Empty calories list....

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ndj1979
ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Someone posted this link in another thread as a "definition for empty calories.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calories/empty-calories.html

here is a snippet

Solid fats and added sugars can make a food or beverage more appealing, but they also can add a lot of calories. The foods and beverages that provide the most empty calories for Americans are:
picture of pepperoni pizza Cakes, cookies, pastries, and donuts (contain both solid fat and added sugars)
Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks (contain added sugars)
Cheese (contains solid fat)
Pizza (contains solid fat)
Ice cream (contains both solid fat and added sugars)
Sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and ribs (contain solid fat)

I found the list totally ridiculous. I am not sure how pizza would be an empty calorie as it provides fat, protein, and carbs. Also, I don't see how any calorie can be empty as one calorie = one unit of energy ....

Feel free to discus....
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Replies

  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
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    Its so hard to believe anything any more..
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    Michael190lbs wrote: »
    Its so hard to believe anything any more..

    LOL agree ...

    so much garbage out there...
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
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    Wow, what nonsense. Your body will use those calories just like any other calories, unless you are consuming too many, in which case they will be stored.

    I'm not even sure what they are trying to say, I guess I would understand more if it were comparing to more nutrient dense foods, though the items listed don't have 0 nutritional value anyway. Whoever composed that page has very little understanding on nutrition.

    But hey what can you expect from a government site anyway. I think I'll choose my own plate and not rely on their guidance.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Someone posted this link in another thread as a "definition for empty calories.

    http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calories/empty-calories.html

    here is a snippet

    Solid fats and added sugars can make a food or beverage more appealing, but they also can add a lot of calories. The foods and beverages that provide the most empty calories for Americans are:
    picture of pepperoni pizza Cakes, cookies, pastries, and donuts (contain both solid fat and added sugars)
    Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks (contain added sugars)
    Cheese (contains solid fat)
    Pizza (contains solid fat)
    Ice cream (contains both solid fat and added sugars)
    Sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and ribs (contain solid fat)

    I found the list totally ridiculous. I am not sure how pizza would be an empty calorie as it provides fat, protein, and carbs. Also, I don't see how any calorie can be empty as one calorie = one unit of energy ....

    Feel free to discus....

    I just don't get how fat and carbs supposedly provide zero nutritional value.

    And just saw that milk has "some" empty calories and should be limited. Yeah, eff that noise. I'd die without dairy.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Since I drink diet soda, are those few calories in it considered empty?
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    So what do they eat? Air?? :D
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Since I drink diet soda, are those few calories in it considered empty?

    Yep. Emptier than the head of the person who put together the list.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    "Empty calories" and "junk food" are loaded phrases meant to push a certain philosophy of food.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    Wait, I'm confused... do people think empty calories are the same thing as zero calorie food? I do believe this is why waaaayyy before finding MFP, I thought calorie counting was a stupid way to lose weight... because of all this conflicting ideas people have.

    I'm glad MFP makes it so easy...
  • jmule24
    jmule24 Posts: 1,404 Member
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    Only "empty calories" I know of are when they remove the center of a doughnut.....I mean that right there is an empty spot for calories!!!
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
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    strong_curves wrote: »
    So what do they eat? Air?? :D
    They eat cauliflower pizzas topped with fat free cheese!

  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
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    I think the word "empty" is certainly misleading. But the website's definition that they "add calories to the food but few or no nutrients" could be helpful to someone who is trying to maximize volume, nutrients, and fullness on less calories. I think this is geared for people who are truly lost and don't know where to begin. Cutting back on calorie-dense food for a little while to navigate what works for you isn't the worst idea. For me, eating a donut for breakfast doesn't cut it. Even if it fits my calorie budget, it looks and feels small and sad to me, and leaves me hungry afterwards. But the same calories in oatmeal leave me full and happy. Someone else might prefer the donut, and that's fine. But I think knowing that some food will give you more nutrients per calories (such as the fiber in oatmeal) can be a helpful launch point.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
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    And this crap right here is the reason our children starve in schools. Have any of you seen what a lot of schools are passing for meals now?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    Lasmartchika wrote: »
    Wait, I'm confused... do people think empty calories are the same thing as zero calorie food? I do believe this is why waaaayyy before finding MFP, I thought calorie counting was a stupid way to lose weight... because of all this conflicting ideas people have.

    I'm glad MFP makes it so easy...

    no, it is a way to demonize certain food groups. If they are "empty" then you should not eat them because they provide no benefit....at least, I think that is the line of thought..

    or maybe by empty they mean "zero nutrients"...but pizza definitely has micros..

    eh, the whole food demonizing culture is too confusing...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    jaga13 wrote: »
    I think the word "empty" is certainly misleading. But the website's definition that they "add calories to the food but few or no nutrients" could be helpful to someone who is trying to maximize volume, nutrients, and fullness on less calories. I think this is geared for people who are truly lost and don't know where to begin. Cutting back on calorie-dense food for a little while to navigate what works for you isn't the worst idea. For me, eating a donut for breakfast doesn't cut it. Even if it fits my calorie budget, it looks and feels small and sad to me, and leaves me hungry afterwards. But the same calories in oatmeal leave me full and happy. Someone else might prefer the donut, and that's fine. But I think knowing that some food will give you more nutrients per calories (such as the fiber in oatmeal) can be a helpful launch point.

    eh, I don't see how demonizing foods like pizza and ice cream is helping anyway. Pizza and ice cream can be a part of a healthy and nutritionally balance diet.

    Does that mean that a vegetable pizza is empty, because fat?
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    jaga13 wrote: »
    I think the word "empty" is certainly misleading. But the website's definition that they "add calories to the food but few or no nutrients" could be helpful to someone who is trying to maximize volume, nutrients, and fullness on less calories. I think this is geared for people who are truly lost and don't know where to begin. Cutting back on calorie-dense food for a little while to navigate what works for you isn't the worst idea. For me, eating a donut for breakfast doesn't cut it. Even if it fits my calorie budget, it looks and feels small and sad to me, and leaves me hungry afterwards. But the same calories in oatmeal leave me full and happy. Someone else might prefer the donut, and that's fine. But I think knowing that some food will give you more nutrients per calories (such as the fiber in oatmeal) can be a helpful launch point.

    I see your point, but the whole idea of "empty calories" is factually incorrect and logically ridiculous. They are basically trying to say that things like pizza don't give you any sort of nutrition at all, which just isn't true. Sure, there are other, more nutrient-dense food options out there, but that doesn't negate the fact that pizza contains carbs, fat, and protein that can help many people reach their nutritional goals.

    It plays into the idea that some foods are "good" and others are "bad" and should be avoided always, which is something I can't get behind.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    Fruits and veggies are empty calories because you could get the same amount of micro nutrition without all those nasty carbs if you ate a multivitamin!
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    I have a rough idea what they mean by empty, but cant say its something that gets me worked up.
  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
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    It's a stupid term. If something has calories it provides energy so therefore is not empty.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Someone posted this link in another thread as a "definition for empty calories.

    http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calories/empty-calories.html

    here is a snippet

    Solid fats and added sugars can make a food or beverage more appealing, but they also can add a lot of calories. The foods and beverages that provide the most empty calories for Americans are:
    picture of pepperoni pizza Cakes, cookies, pastries, and donuts (contain both solid fat and added sugars)
    Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks (contain added sugars)
    Cheese (contains solid fat)
    Pizza (contains solid fat)
    Ice cream (contains both solid fat and added sugars)
    Sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and ribs (contain solid fat)

    I found the list totally ridiculous. I am not sure how pizza would be an empty calorie as it provides fat, protein, and carbs. Also, I don't see how any calorie can be empty as one calorie = one unit of energy ....

    Feel free to discus....
    Reads like "Oh, let's take all the flavour and fun out of eating." Are these foods still "empty" if made from scratch, or is it only the bought and boxed types?

    I don't get "empty" calories. It's like saying "empty" inches.

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