lower in points through simple swaps.
- Don’t stress if you go over your points now and then. Get back on track at your next meal.
Healthy Low Point Meal Ideas
To stay on your Weight Watchers target but still enjoy delicious food, here are some healthy, lower SmartPoints meal ideas using core zero points foods:
Breakfast:
- Egg white omelet with veggies and salsa
- Oatmeal made with nonfat milk, topped with fruit and nuts
- Protein smoothie with fat free milk, yogurt, and fruit
- Whole wheat toast with nut butter and sliced banana
- Greek yogurt parfait with berries and chia seeds
Lunch:
- Turkey burger with sautéed mushrooms on a lettuce wrap
- Mason jar salad with chopped veggies, chickpeas, chicken, and light dressing
- Veggie and hummus whole wheat wrap
- Tuna salad stuffed in a hollowed out tomato
- Zoodle pasta with shrimp in marinara sauce
Dinner:
- Sheet pan lemon herb chicken and vegetables
- Portobello burger on a whole grain bun with oven fries
- Fish tacos on corn tortillas with pico de gallo
- Spiralized zucchini noodles with meatballs and marinara
- Stuffed peppers with quinoa, black beans, salsa and avocado
Snacks:
- Apple slices with 1 ounce of cheddar cheese
- Whole grain crackers with hummus
- Celery with nut butter
- Greek yogurt with berries
- Energy or protein ball
Get creative mixing and matching zero point foods like fruits, veggies, eggs, chicken breast, fish, beans, nuts, healthy oils, etc. The possibilities are endless for building satisfying, lower SmartPoints meals.
The Weight Watchers Approach for Sustainable Results
At first glance, having a set “budget” of points to spend on food each day may seem restrictive. But once you embrace the Weight Watchers mindset, you realize points give you freedom and flexibility without having to meticulously count calories. The program is designed to help you transform your eating habits holistically, not just follow arbitrary nutrition rules.
Weight Watchers has helped millions of members lose weight because it works with human behavior and psychology, not against it. By filling your plate with nutritious foods that keep you feeling full and satisfied all day, tracking points becomes an empowering way to take control of your health.
So don’t get caught up in converting points to calories or vice versa. Trust the process and science behind SmartPoints. Consistently staying within your personalized daily and weekly points budget will lead to slimmer, healthier, and happier you over time.
Conclusion
While Weight Watchers SmartPoints do not translate exactly to calories, most experts suggest each point is around 50 calories for the average person. So for most members, 27 SmartPoints would equal approximately 1,350 calories.
This point-calorie estimate is not definitive due to personal factors that influence each member’s point budget. But it provides a helpful reference point for those familiar with calorie counting. Just remember that the Weight Watchers program is designed for tracking points only to encourage healthier, more mindful eating habits for weight loss.
