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Many modern foods and drinks contain empty calories. These are calories that come from foods with little to no nutritional value.
Learning about how to recognize empty calories can help a person make more healthful food choices.
This article looks at what empty calories are, which foods and drinks contain them, and how to eat for better nutritional value.
Foods and drinks that contain no significant nutrients but are high in calories are said to have “empty calories.” These are mainly foods and drinks that have a high sugar, fat, or alcohol content, but little or no other nutritional value.
Empty calories are those that come fromTrusted Source added sugars and solid fats, as well as some processed oils. These include:
Research from 2012 found that male adults ate an average of 923 empty calories per day. For females, the average intake of empty calories was 624 calories per day.
The added fats and sugars make these empty calories taste good, which can cause people to crave them.
There are 4 calories per gram in sugar, 9 calories per gram in fats, and 7 calories per gram in pure alcohol.
Consuming a lot of foods and drinks with empty calories can lead to weight gain and nutritional deficiencies. For example, a person eating lots of empty calories may not get enough:
An older study, from 2010, found that around 40%Trusted Source of the total calories that children aged 2–18 in the United States consume are empty calories.
Half of those empty calories come from just six different product types:
Parents and caregivers do not need to rule out whole milk, however, as it can be a good source of calcium and protein. StudiesTrusted Source have found that whole milk does not increase the risk of obesity in children.
The recent implementation of updated nutrition standards for school meals has significantly improved the quality of meals and their consistency with the Dietary Guidelines For Americans, according to a 2020 reviewTrusted Source.
Looking to eat a healthy diet? You’ve probably heard that you shouldn’t fill up on empty calories.
Many of the packaged foods you’ll find at the grocery store contain empty calories. This means they have little nutritional value. Instead, they give your body mostly solid fats and added sugars, which can lead to weight gain and nutritional deficiencies.
Here’s more about how you can find foods with the best nutrition to fuel your day.
To figure out which foods contain empty calories, you need to read labels. What you’re looking for are solid fats and added sugars.
Solid fats are fats that stay solid even at room temperature. They include things like butter and shortening.
Added sugars are sugars, often syrups, that are added to foods as they’re processed. These ingredients can make food taste good — very good, in fact.
The problem is that even if a food tastes great, it may not give your body what it needs to thrive.
“Empty” literally means “containing nothing.” When it comes to food, empty means that that food contains little or no essential vitamins or minerals. In other words, these foods provide nothing of value to your body beyond calories that create excess pounds.
Still not sure if you’re eating too many empty calories? Take a look around your local grocery store. Many of the foods with empty calories are found in the center aisles of the store. They’re often packaged foods that have been processed in facilities that add sugar and fat. Learn the best ways to stop eating junk food.
“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.”
Overeating any type of food can, of course, be unhealthy over time, but overeating foods that provide no health benefits…well, there can be implications.
“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,” says Ramirez.
Add to that the fact that empty calories, specifically sugars, are very quickly digested by your body, which means they don’t help you feel full for very 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,” adds Ramirez.
Then there’s the issue of food cravings. You know the ones — when you’re thirsty but the only thing you want to drink is a big glass of sweet tea. Or when you’re hungry and that bag of Doritos in your pantry is the only thing that sounds good.
“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.
Lastly, eating empty calories in excess can lead to blood sugar spikes and increase inflammation — which, in turn, can lead to chronic health issues like diabetes and heart disease.
Given our fast-paced lives and the style of diet common today, avoiding empty calories is certainly easier said than done. But, Ramirez has tips for swapping those foods full of empty calories for healthier alternatives:
“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,” adds Ramirez.
You probably have empty calories in your pantry right now. The United States Department of Agriculture explains that some empty calories in your diet are OK. How much exactly? Moderation is key. Try limiting yourself to 75 calories or fewer of these foods per day. At the very least, you may want to start eating these foods less often, like once a week, or in smaller portions.
You may also try swapping empty calories for healthier choices:
Making smart — and tasty — swaps can also help you fill up on nutrients and satisfy your cravings. For example, you may love the taste of a strawberry milkshake. This food contains both solid fat and added sugar. To get a similar indulgence, consider switching to a fruit smoothie made with healthy ingredients.
This strawberry-banana milkshake recipe contains just 200 calories per serving. It also boasts 7 grams of protein, 7 grams of dietary fiber, and only 1 gram of fat. While it does contain 18 grams of sugars, they come from a natural source versus being added with syrups.
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