Calories and Kilocalories (kcal)
It's easy to get confused about calories and kilocalories since, in a nutrition context, values are actually given for the number of kilocalories in a food, but referred to simply as calories.
In scientific terms:
1000 calories = 1 kilocalorie = 1 kcal = the energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1kg of water by 1°C.
In nutrition terms:
ie. What you'll find on food packaging, calories = kilocalories and are used interchangeably.
In some instances food energy is measured in kilojoules - mostly by the scientific community - though some food packaging also gives kilojoule (kJ) values. 1 kilocalorie = 4.2 kilojoules.
Counting Calories
Most medical professionals agree that making sure that calories consumed are less than calories expended is the best way to lose weight - find out more about calorie counting.
How Many Calories Do You Need?
Daily calorie requirements vary from person to person - find out more about calorie intake
How to Burn More Calories
There are three ways the body burns calories - here's how you can make your body burn more calories
Calories in Popular Food
A browse through our mini calorie counters will give you an idea of how many calories there are in different types of food. Popular foods calorie counter
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