Understanding Food 101 - Calories
When it comes to food, it’s essential to recognize that it serves as both energy and the building blocks our bodies need to function. Whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, understanding food is crucial. While there are complex psychological and social factors involved in eating, let’s take a logical approach to understand how food impacts our bodies and how you can use that knowledge to reach your goals.
What Are Calories?
A calorie is a unit of energy that measures how much energy food contains. However, it’s important to note that the energy stored in food and the energy your body actually derives from it aren’t always the same. Generally, healthier foods require more energy to digest and metabolize, which can help you feel fuller longer while consuming fewer net calories.
Why do calorie-dense, “unhealthy” foods taste so good? Historically, when food was scarce, calorie-rich foods were vital for survival. Today, food is abundant, and many options are engineered to be highly palatable, making it essential to be intentional about your food choices.
This distinction between calories in and calories derived is why people often say, “Not all calories are created equal.” But scientifically, a calorie is just a measurement of energy—much like a kilometer is a measurement of distance. Whether you’re walking uphill or on flat ground, a kilometer remains the same distance.
Good Calories vs. Bad Calories
There is no universal definition of “good” or “bad” calories. Instead, think of foods as being on a spectrum from nutrient-dense to calorie-dense:
• Nutrient-Dense Foods: Provide essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients with relatively fewer calories. Examples include:
• Fruits and vegetables
• Legumes
• Whole grains
• Lean meats and eggs
• Calorie-Dense Foods: High in calories but often low in essential nutrients. These typically include:
• Processed and prepackaged junk foods
• Foods high in added sugars, fats, and oils
If about 90% of your diet comes from nutrient-dense foods, you’re likely to feel better and maintain a healthier weight.
How Many Calories Should You Consume?
Determining your ideal calorie intake is highly individual. Instead of focusing on an exact number, consider the advice of fitness expert Greg Glassman:
“Eat to support exercise, not body fat.”
This means you should consume enough to fuel your activities but not so much that you gain excess weight. If you’re more active, you’ll need more fuel. If you’re more sedentary, eat less.
Michael Pollan, a well-known food writer, puts it even more simply:
“Eat food. Not too much.”
Practical Tip: Monitor Your Weight
Weigh yourself consistently—once a week is a good starting point—to gauge if you’re eating the right amount:
• If your weight increases: Adjust by eating less.
• If your weight decreases: Adjust by eating more, unless weight loss is your goal.
By making small, incremental changes, you’ll be able to maintain or achieve your desired weight while fueling your body appropriately.
Understanding calories and how they impact your body is the foundation of achieving any health or fitness goal. Focus on eating nutrient-dense foods, monitor your intake relative to your activity level, and adjust as needed. Remember, it’s all about balance and consistency—not perfection.