How to Identify Empty Calories so You Can Avoid Them

When you think of "empty calories", things like regular soda pop, jelly beans, gum drops and other sugary treats probably come to mind. If you drink diet soda or no soda at all, and carefully watch your intake of sweets, you may think you don't have a problem with empty calories. If you're trying to lose weight, though, and you can't shed the pounds, why not take another look at what you're eating and drinking? Read this informative article and find out how to identify empty calories so you can avoid them.

1. What Are Empty Calories?

Empty calories come from processed food and drinks that have little or no nutritional value. They don't provide your body with needed vitamins, nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids or fiber. Empty calories do come from sugar-laden foods and drinks. But, they also come from things that contain

lots of fat and oil. And, don't forget that alcoholic beverages provide nothing but empty calories.

Besides providing no nutrition, eating foods that contain empty calories won't keep you full. You'll be hungry again in no time. Drinking soda pop is a bad idea because it won't quench your thirst either.

2. Why Do We Eat Foods That Contain Empty Calories?

Because they taste good, are less costly to buy, and are easy to get/prepare and consume. Fast food, and processed foods that you heat-and-eat are typical examples. The list doesn't stop there. Other foods like white bread, crackers, cakes, cookies, pastries, muffins, breakfast bars, sweetened cereals, rice, cheese, pizza, ice cream, sausage and bacon all contain empty calories. Fruit drinks and energy drinks make the list too. And let's not leave out condiments such as pancake syrup, mayonnaise and ketchup.

3. How to Identify Empty Calories in Packaged Foods

Read the product labels. Food and drinks that contain a lot of sugar, sweeteners, fats and oil contain empty calories. Foods that contain refined grains do too.

Eating a small number every day is okay for your health. Still, if you make some simple substitutions in your diet, you can easily eliminate empty calories (and lose weight). For example, unsweetened applesauce is a better choice than applesauce with added sugar. Drink skim milk instead of whole milk because it contains solid fats. Use extra lean ground beef instead of ground beef and you'll cut out a lot of fat.

Resources

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calories/empty-calories.html

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/beware-empty-calories?page=2

http://www.organicliaison.com/blog/2010/10/04/empty-calories-and-how-to-avoid-them/