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Let’s understand calorie density

We have a choice to fill our nutritional needs at any given time of the day. The three main meals can impact our health in a much bigger way than we think it does. All food contains calories. Right?

So what is a calorie?

A calorie is a measure of the energy contained in food. The calories are then used for all activities we perform throughout the day. It can be physical workout, manual labor, even fidgeting or any other activity. Hence the food we eat is a fuel source that gives us that energy to perform daily activities.

 

Calories come in 3 different forms namely carbohydrate, fat and protein. If we consume more energy than we expend, what do you think happens? Our body will store excess energy in the form of fat ( that is how humans evolved when there wasn’t food available at all times) Drawing from that need to store fat for safeguarding energy for the future, we got inclined towards high calorie dense foods. What does that mean in daily context?

 

Let’s understand this with an example, different types of food contain vastly different amounts of calories relative to their weights. So for example, if you take a pound of lettuce and compare it to one pound of cheese, the cheese is more calorie dense.

 

Well, our ancestors – hundreds and thousands of years ago didn’t have cheese to consume but they certainly ate wild nuts over wild greens whenever they could get it. And in those times, an occasional piece of meat could have been a choice. ( it was a survival need of the time)

 

Let’s look at some foods that contains 200 calories- 

# a full plate of mixed vegetables (4 cups approx.)

# one very big baked sweet potato

# a small bow, (1 cup) bean soup

# four chicken nuggets

# two tablespoons of olive oil

 

Which of these above listed foods will fill you up better and give you energy for a longer period? Of course the 2 tbsp of olive oil will get into your stomach and occupy a tiny cranny, leaving you hungry and wanting more food to fill your hunger. This is how caloric density means and you can work around making wiser choices if you have a health goal such as weight loss.

 

Today, we have more than enough food available at just a finger click. We are not eating less or fewer times. Instead, we are eating more of the wrong foods all the time. The food most population in the developing and developed world consumes regularly are highly unprocessed and nutrient depleted. Like our ancestors, we are seeking high caloric dense foods but in a completely new era where the high caloric dense foods are also the main risk factors to all chronic diseases. Foods like breakfast cereals, chips, cookies, donuts, fried foods have become a norm & as a race our world global population is facing sky rocketing rate of obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart diseases.

 

So let’s conclude that the food we fill our shopping carts with every week are most times caloric dense. They have more calories per pound. So if you simply want to reduce your caloric density of foods, opt for more fresh and whole foods which includes fresh fruits and vegetables. Consuming these on a daily basis will not only keep your caloric intake low but will also lead to longevity and a reduced risk of chronic diseases.

 

 

Disclaimer: Nurture Yourself is not in any way responsible for your health condition now and in future. The information given on our website is based on our experience and knowledge acquired from various books and literature. This does not in any way recommends you to disregard your physicians or other medical professionals advice or suggestion. 

 

Write to us if you would like to learn more about a certain topic or more Whole Food Plant Based recipes.

 

 

Also check our latest blog recipe Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe.