Nutrition Diet: What is considered empty calories? An In-Depth Guide

November 1, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2012 study, male adults consumed an average of 923 empty calories daily, highlighting a common dietary pitfall. Understanding what is considered empty calories? is crucial for anyone aiming to improve their nutrition and overall health by making smarter food choices.

Quick Summary

Empty calories are energy-rich foods and beverages providing little nutritional value, primarily from added sugars, solid fats, and alcohol. Excess intake contributes to weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, and an increased risk of chronic diseases. Identifying these sources and opting for nutrient-dense alternatives is key to a healthier diet.

Key Points

Definition: Empty calories are energy from foods with little to no nutritional value, primarily from added sugars and solid fats.
Common Sources: Sugary drinks, processed snacks, fast food, baked goods, candy, and alcohol are major sources of empty calories.
Health Impact: Excessive consumption can lead to weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, energy crashes, and an increased risk of chronic diseases.
Nutrient Density: The opposite of empty calories, nutrient-dense foods provide a high amount of vitamins, minerals, and fiber relative to their calorie count.
Practical Reduction: To minimize empty calories, read food labels, swap sugary drinks for water, choose whole foods over processed ones, and cook more at home.
Moderation is Key: While occasional empty-calorie foods are acceptable, a balanced diet should prioritize nutrient-rich options for long-term health.

Defining the Concept of Empty Calories

The term “empty calories” refers to calories derived from foods and beverages that offer little to no nutritional benefit in the form of vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, or other essential nutrients. While all calories provide energy for the body, empty calories do so without contributing to overall health. They are often concentrated in added sugars and solid fats, which manufacturers frequently add to products to enhance flavor and texture. The issue is not the calorie itself, but the lack of accompanying nutritional value, which can crowd out space for nutrient-dense foods in a person’s diet. This can lead to a state of being overfed in terms of energy but undernourished regarding essential vitamins and minerals.

The Main Culprits: Added Sugars, Solid Fats, and Alcohol

The primary sources of empty calories fall into three main categories. Understanding these can help you spot empty-calorie foods and make more informed dietary decisions.

Added Sugars

These are sugars and syrups that are added to foods and drinks during processing, such as high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar. They provide a large number of calories with no nutritional upsides. Examples include:

Soda, sweetened teas, and fruit drinks
Baked goods like cakes, cookies, and pastries
Candy, ice cream, and other sweets
Breakfast cereals with high sugar content
Condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce

Solid Fats

These fats are solid at room temperature and include animal fats (like butter and bacon grease), margarine, shortening, and hydrogenated oils. These fats are often high in saturated and trans fats and are added to foods to improve taste and texture. They can be found in:

Most fast food items (burgers, french fries)
Processed meats like sausages and hot dogs
Fried foods, including fried chicken and chips
Full-fat dairy products

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are a significant source of empty calories. Ethanol provides 7 calories per gram, which adds up quickly without offering beneficial nutrients. Many mixed drinks also contain high amounts of added sugars, increasing the empty calorie count.

Comparison: Empty Calories vs. Nutrient-Dense Foods


Feature	Empty-Calorie Foods	Nutrient-Dense Foods
Nutritional Value	Low to zero. Lacks vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein.	High. Rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other beneficial nutrients.
Primary Sources	Added sugars, solid fats, refined flour, alcohol.	Whole fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, seeds.
Effect on Satiety	Often low, leading to overconsumption and cravings.	High due to fiber, protein, and healthy fats, promoting fullness.
Health Impact	Can lead to weight gain, energy crashes, and increased risk of chronic diseases.	Supports overall health, aids in weight management, and provides sustained energy.
Typical Examples	Soda, candy, pastries, fast food.	Broccoli, apples, quinoa, baked chicken.

Health Consequences of a High Empty-Calorie Diet

Regularly consuming too many empty calories can have significant negative effects on your health. While a small amount in moderation is generally fine, an excessive intake, especially when displacing nutrient-dense foods, can cause problems:

Weight Gain: Empty calories are often calorie-dense and lack the fiber and protein that make you feel full. This can lead to overeating and consuming more calories than you burn, which is then stored as fat.
Nutritional Deficiencies: When empty calories dominate your diet, you miss out on essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients vital for bodily function. This can lead to imbalances and health issues over time.
Energy Slumps: Foods high in added sugars cause blood sugar to spike and then crash, leaving you feeling tired, sluggish, and unmotivated. This can affect your energy levels throughout the day and lead to further cravings for sugary foods.
Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases: Diets high in empty calories, particularly those with excessive saturated fat and sugar, are linked to chronic conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Practical Steps to Reduce Empty Calories

Read food labels carefully: Pay attention to the "Added Sugars" and fat content on nutrition labels. A long list of ingredients often indicates a highly processed product with more empty calories.
Make simple swaps: Choose nutrient-dense alternatives. Swap soda for water, juice for whole fruit, candy for nuts, and white bread for whole-grain versions.
Plan your meals and snacks: Meal prepping and planning ahead can help you avoid last-minute, convenient, but nutritionally empty food choices.
Cook more at home: Preparing your own meals allows you to control the ingredients and avoid excessive amounts of added sugars and unhealthy fats.
Rethink your drinks: Sweetened beverages are a major source of empty calories. Stick to water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or seltzer water to drastically cut down on sugar intake.

Conclusion

Ultimately, understanding what constitutes empty calories is a powerful step toward a more nutritious diet. By recognizing the main culprits—added sugars, solid fats, and alcohol—and consciously choosing nutrient-dense alternatives, you can significantly improve your health. Making small, consistent changes, like reading labels and opting for whole foods, can lead to substantial long-term benefits for your weight, energy levels, and overall well-being. Focusing on the quality of your calories, rather than just the quantity, empowers you to fuel your body with what it truly needs.

For more information on making healthy dietary choices, you can explore resources like the Mayo Clinic's health guidelines(https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/make-every-calorie-count-with-nutrient-dense-foods).

Frequently Asked Questions

The core difference lies in their nutritional content. Empty-calorie foods provide energy but lack essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Nutrient-dense foods, on the other hand, are rich in these beneficial nutrients for the calories they contain.

Examples include sugary beverages like soda, candy, cakes, cookies, pastries, fast food like french fries and pizza, processed meats such as hot dogs, and alcohol.

Yes, excessive intake of empty calories can lead to weight gain because they are often calorie-dense and don't provide the protein and fiber needed to promote a feeling of fullness, which can lead to overeating.

You can identify empty calories by reading nutrition labels. Look for high amounts of "Added Sugars" and solid fats. Processed products with long ingredient lists are also more likely to contain a higher proportion of empty calories.

Health risks include weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, blood sugar spikes followed by energy crashes, and an increased risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Healthy swaps include choosing water or seltzer instead of soda, opting for whole fruit instead of fruit juice, eating nuts or seeds instead of candy, and selecting lean proteins and whole grains over fast food.

No, not all processed foods are empty calories. Some minimally processed foods, like frozen vegetables or canned beans, retain their nutritional value. However, most ultra-processed foods are high in empty calories from added sugars and solid fats.