Calories from Food
Main Sources of Calories
Protein, carbohydrates, fat, and alcohol are the food components that contribute Calories to the foods that you eat. They, however, do not contribute Calories equally. As you can see from the table below, protein and carbohydrate contribute significantly fewer Calories per gram than fat or alcohol. The average conversion factors (sometimes referred to as the 4-4-9 formula) are most often used by manufacturers to calculate Calorie values for their products. The actual range of conversion factors (called Atwater factors) is used by the USDA database to calculate Calorie values for their foods. You can see the source of data for a food item in the database from the Preview screen.
Calorie Sources
Calorie Source | Average Conversion Factors | Actual Range of Conversion Factors |
|---|---|---|
Protein | 4 Cal/g | 1.82-4.27 Cal/g |
Carbohydrate | 4 Cal/g | 1.33-4.16 Cal/g |
Fat | 9 Cal/g | 8.37-9.02 Cal/g |
Alcohol | 7 Cal/g | 6.93 Cal/g |
Atwater Factors
Food Item | Protein Cal/gm | Carbs Cal/gm | Fat Cal/gm | Alcohol Cal/gm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Baked Beans: | ||||
with tomato sauce | 3.40 | 4.00 | 8.40 | … |
w/ pork & tomato sauce | 3.50 | 4.00 | 8.80 | … |
Peas & beans, mature | 3.47 | 4.07 | 8.37 | … |
Beans, refried | 3.50 | 4.10 | 8.90 | … |
Beef | 4.27 | ... | 9.02 | … |
Beef, processed meat | 4.27 | 3.68-3.87 | 9.02 | … |
Beef tongue | 4.27 | 4.11 | 9.02 | … |
Beverages: | ||||
Beer | 3.87 | 4.12 | 8.37 | 6.93 |
Carbonated soda | 3.36 | 3.87 | 8.37 | … |
Coffee | 3.47 | 4.07 | 8.37 | … |
Distilled spirits | … | 4.12 | … | 6.93 |
Fruit flavored drinks | 3.36 | 3.90 | 8.37 | … |
Lemonade/Limeade | 3.36 | 3.80 | 8.37 | … |
Tea, unsweetened (all) | 2.44 | 3.57-3.80 | 8.37 | … |
Wine | 3.36 | 3.92 | 8.37 | 6.93 |
Bran (corn, rice, wheat, oat) | 1.82 | 2.35 | 8.30-8.37 | … |
Breakfast cereals | 1.82-3.82 | 2.80-4.16 | 8.37-8.80 | … |
Corn grits | 2.73 | 4.03 | 8.37 | … |
Chili w/beans | 3.50 | 4.00 | 8.70 | … |
Chocolate/cocoa | 1.83 | 1.33 | 8.37 | … |
Eggs | 4.36 | 3.68 | 9.02 | … |
Fish | 4.27 | … | 9.02 | … |
Flours (average of corn, rice, wheat) | 2.96-4.04 | 3.78-4.12 | 8.37 | … |
Corn | 2.73 | 3.95 | 8.37 | … |
Rice (brown-white) | 3.41-3.82 | 4.12-4.16 | 8.37 | … |
Rye, medium | 3.23 | 3.99 | 8.37 | … |
Wheat (all except whole) | 4.05 | 4.12 | 8.37 | … |
Whole wheat | 3.59 | 3.78 | 8.37 | … |
Fruits, raw | 3.36 | 2.48-3.60 | 8.37 | … |
Fruits, canned | 3.36 | 3.60-3.78 | 8.37 | … |
Grains & grain products: | ||||
Barley | 3.55 | 3.95 | 8.37 | … |
Bulgar wheat | 3.59 | 3.78 | 8.37 | … |
Buckwheat | 3.37 | 3.78 | 8.37 | … |
Cornmeal, degermed | 3.46 | 4.16 | 8.37 | … |
Couscous/Farina/Semolina | 4.05 | 4.12 | 8.37 | … |
Millet | 3.87 | 4.12 | 8.37 | … |
Quinoa | 3.47 | 4.07 | 8.37 | … |
Sorghum | 0.91 | 4.03 | 8.37 | … |
Triticale | 3.32 | 3.82 | 8.37 | … |
Milk, milk products, butter | 4.27 | 3.87 | 8.79 | … |
Nuts | 3.47 | 4.07 | 8.37 | … |
Pastas & Noodles: | ||||
Chinese Noodles: | ||||
Cellophane/long rice, dehyd | 3.47 | 4.07 | 8.37 | … |
Chow Mein | 3.93 | 4.12 | 8.93 | … |
Egg Noodles | 3.93 | 4.09 | 8.41 | … |
Egg Noodles, spinach | 3.88 | 4.08 | 8.41 | … |
Japanese Noodles: | ||||
Soba | 3.37 | 3.78 | 8.37 | … |
Somen | 3.91 | 4.12 | 8.37 | … |
Macaroni or spaghetti: | ||||
Regular | 3.91 | 4.12 | 8.37 | … |
Vegetable | 3.86 | 4.11 | 8.37 | … |
Whole wheat | 3.59 | 3.78 | 8.37 | … |
Pork and processed meats | 4.27 | 3.68-3.87 | 9.02 | … |
Poultry and processed meats | 4.27 | 3.87 | 9.02 | … |
Rice, brown | 3.41 | 4.12 | 8.37 | … |
Rice, white | 3.82 | 4.16 | 8.37 | … |
Rice & Pasta w/seasonings | 3.87 | 4.14 | 8.37 | … |
Shellfish | 4.27 | 4.11 | 9.02 | … |
Soy beans, flours & products | 3.47 | 4.07 | 8.37 | … |
Sugar (beet or cane) | … | 3.87 | … | … |
Vegetables: | ||||
Beans, immature, & peas | 3.47 | 4.07 | 8.37 | … |
Mushrooms | 2.62 | 3.48 | 8.37 | … |
Potatoes | 2.78 | 3.48 | 8.37 | … |
Potato Salad | 3.60 | 4.00 | 8.90 | … |
French fried | 2.80 | 4.00 | 8.80 | … |
Other vegetables, average all | 2.44 | 3.57 | 8.37 | … |
Tomato Sauce | 2.60 | 3.70 | 8.40 | … |
Zucchini | 2.00 | 3.70 | 8.40 | … |
Wheat (germ, sprouted, whole, etc.) | 3.59 | 3.78 | 8.37 | … |
Wild Rice | 3.55 | 3.95 | 8.37 | … |
Calories from Organic Acids
Several organic acids contribute Calories: acetic, citric, malic, and lactic acids. Oxalic and tartaric acids are not included because they are not metabolized in significant quantities.
Approximate Caloric Measures
Acetic acid = 3.5 Calories per gram
Citric acid = 2.4 Calories per gram
Lactic acid = 3.6 Calories per gram
Malic acid = 2.4 Calories per gram
If a database food item reports an organic acid value, that value will also be included in the gram weight of the “Total Carbohydrate” and “Other Carbohydrate” fields.
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