Empty calories are those from foods and drinks that provide little or no nutritional value and lack essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber. These are often packaged and ultra-processed foods available at the grocery store. These foods provide your body with mostly solid fats and added sugars, which contribute to weight gain and can lead to nutritional deficiencies if they replace healthier foods.

Food and drinks

Everyone consumes empty calories from time to time, which is to be expected given the types of foods that make up the bulk of our current food landscape. You shouldn’t feel guilty or ashamed for occasionally consuming empty calories. Sometimes food can simply be a source of comfort and joy.

However, empty calories are not a source of many (if any) beneficial nutrients, so these foods and drinks should not form the basis of your diet. Below is a list of some common sources of empty calories.

• Beer, sweet cocktails, sweet wines
• Ready-to-eat foods, such as frozen meals, instant noodles, sugary breakfast cereals or TV dinners
• Fast food items like fries, hamburgers, tacos and hot dogs
• Packaged snacks, like chips or pretzels
• Refined grains, such as white rice, white bread, and white pasta
• Specialty coffee drinks, such as those with added flavored syrups and whipped cream
• Sugary drinks such as soda, energy drinks, and sweetened iced tea
• Sweet snacks and baked goods, such as candy, cookies, cakes, and donuts

These products provide substantial calories per serving without many beneficial vitamins, minerals, fiber, or antioxidants to support overall health and well-being.

Common Empty Calories Kids Eat

Children are often the primary target audience for targeted marketing by food companies that produce less healthy products containing empty calories. Children are very easily influenced, especially when they do not yet understand much about nutrition and are convinced by attractive advertising gimmicks. These types of foods often appeal to children because of their taste and convenience.

A diet consisting primarily of empty calories can negatively impact a child’s growth, development and overall health.

Common sources of empty calories that children consume include:

• Breakfast cereals high in added sugars and low in fiber
• Desserts made from dairy and cereal products
• Fast food products like pizza
• Sweet snacks like candy, cookies, and pastries
• Sugary drinks, including sodas, fruit drinks, and sports drinks
• Ultra-processed convenience foods, such as chips
• Whole milk

These types of foods can contribute significantly to a child’s calorie intake without providing essential nutrients. Reducing these foods in children’s diets and encouraging healthier alternatives can promote better nutrition and overall well-being.

What happens if you eat a lot of empty calories?

Consuming a lot of empty calories can lead to several adverse health effects, whether you are a child or an adult. Since these foods and drinks are high in calories but low in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber, they can contribute to weight gain, obesity and related diseases like type 2 diabetes. and heart disease.

Empty calories can also replace more nutritious foods, reducing appetite and reducing the likelihood of choosing a healthier option. Over time, a high intake of empty calories can also lead to deficiencies in nutrients essential for energy, immunity and overall health.

An unbalanced diet can reduce energy levels, impair cognitive functions and increase the risk of developing chronic diseases, highlighting the importance of choosing nutrient-dense foods.

How to Identify Empty Calorie Foods

Being able to identify empty calorie foods is essential to making healthier choices. These foods and drinks are typically high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and refined (simple) carbohydrates but provide little or no vitamins, minerals or fiber.

To spot them, look for highly processed products with long ingredient lists that include added sugars (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup) or saturated fats. Examples include sugary snacks like candy and cookies, fried or fast foods, and sugary drinks like soda or energy drinks.

Checking food labels for low nutrient content and high calorie counts can also help you identify empty calorie options, allowing you to choose more nutrient-dense alternatives. It may take some practice, but regularly evaluating your food and drink options can help you make more nutritious choices.

How to choose a more nutritious diet

Choosing a more nutritious diet means focusing on whole, minimally processed foods that provide essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy (unsaturated) fats. You can do this by:

• Incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats into your diet.
• Read food labels and avoid foods high in added sugars, sodium and unhealthy fats often found in ultra-processed and packaged foods.
• Prioritize cooking at home when possible to control ingredients and portion sizes.
• Stay hydrated with water or unsweetened drinks and minimize sugary drinks and snacks to further improve the overall quality of your diet.

Choosing these more nutritious foods and drinks”oust“empty calorie options are less nutritious and, over time, become second nature to you when preparing meals and snacks.

Foods to Eat Instead

To reduce empty calories and preserve space in your diet for healthier choices, replace nutrient-poor foods with more nutrient-dense alternatives. Here are some specific suggestions for healthier substitutions:

Instead of soda or sugary drinks, choose:

• Sprinkle with lemon, cucumber, raspberries or mint
• Sparkling water (unsweetened and without artificial sweeteners)
• Unsweetened herbal teas

Instead of candy or treats, choose:

• Fresh fruit (e.g. berries, apples, oranges)
• Dried fruits without added sugar (e.g. banana chips, raisins, apricots)
• Dark chocolate (ideally with 70% or more cocoa)

Instead of packaged snacks like chips, choose:

• Air-popped popcorn
• Raw vegetables (e.g. baby carrots, peppers or broccoli florets) with hummus
• Nuts and seeds (e.g. almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds)

Instead of fast food like fries or burgers, choose:

• Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Grilled chicken or fish
• Homemade veggie burgers

Instead of sugary cereals, choose:

• Fresh Fruit and Nut Oatmeal
• Low sugar whole grains
• Greek yogurt with seeds and berries

Instead of fruit juices, choose:

• Whole fruits for more fiber
• Smoothies made from whole fruits and vegetables

Making these simple swaps can dramatically improve the nutritional quality of your diet, providing fiber to keep you fuller for longer and naturally helping to reduce the space left for empty calories.

Summary

Empty calorie foods and drinks can add flavor to food, be convenient, and even satisfy a sweet tooth or a need for simple comfort – this can sometimes be okay. However, when it comes to your overall diet, it’s important to prioritize nutrient-dense options, which provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that support health. Identify some areas where you could replace empty calorie items with healthier alternatives and start there, remembering that these are your overall daily habits and not just one meal or drink.