Calories and nutrition for weight loss
All
calorie sources are not created equal.
Carbohydrates and
proteins, for example, have about four calories per
gram, but fats have more than twice that amount. Does this mean that all fats are bad and should be
avoided? Not at all (olive and canola oil are good examples), but we can strive for lower fat vs.
higher fat and in the process save on calories.
Another good example: beverages with
added sugars (this includes fructose, maltose, dextrose,
and fruit juice concentrates). Foods high in added sugars provide calories, but may have few of the
other beneficial nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals, that your body needs. A food
high in added sugars will list a
sugar as the first or second ingredient on the ingredient
list.
Take a look at the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to make sure you get all the essential nutrients. "To be sure you know how many calories you're consuming, you need to compare what you are actually eating to the serving size on the label," says Naomi Kulakow, coordinator for education and outreach in the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. For example, if there is one cup in a serving and the package contains two servings, you need to double the calories and other nutrient numbers if you eat the whole package. Many items sold as single portions—like a 20-ounce soft drink, a 3-ounce bag of chips, and a large bagel— actually provide two or more servings.
"People use the food label only when they want to restrict calories and fat—but not as a tool to help them increase the nutrients they need to get in adequate or greater amounts," says Kulakow. While restricting calories is important for weight loss, getting adequate amounts of fiber, calcium, and other key nutrients is also critical to good health. Kulakow advises caution when choosing foods that are labeled "fat-free" and "low-fat." Fat-free doesn't mean calorie-free. To make a food tastier, sometimes extra sugars are added, which adds calories.
In addition to calories and serving sizes, the list of nutrients can help you make healthy food choices while you lose weight. The Nutrition Facts panel also shows how much dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron are contained in a serving. These are the nutrients you want to get at least 100 percent of the Daily Value every day for good health. Ideally, you want to see more than one or two listed as above 10% Daily Value (DV).The %DVs are based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. But even if you eat more or less than 2,000 calories, the %DV still gives you a frame of reference to gauge your calorie and nutrient intake. So we can sharpen our addition and subtraction skills—and lose weight.
Source: "Losing Weight By Counting Calories" (US FDA)