What Are the Weight Watchers Points for a Publix Cupcake?

Weight Watchers has been helping men and women lose weight since the 1960s. Unlike other weight loss plans, Weight Watchers does not tell you what to eat. Instead, Weight Watchers provides you with knowledge and tools to help make healthier food choices while still allowing you to eat some of your favorite sweet treats, like Publix brand cupcakes.

A woman is eating chocolate cupcakes. (Image: Eyecandy Images/Eyecandy Images/Getty Images)

How Weight Watchers Works

Instead of counting calories, Weight Watchers uses a point system, called PointsPlus, to help you track your intake and control portions. On the program, you are allowed to eat a specific number of points a day based on your current weight and weight loss goals. Foods are assigned points based on nutrient composition. Healthy low-calorie foods, like fruits and vegetables have very few points, 0 to 1, while sweet treats like Smart Ones Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae has 4 PointsPlus.

Calculating Points

Weight Watchers PointsPlus system determines a food's point value based on its protein, carbohydrate, fat and fiber content. The formula to determine PointsPlus is long and complicated. According to the Healthy Weight Forum, the PointsPlus formula is (16 X g of protein) + (19 x grams of carbohydrates) + (45 x grams of fat) - (14 x grams of fiber) = X, then X/175 = PointsPlus.

Points in Publix Cupcakes

Publix is a a privately owned supermarket with stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee. Like many other grocery stores, Publix offers a full line of bakery items, including cupcakes. One Publix cupcake contains 220 calories, 12 grams of total fat, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 gram of fiber and 0 gram of protein. Based on these numbers and the PointsPlus formula from the Healthy Weight Forum, one Publix cupcake contains 6 Weight Watchers PointsPlus.

Considerations

While the Weight Watchers program allows you to eat foods like Publix cupcakes, it costs you a lot more points and may be less filling than some other choices. In addition, food items like cupcakes, with their high sugar and fat content, offer very little nutritional value. It's okay to indulge in a sweet treat once in a while, but it shouldn't consistently replace food choices that offer greater nutritional value, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean sources of protein.