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Real Life Nutrition Questions Answered
printReal Life Fitness Questions Answered
Emma Brown
Nutritionist
Janet Aylott
Nutritionist
Kelly Marshall
Fitness Consultant
Q.
What is the difference between calories and sugar?
Hi, I've been a member of Nutracheck for a while and I have lost 2 1/2 stone so far and I want to concentrate on getting a more balanced diet as well as continuing to lose weight but I'm a bit confused! I don't understand the difference between calories and sugar - if I eat something that is low in calories is it possible that it could be high in sugar? I always they thought they were the same! If they are different, how much sugar is healthy to consume in a day?
A.
Our expert says...
I know it can all get very confusing, so let me try and explain!
A calorie is a unit of food energy, which applies to all foods. Fat, carbohydrate and protein are the bulk nutrients within foods and most foods contain some of each of these. There are widely used approximations for the energy or calorie content of each of these bulk nutrients, which are as follows:
Carbohydrate has 4 cals per gram
Fat has 9 cals per gram
Protein has 5 cals per gram
Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and therefore has 4 calories per gram. You can see from this why fat is so fattening, as it contains the most calories!
So, to answer your question, it is possible to eat a low calorie product that is high in sugar. In fact, many low fat products replace some of the fat content with sugar, so it is always best to read the label carefully. As ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity, the higher up sugar is on the ingredients list, the greater the amount in the product. The Guideline Daily Amount of sugar that is recommended is 90g.
I hope this has clarified things for you. You may have been confused, but you are obviously doing something right to have lost 2 ½ stone so far. Well done!
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About Nutracheck
Nutracheck is a top-rated food diary App and website. We track calories and 7 key nutrients - carbs, sugar, fibre, protein, fat, saturated fat and sodium. Our mission is to give our members insight into what they are eating to empower them to make more informed food choices. We've been helping people achieve their weight management goals since 2005.
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