When I first saw the word “empty” calorie, I thought it was something that did not have…calories. Food items that I could consume without guilt. Of course, this is not possible.
“All foods contain calories, and all calories are either used by your body for immediate energy, stored away as glycogen as a source of future energy or turned into fat — depending on how many calories you eat during a period of time,” According to Leslie Ramirez, clinical dietitian at Houston Methodist. “Foods can be very low in calories, such as certain vegetables and fruits, but, aside from water and artificial sweeteners, nothing you eat is completely calorie-free.”
In the event that there aren’t calorie-free calories, What exactly do “empty calories” mean exactly?
What exactly is an empty calorie?
There’s more to food than the calories in it.
Yes, we require these calories (which the body converts into energy) for survival. However, the complete foods that comprise a wholesome diet — which includes proteins, non-starchy carbohydrates, and fiber as well as nutritious fats can provide more health benefits than just energy.
“Vegetables include important vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs to function. Lean meats and fish are great sources of protein, which is important for your body’s repair, growth and development processes. Fiber helps control your blood sugar levels, promote a sense of fullness and encourage normal bowel movements. And healthy fats help your body absorb certain vitamins and also promote a sense of fullness,” Ramirez explains. Ramirez.
Foods that are mostly empty calories, in contrast? In simple terms, these are foods with calories, but that’s all they are.
“Empty calories can provide some immediate energy, but they can’t be used to build muscle, supply vitamins, promote a sense of fullness or provide any other nutritional benefits,” says Ramirez. “And any empty calories not used for energy will be stored as fat.”
Five food items that are mostly empty calories
In general, when a food item doesn’t contain nutrients, as well as if calories of fats and sugars are greater than the nutritional value of that food product, it’s deemed to be empty calories.
The beverages and food items that are mostly empty calories include:
- Drinks like soft drinks and sports drinks, lemonade, sweet tea, and energy drinks
- Alcohol
- Fast food and junk food
- Candy, which includes hard candy and chews that are sweet or sour
- Donuts and cakes
What is it that makes empty calories unfit?
“One of the big problems with empty calories is that oftentimes they’re consumed in excess without a person even knowing it,” warns Ramirez. “They’re not just found in the obvious places, like desserts. Empty calories are also hiding in everyday foods, like drinks, breakfast items, snacks and condiments. I often refer to empty calories as stealth calories.”
Consuming too much of any food will, naturally, become unhealthy as time passes, but eating food items that don’t offer any health benefits…well, there are consequences.
“Just by virtue of the types of foods they’re found in, when you’re eating empty calories, you’re typically eating a lot of them. This can easily derail weight loss or cause weight gain,” Ramirez says. Ramirez.
In addition, consider too that the reality that unneeded calories, especially sugars, are extremely quickly digested by the body, so they don’t aid in feeling full for long.
“Eating foods that don’t help you feel full is an easy way to consume more calories per day than you’re body actually needs — which leads to weight gain. If all you need is a quick energy boost and you eat a few empty calories, that’s one thing. But this often isn’t how we consume these types of foods,” says Ramirez.
There’s also the issue of cravings for food. The ones you know that occur when you’re thirsty, but all you want to consume is a large glass of sugary tea. Also, when you’re hungry, and that bag of Doritos you have in your pantry is all that sounds delicious. (Related: Are Your Taste Buds Sabotaging You From Eating Healthier?)
“Food cravings may be rooted in your brain becoming addicted to these highly rewarding foods. But, if you’re eating mostly empty calories, these cravings might also be your body asking for food that actually provides the important nutrients you need to survive, which empty calories neglect to provide you. Regardless of the reason, these cravings also encourage overeating and weight gain,” warns Ramirez.
Additionally, eating unwholesome calories too often could cause blood sugar spikes and also increase inflammation, which could cause chronic health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
Take this and not the empty calorie edition.
With our hectic lifestyles and the way of eating prevalent today, eliminating empty calories is definitely more difficult to achieve than it is. However, Ramirez has tips for switching those meals that are packed with calories healthier options:
- Consider rethinking the drink you are drinking. Liquid empty calories are among the most discreet. A single 12 oz. can of soda has nearly 40 grams of sugar added. While a drink for sports can aid in replenishing electrolytes following a strenuous workout, you may not be able to use the entire bottle. Try switching your sugary drink to non-sweetened sparkling waters as well as the healthier version of your favorite soda.
- Find out how much sugar is excessive. Small amounts of added sugars (less than 10 percent of your calories) are acceptable, but the majority of children and adults are over this threshold. As per the CDC, the sugars added to your diet account for 16% of total daily calories for girls and boys on average.
- Be familiar with reading labeling. Empty calories are often hidden in plain sight. This means that you might have to be in the habit of reading the nutrition label, even for food items that you consider healthy. The new titles for food make it easier to determine if sugar was added to the product. Under the total amount of sugar, you should look out for an that indicates the amount of added sugar. A nutrition information label is an essential element to make sure you’re the one serving size.
- Enjoy taking your time cooking slow and food prep. Eating mostly processed foods can be a way to eat too much of empty calories. Cooking at home can be an excellent option and an opportunity to make sure that your meals are more nutritious overall. If you’re running short of time during the evening, you can try cooking in the slow cooker. If you’re running short of time during lunch, you can try cooking your meals easy, healthy meals in advance.
- Beware of drinking too much alcohol. Limiting alcohol is an essential aspect of an active lifestyle. It’s also a great way to limit the amount of calories you consume. There aren’t any beneficial calories in alcohol. Each gram of alcohol contains seven calories.
“We want the majority of what we eat to not only provide the calories we need for energy, but also the nutrients, vitamins and minerals we need to survive. This means it’s important to focus on whole foods and try to avoid overdoing it on processed or empty calories,” says Ramirez.
