Calories

Calories in Protein
• There are 4 calories in each gram of protein.
• Protein contains the same number of calories as carbohydrates.
• Protein is essential for good health, but it is better to reduce your intake of high-calorie animal protein (e.g. from cheese and meat) and eat a little more lower-fat and lower calorie vegetable protein (e.g. from beans, soybeans, lentils, nuts.)
• The best way to obtain the right amount of protein (and calories) is to follow a balanced diet, as outlined in the Food Pyramid Guidelines.
• If you are trying to lose weight, it is best to follow a diet plan which is low in fat, high in healthy carbohydrates with modest amounts of protein and 1200+ calories.
• High protein, low calorie diets are not recommended, neither are very low calorie diets, irrespective of protein content.


Calories in Fat
• Fat is a high calorie food. There are 9 calories in each gram of fat.
• Fat contains more than twice the number of calories in protein or carbohydrates.
• From a weight loss/calories viewpoint, all fats are equally 'bad.'
• Low-calorie diets are usually low in fat.
• If you are trying to lose weight, it is best to reduce your intake of high-fat, high-calorie foods like butter (80 percent fat), mayo (75-80 percent fat) and oil (100 per cent fat.)
• Fast food is generally high in fat and calories.
• Fat-free foods are not necessarily low in calories. Many fat-free sweet products are high in sugar and therefore high in calories.
• From a health viewpoint, not all fats are equally 'bad'. Monounsaturated fat may contain the same calories as saturated or hydrogenated fat, but it offers clear health benefits. Even so, the Food Pyramid Guidelines and official US Dietary guidelines recommend that all fats should be eaten sparingly.

Calories in Carbohydrates

• There are 4 calories in each gram of carbohydrates.
• Carbohydrates contain the same number of calories as protein.
• There are two basic types of carbohydrates (both contain 4 calories per gram): Simple, and Complex. Simple carbohydrates are high in refined sugar. Sugar contains 'empty' calories - i.e. non-nutritious. Too much refined sugar tends to disrupt our appetite mechanism and can cause food cravings.
• Complex carbohydrates are no lower in calories but take longer to digest. Thus they keep us full for longer and help keep blood sugar-levels (and appetite) stable.
• The best way to obtain the right amount of carbohydrates (and calories) is to follow a balanced diet, as outlined in the Food Pyramid Guidelines.
• If you are trying to lose weight, it is best to follow a diet plan which is low in fat, high in healthy carbohydrates and 1200 + calories.
• Low calorie, low carbohydrate diets are not recommended.