The caloric density of a food is the amount of energy it contains per unit of weight and volume (kcal/g). In other words, it is a measure of the amount of energy provided by a food relative to its size or weight.
When we eat, we provide our bodies with nutrients that our cells metabolize into energy. Carbohydrates, fats or lipids and proteins are the macronutrients that we can ingest into our body for energy purposes.
HOW TO KNOW THE CALORIE DENSITY OF A FOOD?
Nutrient-specific conversion factors are used to determine the energy or caloric density of foods:
Thus, the energy provided by foods depends on their content in carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, alcohol, fibers et polyalcools. It should be noted that lipids and alcohol provide more energy than the rest of the nutrients, so that the same quantity provides more Kcal.
WHAT IS ITS USE?
This is a nutritional quality index which can be useful in choosing our food, because it will allow us to prioritize larger foods so that they fill us up and nourish us more. And when can we be interested in this concept? When we need to lose weight to improve our quality of life.
If we take this aspect into account, we can choose foods that, as we eat them and the stomach fills up, activate a receiver series which send signals to the brain to inform it that we no longer need to eat.
This information processed by our brain gives us the feeling of satiety. When a food has a low caloric densityour stomach feels full with a lower amount of calories.
ENERGY DENSITY
The energy density The energy density of a food or diet depends not only on its macronutrient intake, but also on its water content. Foods with high water content have low caloric density, and those with high fiber content also reduce the energy density of the diet.
Here are examples comparing the caloric density of various foods that provide the same amount of energy, but are different in terms of volume and satiety.
According to British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), foods can be classified as follows based on this parameter:
- Foods with very low energy density: Ë‚0.6 kcal/g
- Low energy density foods: 0.6-1.5 kcal/g
- Foods with medium energy density: 1.5-4 kcal/g
- High energy density foods: >4 kcal/g
For the same Kcal, you can eat more or less of one or the other, depending on your goal: maintenance, weight loss or muscle mass gain.
The growing interest shown by consumers in recent years in controlling their energy intake has led a large number of food companies to design foods with low calorie density.
As this is not possible for natural foods, this applies to processed food products. To reduce the energy intake in the case of natural foods, it is advisable to avoid frying them. Instead, opt for cooking in the fourau grillin papillote and with a good quality oil.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT…
Energy intake varies considerably from person to person due to factors such as age, physical activity level, metabolism, and other individual factors. Therefore, the amount of calories a person needs to maintain a healthy weight may be very different from someone else’s.
Additionally, focusing only on measuring food can lead to a mindset of restrictive diet and to a unhealthy relationship with food. Instead of focusing on the amount of calories, it is important to pay attention to the nutritional quality of foods, eat a variety of healthy, balanced foods, and listen to the body’s hunger and satiety signals.