Calculating Dietary Energy
Calculate and evaluate energy intake and requirements in a healthy daily diet, interpreting food labels and nutritional data
What a learner can do afterwards
- Reads and interprets a nutritional information label (kJ and kcal)
- Estimates daily energy requirements for a person of a given age/activity level
- Compares the energy content of different diets and identifies surpluses or deficits
1 · Read
Food labels list more than ingredients. They also show energy, the fuel your body gets from food. Energy is measured in two units: kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal). On labels, kcal is often just called Calories.
kJ and kcal measure the same energy, just in different sized units. One kcal is about 4 kJ, so the kJ number on a label is always roughly four times bigger than the kcal number.
A chocolate bar label says: Energy 800 kJ, 200 kcal per bar. Maya checks the numbers: 200 kcal times 4 is about 800 kJ. They match, so she trusts the label.
Everyone's daily energy need is a bit different. It depends on your age, size and how active you are. A rough guide for someone your age is about 2000 kcal a day, more if you train hard. Add up the kcal in your meals and snacks, then compare the total to your daily guide to spot a surplus or a deficit.
Read the kJ and kcal on the label, add up a day's meals, and compare the total to your daily energy guide.
2 · Watch
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