Which dinner is better for you? The dietitian shares photos of nearly identical meals, but one has nearly 300 CALORIES more than the other
- The dietitian shows how simple swaps can make a big difference in calorie intake
- Savina Rego shared a photo of nearly identical chicken and rice stir-fries
- She said adjusting ingredients can cut the dish from 750 to 460 calories
A dietitian has explained why adjusting your diet with simple food swaps can make a huge difference to your calorie intake.
Savina Rego – known as The Savvy Dietitian – shared a photo of her similar rice and vegetable stir-fries, but one has 290 calories more.
The Perth health expert said reducing the portion size of chicken and basmati rice, doubling the amount of vegetables, and making your own sauce can cut a dish from 750 to 460 calories.

can you spot the difference? A dietitian explained why tweaking your diet with simple food swaps can make a huge difference to your calorie intake (Photo: Two Different Versions of Chicken Stir-Fry)
The 750-calorie meal on the left has one and a half cups of basmati rice, 350 grams of chicken stir-fry, and half a cup of vegetables – all cooked with a pre-made bottle sauce.
While the 460-calorie meal on the right includes half a cup of basmati rice, 200 grams of chicken, a full cup of vegetables such as carrots, snow peas, red onion and bell pepper.
The stir-fry was cooked in a homemade sauce with soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger and garlic.
“ Sure there are some ingredient swaps you can throw into the mix with some understanding of label and nutrition reading, but it really comes down to your servings, ” Savina wrote on Instagram.
‘There is no such thing as a one size fits all approach to health and nutrition. The section that’s right for you depends on a number of different factors (age, gender, physical activity, medical conditions, etc.).
“The image highlights the importance of portion control for daily meals, especially if you are more sedentary, or if you live with a chronic condition.”


Savina Rego (pictured) said that by making just a few changes to the ingredients, such as reducing the portion size of chicken and basmati rice, doubling the amount of vegetables, and making your own sauce, can cut the dish from 750 to 460 calories
Savina said one of the most common requests she gets from her followers is to share “ healthy recipes. ”
The reality is that ‘healthy’ means something different to everyone for many different reasons. Healthy is subjective, ”she said.
The truth is, you don’t need a ‘healthy’ prescription. You can eat absolutely anything you want. The important thing is to actually consume it in the serving that works for you. ‘
Many praised her for sharing her comparisons, with one woman saying she now feels ‘fuller and less bloated’ after eating less rice, pasta and potatoes while eating more vegetables.