CALORIES
The words diet and nutrition are always closely followed by the term calorie or calories. It is a word that is associated with every bite we take and present in all of our foods, but what exactly does it mean?
To give it its true definition a calorie is the energy required to raise 1g of water by 1°C at a specified temperature.
The table below displays gram for gram how many calories are present in each of the macro nutrients
|
Calories per gram |
Kcal |
KJ |
|
Protein |
4 |
17 |
|
Fat |
9 |
37 |
|
Carbohydrate |
3.75 |
16 |
|
Alcohol |
7 |
29 |
Fat has more than twice the amount of calories gram for gram than protein or carbohydrates. Foods that are high in fat tend to be low in fibre and not filling, so we eat more of these than high carbohydrate foods. This raises the calorie intake even further. Most of us should aim to eat at least 25g less fat each day