Balanced diet and Caloric Value

Calorific value (or energy value) of food is the

amount of energy that is released from the complete oxidation or combustion of 1 g of that food.

Energy that is released from the oxidation or combustion of food is normally measured in calorie (cal), kilocalorie (kcal), joule (J) or kilojoule (kJ).

What is the S.I. unit for energy?

1 calorie (cal) = 4.2 joules (J)

1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 4 200 joules (J)

1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 4.2 kilojoules (kJ)

The calorific value of food is determined by the quantity of carbohydrate, protein and fat content in the food.