Which unit is commonly used to measure energy in food?

Which unit is commonly used to measure energy in food?

• A. Joules
• B. Watts
• C. Calories
• D. Newtons

Answer: (C)

Energy in foods is expressed as Calories, specifically kilocalories. In nutrition, one Calorie (with a capital C) equals one kilocalorie, which is 1000 small calories and about 4184 joules. This unit is used on food labels because it directly indicates how much energy the body can obtain from a serving and links to typical daily energy needs. The other units don’t fit food energy: watts measure power (energy per time), and newtons measure force, not energy. A helpful relationship is that 1 Calorie (kcal) is roughly the amount of energy to raise 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.

Energy in foods is expressed as Calories, specifically kilocalories. In nutrition, one Calorie (with a capital C) equals one kilocalorie, which is 1000 small calories and about 4184 joules. This unit is used on food labels because it directly indicates how much energy the body can obtain from a serving and links to typical daily energy needs. The other units don’t fit food energy: watts measure power (energy per time), and newtons measure force, not energy. A helpful relationship is that 1 Calorie (kcal) is roughly the amount of energy to raise 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.