Australian calories

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gillrushhh
gillrushhh Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! I’m american currently studying abroad in Australia (literally just landed) and I went to go get a smoothie and it said “4000 KJ”. I was wondering if anyone had a link /helpful hints for how to convert the calories listed here into calories I am familiar with in america? (I count everything and really need to know whats going in my body lol)

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  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
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    You can use a site like this for conversions. https://www.bupa.com.au/health-and-wellness/tools-and-apps/tools-and-calculators/calorie-converter

    Roughly speaking, 4 kj = 1 calories, although the exact formula is slightly different. 4000 kilojoules is 956 calories.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,979 Member
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    Those aren't calories. They're kilojoules. Google would be happy to help you out of you ask how to convert kilojoules to calories.

    You can also set MFP to use kilojoules. It might make it easier to check database entries against package labels.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,140 Member
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    Check this link. At the bottom of the page you will find a chart in kilojoules and the equivalent in calories. You may paste and copy the information in a word document , print it, and have it ready for future use. Remember that Dr. Google is you best friend. He knows everything!

    https://www.calculateme.com/energy/kilojoules/to-calories/4000
  • strongwouldbenice
    strongwouldbenice Posts: 153 Member
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    If you're set to calories, when you enter/search/scan foods it will come up for you in calories, even if the packet lists kilojoules. I use the 1c=4kj and the macros to mentally double check that the entry matches the label.
    Some products also list calories in brackets after the kilojoules. So if I were comparing products to suss if they're around the amount of calories I want, I would look at one label that had calories and compare the kilojoules to know if it were a little more or a little less than the other one.
    Takes a bit of getting used to but you'll get your recent list up and running soon and it'll get easier.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,880 Member
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    gillrushhh wrote: »
    Hi everyone! I’m american currently studying abroad in Australia (literally just landed) and I went to go get a smoothie and it said “4000 KJ”. I was wondering if anyone had a link /helpful hints for how to convert the calories listed here into calories I am familiar with in america? (I count everything and really need to know whats going in my body lol)

    Divide by 4.


    Not exact but close.
  • MPDean
    MPDean Posts: 99 Member
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    Rough calculation divide by 4
    More accurate divide by 4.2
    Most accurate divide by 4.184

    Or just ask Google
  • Luciicul
    Luciicul Posts: 415 Member
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    I live in Australia & am Australian and quite often nutrition tables will state both kJ and calories, but when they don’t and I am doing a quick mental calculation I divide by 4. For accuracy you just type “4000kj into calories” into google search and it will convert it for you.
  • Luciicul
    Luciicul Posts: 415 Member
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    I will add - if you are tracking with MyFitnessPal it will calculate it for you when you scan of add the item, if you are set to count calories it will show you in calories. Most products sold here are in the mfp database.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,996 Member
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    Welcome to metric OP!!

    Yes, just divide by 4 or use google calculators to be more exact.

    Or set MFP to kilojoules.

    I am Australian and I have it set in calories ( just easier, IMO, to work with smaller numbers) - scanning barcodes then show as calories.
    And data base searches of unpackaged good, eg bananas, shows in calories.

    Easy solutions.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    All food labels will list kilojoules in Australia, but many will not list calories. I have simply changed my units to kilojoules instead of calories on MFP so I don't need to do any conversions at all. Everyone is different though and what works for one won't work for another.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,996 Member
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    lillymoo if you have it set in calories the app does the conversion for you - if I scan a product in Australia which has its listing on the product in kj, MFP still tells me in calories
    and my recipes are all in calories
    I dont have to convert anything

    But either way, works fine.

  • gillrushhh
    gillrushhh Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you everyone!

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