Lets Talk “Empty Calories”

Many foods and beverages marketed today contain empty calories. These are the calories from saturated and trans fats, and added sugars as well. They are called “empty” calories because they contribute to caloric intake, but have little to none nutrient content.

Saturated & Trans Fats are the natural and artificial fats that become a solid at room temperature. Also these are the types of fats we should limit consumption of. Examples are fat from butter, meat, and shortening used for baking. Common sources of solid fats are most meats, cheese, and of course, pizza. 

Solid fats are commonly found in these popular food and beverage items.

Added sugars are the sugars that are added during processing of foods and beverages. They are added to complement the flavor, consistency, and texture of the food or beverage. Added sugars can be found in almost any food or beverage, so its important to check the nutrition label to see what it really contains. Common sources of added sugars are artificial sweetened juice, soda, breakfast cereals, and desserts.

Sugars are added to many foods and beverages, increasing the caloric content.

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In some foods and beverages,all the calories it contains are “empty calories”, known as empty calorie foods. As mentioned earlier, empty calorie foods can contain nutritional content to a small degree. Although, they may not be completely empty of nutritional value, the caloric amount tends to outweigh the amount of nutritional content.

This chart shows “foods with some empty calorie”s and “foods with few or no empty calories.” Use this as a guide to preparing and buying more nutritional dense foods for children!

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FOOD WITH SOME EMPTY CALORIES:	FOOD WITH FEW OR NO CALORIES:
Sweetened applesauce (contains added sugars)	Unsweetened applesauce
Regular ground beef (75% lean) (contains solid fats)	Extra lean ground beef (95% or more lean)
Fried chicken (contains solid fats from frying and skin)	Baked chicken breast without skin
Sugar-sweetened cereals (contain added sugars)	Unsweetened cereals
Whole milk (contains solid fats)	Fat-free milk

       (USDA, ChooseMyPlate.gov)

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Remember, its unhealthy to refer to certain foods as “good” or “bad”.  Keeping this mind, consuming empty calories in moderation is okay. Most people consume empty calories more than they should and not in moderation, which contributes to weight gain. 

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Just Think…making small healthier adjustments with what children consume will guide them to feeling and eating more nutritiously. Again, children are unlikely to notice the changes in the meals and will most likely not complain of it is healthier. Healthy food can be good food too!