There are more calories in 5 CHUCKLES than 1 whole tin of Tuna. Do you believe us? 

Well, here is the proof:

• 5 chuckles (+-25g) = 124kcal
• 1 tin of tuna in brine (120g drained) = 103kcal

Other Comparisons:

• 1 Woolworths Muesli Rusk 34g (170kcal) = 1 large chicken schnitzel (172 kcal)
• 1 Tbs smooth peanut butter (120kcal) = 1.5 slices of brown sandwich bread (128kcal)
• 30g Woolworth’s roasted almonds; small packet (159 kcal) = almost 2 slices of bread
• 30g (1/4 cup) of Woolworths Almond and Cocoa nib Carb Clever Granola (145) calories = 1 and a half tins of tuna (151.5kcal)
• Woolworths’s chicken and bacon pasta salad 360g (740kcal) = 8 slices of bread (744kcal)
• Woolworths roast chicken, bacon and pasta wrap (560 calories) = 6 slices of bread!
• 1/3 of a packet of chuckles (411 kcal) = 4.5 slices of bread
• 4 BBQ chicken pancakes (289kcal) = 3 slices of bread
• 20cm of Woolworths Droe Wors (113kcal) = 1.2 slices of bread
• 60g Boerie (142kcal) = 1.5 slices of bread

Calorie Density

Today we are talking about the concept of calorie density of food and food products. The above-mentioned foods are not “bad”, and we are by no means saying they should not be consumed, we are just educating you about the principle of energy density.

Calories are the unit used to measure the amount of energy provided by foods. You may have also heard of the unit “kilojoule” as an energy measure. Both the calorie and the kilojoule measure energy, and in this case, the energy in food. It’s quite the same as using a meter or a yard to measure distance.

Density is a measure of the amount of substance or matter in a pre-defined volume. 15ml (1 tablespoon) of olive oil has 120 calories versus 25ml of low-fat milk which has 7.5 calories. Both the oil and the milk have the same volume; however, the oil has a lot more calories.

Are you eating regular or small portions of food and not understanding why the scale keeps creeping up? How is it possible to gain weight when you aren’t overeating?

Many people eat energy dense foods, and this means that these foods are concentrated sources of calories. It becomes easy to eat a lot of calories in a small volume of food. Consequently, it is easy to eat too many calories in your day and week, because you do not feel satisfied when eating a small volume.

The macronutrients in the diet are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Each macronutrient has a different energy density.

• 1g carbs = 4 kcal (17kJ)
• 1g protein = 4 kcal (17kJ)
• 1g fat = 9 kcal (38kJ)

1g of fat has more than double the number of calories as 1g of proteins or carbs. This means you can eat double the amount (or volume) of carbohydrate or protein predominant foods, for the same number of calories.

Cooking with lots of oil, adding butter and margarine to your bread or cooking, salad dressings, mayonnaise, cheese sauces, marinades, avocado, cheese, feta, croutons and bacon are examples of some energy dense food “extras” which can quickly increase your calorie intake.

If you look on a food label you will find the nutritional information table. This tells you the composition of the food you are eating in terms of energy (calories), carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre and sodium. Foods with a higher fat content composition are more energy dense than lower fat options, and it is therefore easy to eat a lot of calories very quickly.

Have a look at the energy density of the foods you are consuming and compare this with other food products.

Are 5 chuckles satisfying enough for 124 calories? Or 1 and a half slices of bread? We’ll let you decide!