kcal vs. cal PLEASE HELP!

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  • mjones6599
    mjones6599 Posts: 129
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  • mjones6599
    mjones6599 Posts: 129
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    As an American I insist that my food energy be measured in BTUs.

    Alternately I could live with electron volts, just for the amusement factor. I can't eat that doughnut! It's 9E16 GeV!

    LMAO!!!
  • mjones6599
    mjones6599 Posts: 129
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    Kcal stands for kilocalorie, which equals 1000 calories. Those are scientific terms. The Calorie that applies to food is actually a kilocalorie. So from a food standpoint, it's the same thing.

    1 kilocalorie = 1000 calories = 1 Calorie

    ^^This is correct. We mainly use the Calorie for simplicity. People would FREAK OUT if they knew the apple they just ate was 30,000 kilocalories, or that Big Mac was 600,000 kilocalories!!! (Instead of 30 and 600 Calories respectively)

    But (eV), the electron Volt (slapping my hand on my knee) That's genius!! I can imagine widespread confusion!
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    As an American I insist that my food energy be measured in BTUs.

    British Thermal Units ? Shome mishtake, shurely ?

    Ironic, ain't it?
  • Carina_85
    Carina_85 Posts: 4 Member
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    Wow! I have literally wondered this all of my life. Not enough curiousity to actually google it just in case I was x1000 out on my calories all the time. But it has always been a wonder.

    I must say I'm relieved to find out they are one and the same :smile:
  • lean712
    lean712 Posts: 2
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    There is no different...1 kcal = 1,000 and 1 cal = 1,000
  • bobbler123
    bobbler123 Posts: 1
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    So if it says 100kcal on the box it means 100,000calories right!? Given that 1kcal = 1000calories = 1Calorie!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,984 Member
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    This is why it should be measured in joules!
    I am so sick of the Kcal Illuminati.
    You're just a shill for the Big Metricists obviously.
    ...and if Canada is on the metric system, why is it still using Calories on nutrition labels? hmmmm...

    Good question, that does seem odd.

    Australia is on the metric system and food labels, and food information ( like the food boards at Mcdonalds etc) is in kilo joules.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    This is why it should be measured in joules!
    I am so sick of the Kcal Illuminati.
    You're just a shill for the Big Metricists obviously.
    ...and if Canada is on the metric system, why is it still using Calories on nutrition labels? hmmmm...

    Because we Canadians believe in diversity and are all accepting - Honestly the metric system was introduced when I was in grade school and it would probably confuse the majority of our population if everything was converted totally to the metric system. Half of my cookbooks are in imperial measures :indifferent:
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    So if it says 100kcal on the box it means 100,000calories right!? Given that 1kcal = 1000calories = 1Calorie!

    I believe that

    kcal = 1 calorie
    Kcal = 1000 calories

    the difference is the upper and lower case
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    This is why it should be measured in joules!
    I am so sick of the Kcal Illuminati.
    You're just a shill for the Big Metricists obviously.
    ...and if Canada is on the metric system, why is it still using Calories on nutrition labels? hmmmm...

    Because we Canadians believe in diversity and are all accepting - Honestly the metric system was introduced when I was in grade school and it would probably confuse the majority of our population if everything was converted totally to the metric system. Half of my cookbooks are in imperial measures :indifferent:
    Oh I know, I was being facetious. I was in high school for the switch so I grew up with both. I still mix them.
    Worse was trade school. I had to write the electricians test in metric, but the industry, being next to the American elephant was still using imperial. 10' pieces of pipe, 4" couplings etc. But the electrical code was in metric. Straps 500 mm away etc.
    I still think I'm 5'-7" tall and weigh 170 lbs, but I buy 250 g of sliced ham and 355 ml cans of beer.
    My car gets 25 miles to the gallon but gas is $1.20 per litre and it's 250 km to the cottage. It's really cold, 20 C below zero, but soon we'll be complaining cause it's almost 100 F in August. :wink:
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    This is why it should be measured in joules!
    I am so sick of the Kcal Illuminati.
    You're just a shill for the Big Metricists obviously.
    ...and if Canada is on the metric system, why is it still using Calories on nutrition labels? hmmmm...

    Because we Canadians believe in diversity and are all accepting - Honestly the metric system was introduced when I was in grade school and it would probably confuse the majority of our population if everything was converted totally to the metric system. Half of my cookbooks are in imperial measures :indifferent:
    Oh I know, I was being facetious. I was in high school for the switch so I grew up with both. I still mix them.
    Worse was trade school. I had to write the electricians test in metric, but the industry, being next to the American elephant was still using imperial. 10' pieces of pipe, 4" couplings etc. But the electrical code was in metric. Straps 500 mm away etc.
    I still think I'm 5'-7" tall and weigh 170 lbs, but I buy 250 g of sliced ham and 355 ml cans of beer.
    My car gets 25 miles to the gallon but gas is $1.20 per litre and it's 250 km to the cottage. It's really cold, 20 C below zero, but soon we'll be complaining cause it's almost 100 F in August. :wink:
    :drinker:

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