What are Empty Calories?

You may have read the term "empty calories," or heard it used by nutritionists or even talk show hosts on TV. But what exactly are empty calories? Why are they so bad for you , and how can you avoid them?

Keep reading to discover where these sneaky calories may be hiding in your diet!


Empty Calories = High Calories but Low Nutrition

Contains Calories: Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat (collectively known as Macro-nutrients)

No Calories: All vitamins & minerals including antioxidants (collectively known as Micro-nutrients) as well as fiber



"Empty Calories" describes foods high in calories but low in nutritional values (also known as junk food!), lacking the health-promoting micro-nutrients listed above.

Examples of foods containing mostly Empty Calories


French fries, fried chicken, chips and all other deep-fried foods

A large order of fries from a fast food chain can contain up to 570 kcal with a whopping 30 g of total fat and 8 g of trans fat! Tons of calories from fat and very few micro-nutrients.


Candy, pop and other sweetened packaged foods

A can of pop contains about 130 kcal as well as additives and colorings. Again, lots of calories from sugar but no micro-nutrients.


Beer, wine and all other alcoholic beverages

A can of beer contains about 150 kcal from sugar and not much of anything else. In addition, calories from alcohol tend to be stored as fat in the abdomen (leading to a "beer belly").


Refined grains such as crackers, cookies, white rice and white bread

Refined grains do provide some B vitamins, but that's it.


How to Avoid Empty Calories?

Avoid deep-fried foods. Instead of deep-frying, use other methods of cooking. For instance, have a baked potato with skin instead of fries, or a piece of baked skinless chicken breast instead of fried chicken.
Avoid sweetened drinks and canned drinks.
Try whole grains instead of refined grains. Whole grains are packed with beneficial fiber and antioxidants. For instance, have a slice of whole-wheat bread instead of white bread. Have a bowl of whole-grain breakfast cereals or unsweetened oatmeal instead of corn flakes.
Snack on fruits! Instead of prowling for a box of crackers in the mid afternoon, snack on fruits. Better yet, dip them in low-fat yogurt to get additional calcium and protein.

A High Carb Diet does not make you fat

Another Study affirmed that a Low-Fat High-Carb diet does not cause Weight Gain
Researchers found women following a diet low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables and grains actually lost weight, not gained weight. Published in the Journal of American Medical Association in January 2006, the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial followed close to 50,000 post-menopausal women for more than 7 years. Results showed that, in the first year, the women trained to eat a healthy low-fat diet lost about 5 pounds. After 7 1/2 years, they still maintained a modest weight loss compared to the women who did not receive education on healthy eating.

Editor's Note - Finally: hooray for a low-fat high-carb diet!

Many diet books blamed high-carb diets as the reason for the obesity epidemics. Healthcare professionals, for years, have been explaining to the public that it's not the carbs - it's actually the total calories that contributes to weight gain. This long-term randomized trial with a large population is a perfect study to prove these diet books wrong. Indeed, it is important to note about this study - these women actually lost weight despite the fact that they were not intending to lose weight at all. Weight loss results would be even more dramatic if they were trying to do so. As the author Dr. Howard noted, the results of this study demonstrated that "long-term recommendations to achieve a diet lower in total and saturated fat with increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and without focus on weight loss, do not cause weight gain."

Carb 101: Carbohydrates are found in fruits and vegetables. Emphasize on choosing a variety of fruits and dark green leafy as well as bright-colored vegetables which are loaded with antioxidants and fiber. In addition, carbohydrates are also found in grain products. The American Dietary Guidelines recommend eating at least half the grains as whole grains - that's at least 3 servings of whole grains a day. For more information about whole grains, refer to our Whole Grains Guide.

To cut fat in your diet

remove skin and visible fats from meats
choose leaner cuts of meat such as skinless breast from poultry. For beef, choose eye of round, top round roast, top sirloin and flank; for pork, choose tenderloin and loin chops.
occasionally substitute meat products with fish and seafood (high in omega-3 fatty acids), soy products (high in heart-friendly soy protein) and nuts (high in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber)
use lower-fat versions if available of salad dressings, spreads, dairy products and cooking sauces etc

Super Fruits and Vegetables Guide

We used to say 5 a day. Since last year, the Centres for Disease Control has said at least 7 a day! You know you are supposed to eat more fruits and vegetables. But which kinds?

Fruits and Vegetables are all-stars. Not only are they low in calories and high in fiber, they contains unique phytochemicals, or antioxidants, that boost your health. It's important to eat a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day to reap the health benefits. That's because each color contains different sets of phytochemicals that provide different health benefits.

Super Fruits and Vegetables to Add to Your Diet


Super Red: Pink grapefruit, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon

Lycopene shows promise in fighting lung and prostate cancers. Lycopene is actually more available after cooking or processing so don't ignore canned tomato paste!


Super Purple: Concord grapes, blueberries and prunes

The anthocyanins that give these fruits their distinctive colors may help ward off heart disease by preventing clot formation. They may also help lower risk of cancer.


Super Green: Spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and bok choy

Lutein appears to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke as well as guard against age-related macular degeneration. Dark green leafy vegetables are usually high in folate, a B vitamin that shows promising results in preventing heart diseases. In addition, Sulforaphane, a photochemical present in cruciferous vegetables, was found to detoxify cancer-causing chemicals before they do damage the body.


Super Orange: Carrots, mangos, pumpkin and oranges

The beta carotenes in these orange super fruits and vegetables may prevent cancer, particularly of the lung, esophagus and stomach. They may also reduce risk of heart disease and improve immune function.


Super White: Cauliflower, mushrooms, banana and onions

These contain anthoxanthins and allicin, which can help lower blood pressure and protect against stomach cancer.

The Flat Ab Diet

Just can't get rid of your flabby belly, even though you do sit-ups and crunches until you're ready to drop? Assuming that you are already physically active and have a sensible diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and low in fat and your belly is still a bit bigger than you wish, read on. If you want to go from fat to fab abs, new research shows that what you eat is just as important as how - or even how much - you work out.

Ab Diet Tip 1. Eat more fiber.

Not eating enough fiber may be a major reason women are getting fatter and flabbier. To ditch the fat and show off firm, beautiful abs, you need to eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily, says leading fiber researcher David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Professor of Nutrition at the University of Toronto, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Food and Nutrition Board. Fiber, which is the indigestible part of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods, helps you achieve flat abs.

How to add fiber to your diet comfortably? One cautionary note: It's important to add fiber slowly but consistently to prevent gas. "Make higher-fiber choices throughout the day; don't have all your fiber in one bunch," Jenkins says. "This is particularly important with viscous fiber - a type of soluble fiber found in beans, oats and barley that also has the benefit of lowering blood cholesterol," he says.

For best results, increase your fiber intake slowly over the course of one month and drink plenty of water to keep food moving through your system as quickly as possible.

Ab Diet Tip 2. Opt for a sensible amount of high-quality carbs.

For flatter abs, make carbs 45–- 65 percent (202 - 292) grams based on an 1,800-calorie diet) of your total daily calories. Balance is the key here, so don't go below 45 percent (202 grams), or above 65 percent (292 grams), which can lead to water retention, bloating and temporary weight gain that shows up in your middle.

When you eat carbs, they break down into glucose, which is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. When glycogen is stored, it carries with it three times its own weight as water, compared to no water at all for protein and fat, according to Peter Garlick, Ph.D., a professor at Stony Brook University in New York. If you eat an extremely high-carb diet, you may store excess water, experience bloating and gain temporary water weight. (This is why people who go on no- or very low-carb diets can initially lose weight so quickly. They're really just losing water.)

Focus on balanced eating. For best results, eat at least three to five 4-ounce servings of veggies (15 - 25 grams of carbs); two to four 4-ounce servings of fruit (30–60 grams of carbs) and about 1 cup (8 ounces cooked or 2 ounces dry, or 2 slices of bread) of whole grains per meal (90 grams per day).

Ab Diet Tip 3. Drink up!

Many women believe that drinking too much water will give them puffy abs, but just the opposite is true. "Even though we associate water with being bloated, drinking more water can help to flush sodium out of the body, and that reduces the bloat," said Jeff Hampl, Ph.D., R.D., nutrition researcher and assistant professor at Arizona State University.

Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Beverages with little or no calories, caffeine or sodium, including herbal tea, are best. Avoid regular soft drinks and soups with lots of sodium. If you are eating plenty of water-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and low-sodium soups, you can get half of your water requirements from foods, according to a 1998 NAS Food and Nutrition Board report.

Avoid carbonated drinks. Fizzy drinks, including soda pop and spritzers, increase bloating because the carbon dioxide trapped in the bubbles creates gas, which slows down stomach emptying.

Ab Diet Tip 4. Watch the sodium.

Sodium may have a bad rep, but it's essential for regulating body fluids and blood pressure as well as for nerve transmission, muscle function and absorption of important nutrients. But even a small amount of excess sodium causes bloating.

The American Heart Association recommends you consume no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium daily — roughly 1 teaspoon of table salt. That's enough sodium to replenish your supply even if you work up a major sweat.

Choose fresh, natural foods over fast, commercial or packaged foods. Instead of ordering french fries (265 milligrams of sodium), have a baked potato (8 milligrams). Instead of a pickle (1,730 milligrams!), enjoy a fresh cucumber (6 milligrams). And beware of cured meats: Three ounces of ham packs in 1,009 milligrams of sodium, compared to just 48 milligrams for the same amount of roast pork. Soups are also notoriously high in sodium; some canned varieties contain more than 1,100 milligrams per cup. Read labels carefully and stick with low-sodium brands like Healthy Choice.

Ab Diet Tip 5. Eat light at night.

It never fails: You have a heavier-than-normal evening meal or snack, and when you weigh yourself the next morning, you're up by several pounds. But as depressing as it may seem at the moment, such a quick gain is always water weight; you simply cannot gain that much fat overnight.

In a study conducted by Callaway, people who skipped breakfast or lunch and ate their largest meal later in the day had lower metabolisms. So by eating light at night you'll receive a double benefit: You'll wake up with a flatter tummy, and you'll also have a better appetite for a fiber-rich breakfast, which sets you up for a day of healthful eating. Some tips to get you started:

Eat five times a day. Your body needs food every three to four hours, so instead of eating three large meals, try to schedule five smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day (breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner). By staying full and energized, you'll avoid hunger pangs, maintain an even energy flow, make better, healthier food choices (no binging or craving) and enjoy the most efficient burning of calories.

Ab Diet Tip 6. Reduce stress.

Research shows that stress triggers the hormone cortisol to turn up your appetite and deposit fat around the organs in your abdomen. Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., author of Fight Fat After Forty (Penguin, 2000) calls this "toxic weight," because it's associated with heart disease, diabetes and cancer.