What is a calorie?

Kilocalories measure the energy you consume and that your body needs to function. Scientists define kilocalories as the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one liter of water by one degree Celsius. The calorie content of a food tells us about the energy that this product will provide you.

The body continually burns calories in order to carry out vital functions (breathing, thinking, sleeping) but also during physical efforts such as walking. It is important to meet your energy needs throughout the day with occasional calorie intake from food. “How do I know if I'm consuming too many or too few calories? » The energy that the body needs depends on several parameters, the main ones being age, sex, weight, height and level of physical activity. When you eat a quantity of food that gives you as much energy as you burn during the day, you find yourself in a situation of balance. You then maintain weight homeostasis, that is to say that your weight remains stable because all the calories absorbed have been spent.

In the situation where caloric intake is greater than daily energy expenditure, the nutrients absorbed in excess are stored either:

• In the muscle, in the form of glycogen and/or muscle proteins depending on physical activity, but in limited quantity
• In fatty tissues in the form of triglycerides called body fats responsible for weight gain.

Conversely, if energy expenditure exceeds calorie intake, you find yourself in a calorie deficit situation which will lead to weight loss.

Reminder.

A calorie is a unit of measurement of energy. All foods contain calories. However, although all foods contain calories, they do not all have the same calorie intake. This difference in the energy value of foods is explained by the macronutrients that compose them.

What are the calories in our foods?

Foods are mainly composed of macronutrients: carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. They are all sources of calories but the amount each contains will vary.

• Carbohydrates: 4 kcal per gram
• Lipids: 9 kcal per gram
• Protein: 4 kcal per gram

That's a total of 386 kcal, the rest being provided by fibers which provide a little energy.

1. Carbohydrates.

Too familiarly called sugars, carbohydrates are an important source of energy that your body can easily use. They are essential fuels for your body.

There are two types of carbohydrates:

• Simple carbohydrates: They are a source of energy that can be quickly used by the body.
  → Sugar, honey, syrup, candy, can of soda, fruit, etc.

• Complex carbohydrates: They are composed of a long chain of subunits. To be absorbed, the body must break the chain to separate these subunits and use them. This process slows down digestion and their slow assimilation therefore limits blood sugar peaks.
  → Cereal products (oatmeal, rice), legumes (peas, soya), bread (white bread, wholemeal, etc.), etc.

For a daily caloric intake of 2000 kcal per day, ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) recommends consuming between 200 and 275 grams of carbohydrates per day.

2. Proteins.

Present in every cell of our body, they play a vital role in your growth, construction and renewal of your muscles, your appendages (hair, fur and nails), your bone matrix and your skin. “Amino acids are the pearls in a necklace that form protein” When you eat these foods, your body breaks down proteins into amino acids, the components of protein. There are a total of 20 amino acids, 9 of which are considered essential. These cannot be synthesized by the body, they must therefore be supplied through food.

There are two sources of protein: animal proteins and plant proteins.

• Animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, etc.) contain all amino acids in large quantities.

• Plant proteins come from cereals (oats, rice, etc.) as well as legumes (peas, soya, etc.). These proteins can be deficient in certain essential amino acids, which is why we combine legumes and grains in our Feed recipes. to guarantee optimal amino acid content.

ANSES recommends consuming between 50 and 100 grams of protein per day for a daily caloric intake of 2000 kcal.

3. Lipids.

Commonly called “fats”, lipids have a bad reputation because they are considered responsible for many diseases (obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular diseases, etc.). However, depending on the type of lipids, they are just as important as other nutrients because, in addition to being very good sources of energy, they are part of the composition of essential elements for the proper functioning of your body. The energy provided by fat is stored in your body as triglycerides. Although useful during endurance efforts, their accumulation can be harmful and be a factor responsible for obesity.

There are different types of fatty acids within the lipid family:

• Saturated fatty acids: an important source of energy, it is still recommended to consume them in moderation because they can increase bad cholesterol levels.
  → Butter, cream, palm oil, coconut, chocolate…

• Monounsaturated fatty acids: also known as omega 9 and often considered good lipids because they reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
  → Oilseeds, olive oil, avocado…

Polyunsaturated fatty acids: also called omega 3 and omega 6, these are fatty acids essential for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system.
→ Omega 3: fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), nuts, hemp seeds, flax seeds, almonds, etc.
→ Omega 6: sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, etc.

Reminder.

Foods are made up of macronutrients, sources of energy, essential for the proper functioning of our body: carbohydrates: 4 kcal per gram lipids: 9 kcal per gram proteins: 4 kcal per gram According to ANSES and for an average requirement of 2000 kcal per day, it is recommended to consume daily: 200 to 275 gr of carbohydrates 70 to 90 gr of lipids 50 to 100 gr of proteins.

Are all calories equal?

“If I eat 200 calories of chocolate, is that the same as eating 200 calories of rice? » You will get the same amount of energy whether you consume 200 calories of rice or 200 calories of chocolate. However, since this energy is provided by different nutrients, the nutritional values ​​will not be the same and you will not get the same benefits. Chocolate provides more sugar, lipids and has a high glycemic index which will generate energy for a short period shortly after its absorption but will not give you a lasting feeling of satiety. Conversely, rice will provide more complex carbohydrates and fiber, thus reducing the speed of absorption of these nutrients and will therefore provide a feeling of satiety which will last longer. This doesn't mean you have to stop eating chocolate and only eat rice. However, regarding your daily calorie requirement, you must be aware of this difference in order to adopt a balanced, healthy and varied diet to provide your body with all the nutrients it needs. We must not only rely on the energy content (calories) of foods but also on their nutritional composition. But what does 2000 calories represent?

Here, you highlight that consuming 2000 kcal of yogurt or soda does not provide you with all the nutrients you need even if it meets your daily calorie intake, unlike Feed. products, which are nutritionally balanced.

Reminder.

Not all calories are equal, we need to be aware of the type of nutrients we consume to better manage our diet

Whether you are looking to lose weight, find your ideal weight, gain weight, develop muscle mass or maintain your weight, it is important to be aware of the caloric value but also of the nutritional quality of the foods you eat. you consume. This nutritional information allows you to optimize the number of calories per day that you consume as well as your nutritional intake through a healthy, varied and balanced diet. It is important to view food as a whole and not to demonize food. They all have a role to play in our nutritional balance and our health.

How to calculate the calories in your meal?

There are two ways to count your calories. It is possible to obtain the number of calories in a meal by calculating the exact amount in grams of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and fibers contained in the food. Knowing that 1g of carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 kcal, 9 kcal for 1g of lipids and 2 kcal for 1g of fiber, all you have to do is multiply to obtain the number of calories your meal provides you. For example, Feed ready-to-drink products. provide an average of 430 calories. On average, there are 15 g of protein, i.e. 15×4 = 60 kcal provided by proteins. 15 g of lipids or 135 kcal of lipids, 55 g of carbohydrates or 220 kcal of carbohydrates and 14 kcal provided by fiber. If you add it all up, you come to 430 calories. A bit complicated and time consuming to do. You can also use apps that allow you to calculate your calories more quickly. By taking a photo of your plate or entering the quantity of each ingredient that makes it up, the application is able to tell you how many calories you will consume. Easy, right?

How many calories in a glass of wine or a beer?

A glass of wine or beer does not provide the same number of calories. 100 ml of wine represents on average 79.5 kcal according to CIQUAL. 100 ml of beer is equivalent to 40 kcal on average. However, wine and beer are generally not consumed in the same way. A glass of wine corresponds to approximately 120 ml or 95.4 kcal. As for beer, it is usually consumed in pints of 250ml, or 100kcal, or 500ml, or 200kcal on average. It should still be noted that wine contains neither lipids nor proteins. It therefore does not help cover your nutritional needs even if it provides vitamins and minerals. Beer contains less alcohol (1g of ethanol = 7 kcal) but more sugar than wine. Nutritionally speaking, you should consume alcohol (beer, wine or others) in moderation because it is a source of calories described as “empty”.

How many calories are burned during exercise?

When you play sports, the number of calories burned will depend on the intensity of your effort but also on your metabolism. However, the more intense the effort, the more calories you burn and therefore facilitate a situation of calorie deficit and thereby weight loss. If you want to gain muscle, it is important to be in a calorie surplus. This is why it is generally advisable to limit very intense physical activities if your goal is to gain weight. This could delay reaching your goal and therefore not burn too much fat but build muscle.