10 foods high in empty calories

This is an automatically translated article.

Many modern foods and drinks contain empty calories. These are calories that come from foods that have little or no nutritional value. Learn about how recognizing empty calories can help a person make healthier food choices. This article will analyze more about foods that are high in empty calories.

1. Empty Calories

Soda, candy, chips... what do they have in common? They're all top sources of what many nutritionists call "empty calories."
The American Heritage College dictionary defines "empty" as "contains nothing or contains nothing." And for all the calories that empty calorie foods add to your diet, they add little to nothing or, if any, very little vitamins or minerals, very little fiber or nutrients. phytochemicals.
Basically, there are two empty calorie culprits in the diet including:
Any foods high in sugar or other sweeteners Any foods high in fats and oils

2. Culprit <br/>1: Any foods high in sugar or other sweeteners

There's no way to deny the fact that Americans are eating more sugar than ever before. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have determined that, on average, Americans are consuming 83 more calories per day from sweeteners than they did in 1977. And those 83 extra calories per day translates to one child. a whopping 2,490 calories per month.
Can we point out which foods are the main cause of this excess calories? Sometimes the body's calorie surplus isn't even the food we eat - these extra calories come mostly from soft drinks and fruit drinks. So, besides staying away from soda, remember to watch out for the calories from sugar that can appear in these foods and drinks:
Other sugary drinks include: Lemonade, drinks sports and fruit drinks. Favorite coffee and tea drinks (hot or cold). They can be loaded with sugar calories. A 270 ml bottled coffee drink contains about 190 calories and almost 8 teaspoons of sugar. Snack cakes, pastries and cereal bars. Baked pastries, bread also fall into this category. One cupcake has about 200 calories and almost 5 teaspoons of sugar. A 113 mg blueberry muffin can contain about 420 calories and more than 8 teaspoons of sugar. Sugary hot and cold cereals. Check the ingredient labels of these cereals before you use them for breakfast, as they list the number of grams of added sugar per serving. A packet of flavored instant oatmeal contains about 150 calories and about 4 teaspoons of sugar. Sugar is often the second ingredient listed on a processed food ingredient list. Condiments: Pancake syrup can spike the sugar if you're heavy-handed. 1/4 cup of pancake syrup has about 210 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugar, and 1/4 cup of soft drink contains about 60 calories and 4 teaspoons of sugar.

3. The other culprit: Any foods high in oil and fat

Although some fats and oils contain vitamins and important fatty acids such as: Omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, foods containing fats and oils are often the culprits of those high in calories. hollow. This situation is quite true when the food is high in trans fat and saturated fat; All foods that contain empty calories are good examples of French fries, french fries, popcorn chicken that have more crumbs than chicken, and high-fat crackers made with white flour. .
With empty calories, it's important to note that in grams, fat has twice the calories of carbs or protein. In other words, a gram of fat has about 9 calories, while a gram of protein or carbohydrate has 4 calories. When foods high in fats and oils are added, calories can go through the roof pretty quickly.
One of the biggest fat traps that we often use lies in fast foods, such as french fries, onions, tacos, shredded chicken and fish; wear high-fat sauces such as mayonnaise; Deep-fried or garnished with high-fat meats such as bacon or sausage.
A new survey from the Agricultural Research Service and Harvard University has found a link between children's consumption of fast food in the US with increased calorie intake and poor nutrition. Children who ate fast food for the two days surveyed took in more calories per gram of food and more total saturated fat than those who didn't eat fast food. Fast food eaters also consumed more added sugars and sugary drinks, but conversely, these people consumed less milk, fiber, and fruit. Even children who only ate fast food on one of the two days surveyed reported similar dietary problems on the day they ate fast food. So here are some foods that are nominated after the study as the top five culprits of high fat, empty calories:
Fast food : We could have better choices at the fast food chains , such as ordering a charcoal-grilled chicken sandwich with mayonnaise, bean burritos, and a pizza with extra tomato sauce and veggies. And we can eat fast food less often, for example you can once a week instead of every day. Mayonnaise: The composition of mayonnaise is basically made up of three ingredients: Vegetable oil, egg yolk, and vinegar. Mayonnaise makes this list because it's high in calories and fat. Many people put about 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise or mayonnaise on their sandwiches, which adds up to 198 calories and 22 grams of fat. Chips and Popcorn: Although potato and corn kernels are popular snacks that have some nutritional value to offer, when you coat them in partially hydrogenated oil , they'll top the charts in terms of calories and high fat mass in their ingredients. A 56-gram bag of potato chips contains about 303 calories and 20 grams of fat. One bag of microwaved corn (not the mild one) has a total of 435 calories and 25 grams of fat. Crackers : Crackers seem like they would make a good snack choice, but based on the nutrient content on the label, they're usually just white flour with partially hydrogenated fats - neither of these have much to do with the nutritional value of your diet. Here, calories and fat can also add up quickly. For example, a 56-gram serving of Ritz Bits has a total of 302 calories and 17 grams of fat, while the same serving of cheesecake has about 285 calories and 14 grams of fat. Packaged Frozen Snacks: You'll find plenty of pre-packaged, high-salt snacks that simply need to be microwaved before use, such as: pizza rolls, egg rolls, etc. However, these foods are full of partially hydrogenated oils and fats. Just one bag of pepperoni pizza has a total of about 510 calories and 26 grams of fat.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: webmd.com