kcal vs. cal PLEASE HELP!

MandaLen13
MandaLen13 Posts: 151 Member
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
Can anybody tell me what the difference is between kcal and regular calories? and how can I convert kcal into cal?
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Replies

  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    here's a link to a google search:
    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=converting+kcal+to+cal&aq=f&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=
  • mrau719
    mrau719 Posts: 288 Member
    1 kcal is the same as 1 calorie with a lowercase "c" 1 Calorie with an uppercase "C" is equal to 1000 cals (or 1000 kcals)
  • yeahfatty
    yeahfatty Posts: 228 Member
    isn't it the same thing..?

    i mean kcal is short for kalorier .. atleast in my world (the danish one) .. & calories is the english word.

    if it's not .. i'm in huge trouble! :(
  • airycha
    airycha Posts: 135 Member
    the way food is labled 1 kcal is 1 cal
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    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
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    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.
    i was getting scared there for a minute...lol...
  • MandaLen13
    MandaLen13 Posts: 151 Member
    isn't it the same thing..?

    i mean kcal is short for kalorier .. atleast in my world (the danish one) .. & calories is the english word.

    if it's not .. i'm in huge trouble! :(

    I am an American living in Germany and everything here is measured in kcal, so I just didnt understand if maybe the measurement was off slightly from the American calorie. I think now that I read more that it is the same measurement. Just two different names. Thanks everybody for the help! :)
  • yeahfatty
    yeahfatty Posts: 228 Member
    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.
    i was getting scared there for a minute...lol...

    me too! phew crisis averted. :D
  • statia152
    statia152 Posts: 558
    From what I remember from Biology, a Kcal is 1,000 calories. Food packages go with regular calories, not Kcals. But it's been a long time since college, so I would google the formula to be sure.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    1 kcal is the same as 1 calorie with a lowercase "c" 1 Calorie with an uppercase "C" is equal to 1000 cals (or 1000 kcals)

    You're reversed, Calorie is the food term, and calorie is the scientific measurement.
  • cheryls1020
    cheryls1020 Posts: 1 Member
    Just bought a heart monitor that shows calories burned. Shows as kcals.
    Do I need to convert to calories to keep my counting accurate?
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    no
  • TaintedVampyre
    TaintedVampyre Posts: 1,428 Member
    If this were true, I'd be morbidly obese.
  • Of_Monsters_and_Meat
    Of_Monsters_and_Meat Posts: 1,022 Member
    This is why it should be measured in joules!
    I am so sick of the Kcal Illuminati.
  • lisaabenjamin
    lisaabenjamin Posts: 665 Member
    This is why it should be measured in joules!
    I am so sick of the Kcal Illuminati.

    As a scientist, I kind of agree. But no-one in the real world really knows what a joule is, whereas they do vaguely understand what a calorie is, so I guess we're stuck with calories.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    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...
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    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!
  • mbeuchert24
    mbeuchert24 Posts: 204 Member
    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.
    i was getting scared there for a minute...lol...

    I know right?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    As an American I insist that my food energy be measured in BTUs.

    British Thermal Units ? Shome mishtake, shurely ?
  • Bagelsan
    Bagelsan Posts: 49
    Little "c" calories aren't technically food calories; we measure food in kcal or big "C" Calories, because an adult human needs a lot of energy to live and writing out all the little "c" calories we need would be a pain. If we were truly eating little "c" calories we'd need about 2,000,000 cal each day ie. 2,000 food kcal!
  • mjones6599
    mjones6599 Posts: 129
    /
  • mjones6599
    mjones6599 Posts: 129
    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
    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
    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
    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
    There is no different...1 kcal = 1,000 and 1 cal = 1,000
  • bobbler123
    bobbler123 Posts: 1
    So if it says 100kcal on the box it means 100,000calories right!? Given that 1kcal = 1000calories = 1Calorie!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    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: 1,566 Member
    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: 1,566 Member
    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
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