What are empty calories?

Empty calories in food

The American Heritage College dictionary defines empty calories as “holding or containing nothing.” But this doesn't mean they're fat-free.

You can find empty calories in foods that contain a lot of sugar, like sodas, sports drinks, sugary cereals, cakes, etc. These calories provide little nutritional benefit.

Empty calories are also found in foods containing a lot of oil or fat, like fries, samoosas, or pies.

How much sugar is really in that drink?

Drinking empty calories is one of the easiest ways to gain weight. Here are a few reasons why...

• Coke and other sodas have around nine teaspoons of sugar per 350 ml can.

• Fruit drinks or iced teas have around 12 teaspoons of sugar per 350 ml bottle.

• ¼ Cup of pancake syrup contains around 10 teaspoons of sugar.

• A 280 ml bottled coffee drink contains around eight teaspoons of sugar.

To reduce the number of empty calories in your diet...

• Stick to fresh foods and produce as much as possible

• Drink more water

• Switch full cream milk to low-fat or fat-free milk

Recommended reading: Debunking water weight loss myths

1. Prev:What is the best diet out there?
2. Next:Why grapefruit is great for weight loss