How do you count calories?

ShrinkingShawna

I supposed I could have googled this, but I thought this might be an interesting topic so I posted it here. How do they know how many calories are in a certain food? What is the process of finding out the nutritional value in a food?

Snotori

Well most foods have the calorie count and nutritional value on the box, bag, or whatever it comes in and the rest (i.e. fruits) you can find online or look in the library on MFP and most is there.

loumaag

Well, most of the entries here on MFP are pretty close, some are right on; however, there are several, including those entered by the staff, that are just wrong. They may have been right at one time, but things change. So, whenever I go to a new food here, I check it with the box/package or I check the NDL/FNIC database. You can start that search here:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov

ShrinkingShawna

That's not what I meant, I know it's on the box. What I meant was, what is the process of finding that information out? Who determines the numbers to put on the box and how do they do it?

ashbee03

That's not what I meant, I know it's on the box. What I meant was, what is the process of finding that information out? Who determines the numbers to put on the box and how do they do it?

this is a good question.

Treesy72

They put said food in a type of incinerator, it tracks how it burns and counts the calories or energy it releases. I watched it on a documentary a long time ago.

3laine75

calories are units of energy (even heating fuel is measured this way) - think they are measured by burning - scientists do it.