Women's World

What are Calories?

We get energy from the food we eat. This energy obtained from food is known as Food Energy and it is measured in either Calories or Joules. The food we eat consists of both Caloric and Non-Caloric components.

Caloric Food Components

Caloric Components react with the oxygen in the cells of living bodies and release energy. Some of these energy releasing components are Carbohydrates, Fat, Proteins, Fiber, Alcohol, Organic Acids, Polyols etc. Out of these, major chunk of Food Calories come from Fat, Alcohol, Carbohydrates and Proteins. Foods with Fat and Ethanol (Alcohol) release the greatest amount of energy. Hence, such food items should be limited to limit the intake of calories.

Non Caloric Food Items

These food components do not release energy unlike Caloric Components. Eg: Water, Vitamins, Caffeine, Spices, Natural Flavors, Minerals

Food Energy in Food Components

1. Fat – 9 Kcal/g
2. Ethanol – 7 Kcal/g
3. Proteins – 4 Kcal/g
4. Carbohydrates – 4 Kcal/g
5. Organic acids – 3 Kcal/g
6. Fibre – 2 Kcal/g

Reducing Calorie Intake

In order to reduce the calorie intake and remain healthy, we need to avoid food items rich in Fat, Alcohol, Carbohydrates and Proteins. Low Calorie Foods are those which contain fewer calories per gram. Vegetables fall at the lowest end of this list since vegetables have least calories. The only exceptions are Potatoes and Sweet Corn which contain more calories. After vegetables, fruits come next in the list with fewer calories per serving. Fruits and Vegetables contain zero fat except for Avocado which contains significant amount of Fat. Limit the intake of food rich in Carbohydrates like Pasta, Noodles, Rice, Spaghetti and so on. Also keep an eye on all kinds of meat like Chicken, Beef, Pork etc since these are high in calories.

You need to incorporate more food items from the Low Calorie Food List into your daily diet. Most of us tend to eat more of food high in carbohydrates and fat, thus consuming surplus calories than needed by the human body. You can go through the List of Food Items High in Fat and Low in Fat. You can read more about the Different Types of Fat  in Food and the ways in which fatty foods cause health problems. Consider an ideal pasta dish. It will contain almost half a plate of pasta and half a plate of meat/sea food whereas vegetables may be less than 1/4th of a plate. For a healthier alternative with fewer calories, the same pasta dish should contain 1/2 plate of vegetables, 1/4th of pasta and 1/4th of meat/seafood. This is just an example. Similarly, for every meal, you need to increase Low Calorie Food and decrease High Calorie Food Items. To reduce the calorie intake, change your eating habits. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Reduce your portions to limit your calorie intake.

Counting your Calories

If you are Obese or Overweight, it is high time that you start reading labels and counting Calories to know what you eat. Maintain a personal Food Journal and enter everything you eat into it. To reduce your extra pounds, start eating fewer calories at every meal. If you were consuming 2500 calories a day, reduce it to 2000 calories for a few weeks. Then decrease it to 1600 calories and so on. The Change in your Diet should be gradual and should not harm your body in any way. Stop snacking in between as it will add your calorie consumption significantly. Even if you are hungry, choose a healthier snack like Fruits or Vegetables.

List of Low Calorie Foods

1. Orange, Nectarine, Tangerine
2. Watermelon, Honeydew Melon
3. Cantaloupe
4. Strawberries
5. Plum
6. Pineapple
7. Peach
8. Grapefruit
9. Tomato
10. Onion
11. Lettuce
12. Cabbage
13. Cucumber
14. Celery
15. Carrot
16. Broccoli
17. Bell Pepper
18. Asparagus
19. Green beans
20. Cauliflower
21. Radish
22. Mushrooms
23. Blue Crab
24. Cod
25. Clams
26. Flounder/Sole
27. Haddock
28. Lobster
29. Oysters
30. Pollock
31. Tilapia
32. Rockfish
33. Shrimp
34. Ocean Perch
35. Halibut
36. Swordfish
37. Egg White
38. Skim Milk
39. Oats
40. Lentils
41. Tofu

Fruits with More Calories

1. Cherries
2. Kiwi
3. Banana
4. Grapes
5. Apple
6. Avocado
7. Pear

Vegetables with More Calories

1. Potato
2. Sweet Potato
3. Sweet Corn

Fish with More Calories

1. Tuna
2. Scallops
3. Salmon
4. Rainbow Trout

Related posts:

1. Fat Information in Food
2. List of Low Fat Foods