Calculating calorie content from carbohydrates, protein and fat is a simple mathematical equation. Every carbohydrate has four calories per gram; protein also has four calories per gram; and fat has nine calories per gram. Food manufacturers are required to put this information on the label packaging to ensure the consumer is fully aware of this nutritional information.
Locate the "Nutrional Facts" on the Food Label
Step 1
Scan the food label to find "Total Carbohydrates." Locate the number of grams per serving. Multiply this value by 4. For example: Total number of carbohydrate grams x 4 calories/gram = total calories from carbohydrate.
Step 2
Locate "Protein" on the label and find the number of grams. Multiply this number by 4 to find the total calories derived from protein.
Step 3
Find the "Total Fat" on the food label. To determine total fat calories, multiply this value by 9.
Know Your Personal Goals
Step 1
Determine your individual caloric needs by visiting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's My Pyramid Tracker website (see Resources). Nutritional facts on food labels are often based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Individual calorie requirements vary based on age, gender, height and weight, as well as activity level.
Step 2
Focus on quality carbohydrates by selecting products high in fiber. Fiber information is found under "total carbohydrates." According to the Institute of Medicine, adult men should aim for 38 g of fiber per day while adult women need 25 g. Choose high-fiber breads and cereals as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.
Step 3
Choose protein sources with care. According to the USDA, most Americans get ample protein, but the goal is to choose leaner sources. Most adults require only 5 to 6.5 g of protein per day.
Step 4
Limit your daily fat intake to less than 30 percent. Even though all fat sources contain the same calories per gram, all fats are not created equal. The American Heart Association states that less than 7 percent of your daily intake should come from saturated fat and only a trace should come from trans fat. To reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, choose products that have little or no saturated or trans fats listed on the label.
Tips and Warnings
- Pay attention to the serving size. For example, a serving of ice cream is often 1/2 cup. This means that all the values in that two-cup bowl of ice cream need to be multiplied by 4.
- Don't rely solely on the large print on the front of food packaging; information presented by the food manufacturer can be misleading. For example, the large print on a lean ground beef product may read "7 percent fat," leading you to assume that of the 160 calories per serving, only 11 calories come from fat. But if you look closer at the nutritional facts label, the fat grams are listed at 8 g. And if you do the math, 8 fat g x 9 calories/gram = 72 fat calories. This means that almost half of the calories in this "7 percent lean" ground beef come from fat. Food manufacturers can get away with this because the 7 percent reference is by weight, not by calorie content. That is why it is important to always review the nutritional facts on the food label carefully.
Things You'll Need
- Food label
- Calculator (optional)
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