Calories

[PHILBERT]

I was checking out a Powerbar today and it said "230 calories" and then "Calories from fat: 20". Well, were the other 210 calories empty calories? What does this mean by "Empty Calories" and "Calories from fat" vs "Calories"? Just wondering `cause I don't get the calories thing.

[Silumkid]

No, the other calories were probably from the rice, flavoring and whatever else they are putting into Powerbars these days. Protein provides calories, carbs are calories, fat is calories. There is no such thing as "empty calories" in the way it seems you are thinking of them. "Empty calories" is a term that is generally used for foods that have little to no nutritional value such as sugar.

So don't worry....those calories aren't appearing out of nowhere. It's just another labeling thing they have to do.

[SevenStar]

1 gram of fat has 9 calories. carbs are 4 calories per gram as are proteins. I think they put "calories from fat" on things mainly for the calorie counters. It's faster than trying to deduct it from looking at how many grams of fat it has.

"calories" is the total caloric content of the item.
"calories from fat" is how many of those calories come from fat.
an empty calorie describes a calorie with no real benefits, like those found in table sugar and beer (alcohol in general).