All calories are not created equal

June 15, 2011

A calorie is a calorie? Not quite when it comes to what happens after we ingest them.






The energy spent to digest foods is not the same for carbohydrates, protein, and fat
  • For every 100 carbohydrate calories consumed, approx. 5-10 calories are burned in digestion.
  • For every 100 fat calories consumed, approx. 3-5 calories are burned in digestion.
  • For every 100 protein calories cunsumed, approx. 20-30 calories are burned in digestion.
Calories matter - not just their quantity but also where they come from. Not to mention that the body responds differently to the various macronutrients, but that's for another post.

Another thing to consider:

Soluble fiber eliminates some of the calories ingested
  • Fiber can block some of the calories consumed, mostly from fat.
  • Ingesting foods high in fiber means less calories digested.

If you have read my post about making baked goods more nutritious you know I like to use fiber in the form of resistant starch in my baking. For an example check out my fiber-rich pancake recipe: My little treat.






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