Not All Calories Are The Same

May 6, 2009

It’s no secret that eating excess calories leads to weight gain, but do you really know what a calorie is?  A calorie is a measurement of energy (specifically heat energy).

One calorie is the energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.

Every food you eat has a calorie value associated with it however not all calories provide the same health benefit to our bodies.

• Nutrient-dense calories are packed full of nutrients, they have a high nutrient/calorie ratio
  A great example of a nutrient-dense food is strawberries.  One cup of strawberries contains only 150 calories and less than 1g fat, but is packed with 3.5g fiber, a massive 86mg of vitamin C and 26.9mcg of folate.
• Empty calories have very few nutrients, they have a low nutrient/calorie ratio
  Compare nutrient-dense strawberries with Oreo cookies where one serving (3 cookies) contains 160 calories, 7g fat, 1g fiber, no vitamin C, and no significant amounts of your daily nutrient requirements.

In the examples above, both are roughly 150 calories and require the same amount of exercise to burn but the strawberries are much more nutritious for your body.

It’s also worth noting that empty calorie foods typically have much higher calorie content for the same volume of nutrient-dense food.  In other words, the amount (volume) of food in 1 portion of strawberries is greater than 1 portion of Oreo cookies.  (See Servings and Portions for more information on portion sizes.)

Put simply, you have to eat more of the empty calorie foods to get full, therefore you will consume more calories, and you will get fewer nutrients.

Examples of nutrient-dense foods:

• Fruit
• Whole grains and legumes
• Vegetables
• Lean meat, eggs, and poultry
• Low-fat dairy
• Seafood

Empty calorie foods to avoid:

• Soft drinks
• Candy
• Chips
• Baked goods
• Ice cream

Nutrient-dense foods are better for you, they are more filling, and they will help you lose or maintain your weight.  Your health is largely determined by the foods you eat — I hope you will keep nutrient-density in mind on your next trip to the grocery store.

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