You’ve likely heard fitness experts terming some foods as empty calories. And they advise you to steer clear of these foods, telling you that they will ruin your progress But what are empty calories, and what makes them so? The term empty is a bit controversial. After all, all calories serve the goal of fueling your body with energy.

PS: If you missed my last article about what calories are, you can check it out here. It also delves into how many calories you should consume.

So, calories provide your body with fuel and are not essentially empty per se. And yet some people still believe in empty calories. Are they a myth? And if not, does this mean there are calories you should avoid in your weight loss journey?

What Are Empty Calories?

Let’s get straight to it. When you consume food, you fuel your body (hunger and taste aside), and you get this energy from the calories in the food. Calories can come from different sources:

• Proteins,
• Fats, and
• Carbs.

These are your macros (you’ve likely come across this term). Now, the nutrient composition of each food differs. For example, a large fried egg that weighs 50 grams has 75 calories. And its nutritional profile is as follows:

1. Fat – a total of 7 grams, with 0 grams of trans fats and 2 grams of saturated fats, and a cholesterol level of 184.5 mg,
2. Protein – 6 grams,
3. Carbohydrates – 0.4 grams, of which 0.2 grams are sugars.

Of course, you will also consider the micros such as sodium, potassium, vitamin C, and iron to get the whole picture. But you get the gist. An egg is nutritious and thus enables you to meet a significant portion of your dietary needs, regardless of if you want to lose, gain, or maintain weight.

How about homemade chocolate chip cookies? One cookie (weighing about 16 grams) will provide you with 78 calories with the following nutrient profile:

• Total fat – 4.5 grams, of which 2.3 grams are saturated fats with a cholesterol level of 11.2 mg,
• Total carbs – 9 grams, and
• Total protein – 0.9 grams.

And when you look at the micros, they are pretty minimal. For example, a homemade chocolate chip cookie has no vitamin C, calcium, vitamin D, or Cobamalin. Iron and magnesium are present but at only 2% values.

But why does this matter? Empty calories, also called discretionary calories, refer to foods we consume that have negligible nutritional benefits because they are filled with added sugar, trans fats, and saturated fats. So, the fats and sugars make the food tastier but have little to do with nutritional value. Assuming you are on a caloric deficit and need to consume only 1,500 calories a day, it would be best that you fill your day with nutrient-rich foods. Calories aside, the nutritional components in food play a vital role in your health. So, while you can still meet the 1,500 calories with pizzas, burgers, and cookies, your health would suffer as you would lose out on some key micro and macronutrients.

Should You Cut Off Empty Calories? Are they Dangerous?

The main issue with empty calories is that they offer negligible nutritional value. So, while you might meet your caloric needs, you would end up undernourished. And if you are training with a goal, e.g., muscle gain, the empty calories would set you back. Moreover, they usually pave the way for the following issues:

1. Gut disturbances: When you are not eating a balanced diet, your gut suffers, and you soon start experiencing gastrointestinal complications like bloating and constipation,
2. Fatigue: Did you know that high caloric foods can induce food comas? That’s because your body must convert the carbs into sugar that enters the bloodstream and wreaks havoc in such large amounts. That’s why you might feel energetic at one point only to feel worn out even if you haven’t done anything else all day,
3. Lack of satiety: Empty calories are not fibre rich and are thus not filling. So, you end up feeling hungry minutes after consuming the foods which can, unfortunately, push you to eat past your caloric needs,
4. Poor performance: When your body lacks energy due to the slump that accrues from a spike in blood sugar, you find it hard to go about your day. Even with enough sleep, you still feel tired, and
5. Interrupted sleep: Despite being tired, you may find it hard to sleep because your sleep pattern highly depends on your diet. Did you know that magnesium helps you sleep better? Most processed foods don’t contain this and other vital nutrients essential to your sleep schedule.

High consumption of empty calories also puts you at risk of chronic inflammation, predisposing you to some lifestyle diseases.

How Many of These Calories Should You Consume?

Okay, it’s clear that too many empty calories are bad for you. The keyword here is too many. So, let’s find our limit. After all, empty calories taste great, and what would the point of life be if we had to make do with mundane foods and never have a piece of cake? The key is to balance the good and the not-so-good. And here’s a guide based on USDA standards:

• Children between 2 and 8 years: Fewer than 120 calories a day,
• Children between 9 and 13 years: Anything from 120 to 250 calories a day,
• Females aged 14 and above: Anything from 120 to 250 calories a day,
• Males aged 14 and above: Anything from 160 to 330 calories a day.

Please note that these averages are based on a standard diet. So, your needs may be closer to the lower or upper limits. For example, a female aged 35 trying to lose weight may need to only consume 120 empty calories, while one trying to build muscle may get away with 200 empty calories. The number of empty calories you consume will thus correlate with the number of calories you should consume in a day. Remember that the empty calories will be an addition to your meals after you have met your recommended caloric intake based on your health and fitness goals.

Which Foods Have Empty Calories?

You are likely consuming empty calories without knowing it. But from what?

1. Foods rich in processed carbs, e.g., cakes, donuts, muffins, granola bars, cookies, and biscuits,
2. Foods rich in added sugar, like fruit juices, energy drinks, sodas, milkshakes,
3. Candy,
4. Alcohol,
5. Fast foods like fries, wraps, pizza, burgers,
6. Condiments like ketchup and barbecue sauces,
7. Processed meats like hotdogs, sausages, and bacon,
8. Processed oils like canola oil and soybean, and
9. Some dairy products like butter, ice cream, and shortening.

So, while you may not be eating biscuits, you may be consuming more than 500 empty calories from your favorite condiments and oils. Empty calories hide in plain sight and places you may not even think you can find them, making it so hard to know when you are overboard. According to this research, an average male adult consumes over 900 empty calories daily while a female adult consumes more than 600 empty calories in one day!

Is this shocking? Not quite – most people don’t even know that the butter on their bread or the barbecue sauce can affect their health and fitness goals.

How to Avoid Empty Calories

We can agree that the total elimination of empty calories is not sustainable, and it would only set you up for failure. But a high consumption is just as bad as it predisposes you to countless health conditions. How do you find the balance to stick to the recommended empty calories intake?

1. Don’t drink your calories – avoid sweetened drinks like shakes, colas, and more,
2. Eat more fruits and veggies to fill up on fiber, so you feel fuller for longer. They are also low in calories with high nutritional composition,
3. Eat more complex carbs as these are more nutritious and have more fiber to sustain your energy levels,
4. Avoid fried foods and instead choose baked, boiled, steamed, or grilled foods, and
5. Use fewer condiments on your foods and opt to use natural spices in your food instead. You can also make your dips to avoid consuming foods high in empty calories.

Most importantly, do not skip breakfast. Once you have reached your dietary goals, you can fill up with an empty-calorie snack or food. E.g., if you have consumed your macros in 1700 calories and are on a 1900-calorie diet, you can consume 200 calories in snacks.

NEED MORE HELP WITH EMPTY CALORIES?

Check out this guide if you want to jumpstart your weight loss journey with a 28-day metabolism plan that integrates empty and filling calories. And if you want a consultation on how to lower your empty calorie intake, you can reach me via dee@deemanded.com or drop a contact form. Also, I am on Instagram and constantly checking my DMs. Find me here.