What are Calories?

Calorie is used to measure the amount of energy that a food contains. Three macronutrients; Fats, Carbohydrates and Proteins are a source of Calories. The richest source of calories is Fats.

What are Empty calories?

Have you ever come across the term empty calories? Empty calories are the calories that are found in solid fats and added sugars in beverages and foods. If you are wondering what solid fats and added sugar are, here is what it is. Solid fats are those fats which are solid at room temperature, some common sources solid fat are butter and beef. Solid fats can be found in foods naturally or can be added in processed foods. Added sugar on the other hand is the sugar which is added in foods and beverages to improve their taste.

Foods that are a source of Empty calories just increase the total amount of calorie intake and do not provide any Vitamins or Minerals. This means that these calories do not provide any beneficial nutrient, they just aid in adding a couple of inches to your waistline! This is why they are called Empty calories, since they provide no nutrients!

Foods that contain empty calories do provide energy, but have very few or almost no health benefits. Instead Empty calories can even rob the body off the nutrients it already has, leading to deficiencies. One common problem that you will face when you consume food rich in Empty calories is that, you will not be able to satisfy your hunger! No matter how much you eat, you just don’t feel satisfied and you will end up eating more than you want to.
Hence, if you are a fitness enthusiast, this is one food item that you want to avoid! You should opt for healthier food such as whole grain bread which helps in weight management. Or eat foods that are a source of good fats, fiber, mineral and vitamins. 

Empty Calorie Food Sources

We often come across certain food items that may look amazing and tempting, but are a source of empty calories; you should limit the consumption of these foods! Here is a list of foods that are a source of Empty calories.

• Cakes
• Cookies
• Pastries
• Donuts
• Sodas
• Energy Drinks
• Pizza
• Cheese
• Ice cream
• Fruit Drinks
• Sausages
• Bacon
• Ribs
• French Fries
• Jam
• Potato Chips

This is a list of foods that is part of our daily diet or we consume these foods every now and then. Some of these foods such as Cheese may have some benefits, but excess consumption can be harmful and can lead to weight gain.

Conclusion

As consumers, our biggest mistake is that we don’t think it is necessary to read the list of ingredients in a product before buying it. We should be well informed about everything that the food we buy contains! This way we can be sure that the food we are eating is healthy. Try and avoid or limit the consumption of food that contains empty calories since they lead to weight gain.