How do you pay attention to calories in your food?
Let’s do a quick quiz – John was grocery shopping at the mall and he had to choose between 2 different brands of Greek yoghurt; one with a slightly higher calorie content than the other. He was very confused as to which one to choose.
If you were in John’s shoes, which of these three options would you choose and why?
A. Higher calories, because, why not?
B. Lower calories, because, the lower the better.
C. It depends
Keep your answer in mind. Let’s see if you would have a different opinion at the end of this article.
What Is A Calorie?
A calorie is a measure of the energy obtained from food. Just as you would measure a cup of baking soda in grams or a long road trip in kilometers, calories give us an idea of how much energy a serving of food contains.
As humans, we need energy (calories) for our bodies to function optimally. When we eat food, they are broken down to generate energy that is either used immediately by the body or saved for later use, depending on the body’s demands at the time. The more calories a food has, the more energy your body can use to drive to work, play with your kids, or dance at the club on a Friday night.
The human body cannot survive without calories. The cells in the body would die without energy. Organs like the heart and lungs would not be able to carry out the basic processes needed for living.
People would probably live healthy lives if they only consumed the number of calories required each day. Calorie intake that is either too low or too much will eventually cause health issues. That’s why you need to know your daily calorie requirement.
How Many Calories Should I Have In A Day?
Unfortunately, the correct answer to this question isn’t “as many calories as you want.”
Everybody doesn’t need the same amount of calories each day. People have different metabolism rates that determine how they burn energy, and some people have more active lifestyles than others.
An ideal daily intake of calories largely depends on several factors like – age, gender, height, weight, physical activity level, resting metabolic rate (the total number of calories burned when your body is completely at rest), and even genetics. Active people need more calories than those who live a moderately sedentary life and younger people need more than older people, whose metabolisms decline as they age.
For example, a physically active 28-year-old male athlete who is 6-foot-tall will require a considerably higher calorie intake than a sedentary 75-year-old woman who is about 5 feet in height.
It is necessary to know your daily energy requirement to avoid overeating or undereating, which can consequently lead to weight gain or unintentional weight loss.
Generally, the ideal recommended calorie intake for a healthy, middle-aged moderately active female ranges from 1800 to 2000 calories while that for a healthy, middle-aged moderately active male ranges from 2000 to 2500 calories daily.
You can use this Calorie Calculator to get your estimated daily calorie requirement. You will need a few details – your age, gender, height, weight, and physical activity level. This should not take more than 50 seconds, give it a try!
Is Tracking Calories Alone Harmful Or Beneficial?
Before we answer this question, we need to understand how calories are measured in food. As earlier established, humans need energy to survive and we get that energy from food. Calories in food are measured by the three main macronutrients (carbohydrate, fat, and protein; these are energy-giving nutrients) present in a meal using the Attwater factor. It is measured per gram of the macronutrient in any meal.
In simpler terms,
1g of protein = 4kcal
1g of Carbohydrates = 4kcal
1g of Fat = 9kcal
1g Alcohol = 7kcal
* N.B the unit of measurement for calories is “kcal”
Having established this, it is important to note that there is more to a meal than its calorie content. Is the calorie content of a meal important? Yes. Is that all there is to look out for in a meal to know how nourishing the meal is? No, not at all.
There are two major things to consider when selecting a meal: The energy density and the nutrient density of a meal. The energy density speaks of the calorie content while the nutrient density speaks of the minerals, vitamins, and fiber content of that meal; these two are not mutually exclusive. The fact that a meal is calorie-dense does not necessarily mean that it is unhealthy.
For instance, avocados are a relatively calorie-dense fruit compared to other fruits, yet they’re packed with micronutrients that are healthy for you. An average-sized avocado (100g without the seed) is about 160kcal, but also contains a significant amount of Mono-unsaturated fats (healthy fats), Potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Dietary Fiber, and Folate.
As important as knowing what the calorie content of a meal is, It is equally important to consider the nutritional benefits of that meal. Having the idea of the calorie content of a meal can be however beneficial especially if you want to focus on weight loss and weight gain.
Generally, to achieve weight loss or weight gain, a person should consume fewer or more calories respectively than they expend (amongst other factors). However, as mentioned above, the focus should not only be on the number of calories but also on how well this meal can nourish your body.
Here are some pointers to knowing a healthy, well-balanced meal:
- Does the meal contain whole-grain carbohydrates? (e.g. wheat bread, bulgur, Oats, Corn, etc).
- Does it contain healthy fats? (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which can be found in nuts and seeds, avocados, oily fish, and cooking oils like rapeseed oil, sunflower oils, etc).
- Does it contain protein? (meat, poultry, fish, egg, and dairy products).
- Does it contain fruits and vegetables, legumes, and cereals?
So, Is tracking calories alone harmful or beneficial? Well, it could be either. It could be harmful when there is an unhealthy obsession with every calorie that goes into your body and you do not get to enjoy a meal in all its glory. Having a calorie consciousness could potentially lead to an individual having an unhealthy relationship with food or developing an eating disorder.
On the other hand, it could be beneficial for a weight loss/gain journey and also for people who want to have a general understanding of portion control, and energy density.
Starting Your Healthy Eating Journey
By now, you’ve probably gained a better understanding of the question posed at the start of this article. So, going forward, when going grocery shopping, ordering food, or perhaps making a general food decision, the calorie content alone shouldn’t be the deciding factor when choosing a meal/meal item; instead, consider how nourishing that food is and have it in moderation.
If you’re currently subscribed or looking to subscribe to an Eden meal plan, this same principle can be applied during your meal selection process on the Eden app. At Eden, we follow nutrition principles that guide healthy eating during our menu curation process to ensure that our menu contains a variety of meals that cuts across all the food groups. All meals are carefully combined so that every bite is as nutritious as it is delicious.
More interestingly, the calorie information for all meals is available during meal selection on the Eden app. So, when you subscribe to an Eden Life meal plan, you get to see the amount of energy each meal you select can provide your body with. In addition to this, we are currently working on sharing more nutrition information for all our meals. You will now be able to view a breakdown of the key nutrients present in the meals as well as how much each contributes to your daily requirements.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be a chore. With accurate information and a variety of healthy meal options, you will be able to make better and healthier food choices, and this could be a great start to your healthy eating and lifestyle journey.
Subscribe to an Eden Life meal plan today and start tracking the calories in your food.