Most foods deliver calories and nutrients. Calories aren't necessarily a bad thing. Your body needs a certain number of them to use for energy. Yet some foods are full of calories and fat but lacking in any nutrition. These are called "empty calories."
Empty as well as excess calories make you gain weight. But empty calories don't offer any of the vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber your body needs to run at its best.
Soda, potato chips, and cookies are examples of foods with empty calories. Their calories mainly come from added sugar and solid fats like butter and shortening. They may taste good, but they're not good for you.
Why Empty Calories Aren't Good for Your Health
A calorie is a unit of measurement. It shows you how much energy you're getting from the foods you eat. Some foods are high in calories but nutritious, like avocado, Greek yogurt, and nuts. Other foods have lots of calories but little to no nutrition.
Empty calories are foods and drinks that basically are just fat and sugar. They don't contain much, if any, of the nutrients your body needs to work properly. You don't gain any health benefits from eating them, and they can increase your weight. In contrast, foods that are nutrient-dense for their calorie count help you stay at a healthy weight.
A diet that's mainly empty calories isn't good for your health. Your body burns sugar and simple carbs quickly. These foods turn your blood sugar into a roller coaster of spikes and dips. Because you feel hungry again soon after you eat them, you're more likely to overeat.
Empty calories could make you gain weight. Fat increases inflammation in your body. Between the extra fat and inflammation, this way of eating could increase your risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
Foods that contain empty calories, like cookies and snack chips, are also highly addictive. Their sweetness, saltiness, and satisfying crunch activate the reward centers in your brain. Eventually, you can start craving them and will want more and more of them.
Foods With Empty Calories
These foods either lack nutrients or have very little nutrition relative to their calorie content:
- Soda and sugar-sweetened fruit drinks
- Sports drinks and energy drinks
- Candy
- Sweet tea
- Alcohol
- Highly processed junk foods like potato chips
- Fast foods such as burgers, pizza, and french fries
- Baked goods like cake, cookies, pastries, doughnuts, and white bread
You don't have to cut these foods entirely from your diet. Use them to treat yourself once in a while.
What to Eat Instead
Get more from your diet by swapping these healthier options for empty-calorie foods:
Instead of soda, energy drinks, or sports drinks: Have a glass of still or sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
Instead of potato chips or tortilla chips: Eat vegetable sticks and hummus for a snack. Have a handful of unsalted nuts. Or eat popcorn (minus the butter and salt) or whole-grain crackers.
Instead of white bread, white rice, and white pasta: Have whole-grain bread and pasta, and switch to brown rice.
Instead of processed, high-fat meats like bacon and sausage: Have skinless chicken or turkey breast, or low-fat cuts of beef.
Instead of ice cream: Freeze berries or grapes and serve them over low-fat vanilla yogurt.
Instead of cookies or cake: Eat a small piece of dark chocolate. While it does contain some fat and calories, dark chocolate is also a good source of antioxidants.
How to Limit Empty Calories
Buy whole foods. Stick to the supermarket aisles stocked with fresh produce, protein like chicken and fish, low-fat dairy foods, and eggs.
Choose energy-dense foods. Peanut butter, oatmeal, fresh fruit, and fish are examples of foods that have a lot of nutrients in relation to their calorie count. Many energy-dense foods also contain fiber that fills you up.
Skip the sugary beverages. Drink low-fat or skim milk, low-sodium vegetable juice, or unsweetened tea instead. Water is even better. It has no calories or sugar, and it can make you feel full. The occasional diet soda is OK, but don't overdo it. Even without the sugar, soda lacks any nutrients.
Cook it yourself. When you prepare meals at home, you'll have total control over what goes into the food. You can even make your own versions of unhealthy fast foods, like thin-crust pizza topped with veggies, or a turkey burger on a whole-wheat bun. If you don't have time to cook, throw some ingredients into a slow cooker, mix in seasonings, and dinner will be ready when you get home from work.
Become a label reader. Look at not only the calories, but also the saturated fat, sodium, and sugar content of products you buy. High levels of these are usually clues that what's in the box or bag is highly processed and high in empty calories. Foods that are high in protein and fiber and low in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium are usually better for you. Also check the serving size. The calories and fat might look low until you realize that the package contains multiple servings.
Recap
- Empty calories come from foods that mostly contain sugar and fat but little to no nutrition.
- A diet high in empty-calorie foods can promote weight gain and increase the risk of conditions like heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
- For better health, cut back on empty-calorie foods like chips and sodas and eat more nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and whole grains.
Show Sources
Photo Credit: Kwangmoozaa/Getty Images
SOURCES:
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "High-Calorie Food List and Snack Ideas."
ClosingtheGap: "Empty Calories: Everything You Need to Know."
DFD Russell Medical Centers: "Calorie-Dense vs. Nutrient-Dense Foods."
Houston Methodist: "Empty Calories: What Are They & Which Foods Are They Hiding In?"
Kaiser Permanente: "Quick Tips: Avoiding Empty Calories."
Mayo Clinic: "Mayo Clinic Minute: Does Your Diet Contain Empty Calories?"
MD Anderson Cancer Center: "How to Cut Empty Calories."
Michigan State University: "What Are Empty Calories?"
UWHealth: "Empty Calories Count."
