Calories from fat are easier to store than calories from carbohydrates and protein, making them more prone to weight gain. To calculate calories from fat, multiply total grams of fat per serving by 9. Eating foods high in carbohydrates and protein and low in fat is encouraged.
Calories from fat may be one of the most misunderstood labels in the entire dietary equation. While most of us know that calories are a measure of energy, most of us don’t know what calories from fat are, how they are calculated, or what they actually mean.
Calories from fat are in some ways no different than calories from any other source. They take no longer to burn than “normal” calories, and their caloric value compared to calories in the same food is no different. However, what they differ is in the ease with which the body can store fat calories.
Calories from carbohydrates and protein are more difficult to convert to fat for storage. The calories from fat are already in the form of fat and therefore easier to store. Therefore, fat calories tend to be stored faster and with less energy expended by the body. This is often why athletes prefer to take in calories through carbohydrates and protein. They don’t store as easily and are more prone to wear out. Furthermore, even the process of converting protein and carbohydrate calories to fat requires burning some of those calories.
The general rule of thumb when calculating calories from fat is to look at the total grams of fat in a food, per serving, and multiply it by 9. That will give the approximate calories from fat content. Of course, most nutrition package labels already include a marked category for calories from fat, but some don’t.
Why do calories from fat often seem to make up the majority of the calories in a food? This is because carbohydrates and protein only contain 4 calories per gram, less than half the calorie value of fat. This makes a big difference, especially if the food is high in fat.
This is probably why most dietitians encourage calorie-conscious people to eat foods that are high in carbohydrates and protein and low in fat. Fat, per gram, not only doubles the number of calories compared to grams of protein and carbohydrates, but it is also easier to store. In some ways, calories from fat could be considered twice as bad as other sources of calories.
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