What are empty calorie snacks? Your Guide to Nutrient-Dense Alternatives

October 8, 2025 •

5 min read

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 40% of the daily calories consumed by children and adolescents come from empty calories. Understanding what are empty calorie snacks? is the first step toward making more informed dietary decisions for yourself and your family.

Quick Summary

Empty calorie snacks are foods and drinks high in calories from added sugars and solid fats but offer minimal nutritional value. Excessive intake can lead to weight gain, nutrient deficiencies, and increased risk of chronic diseases. Identifying these foods and swapping them for nutrient-dense alternatives is key to improving your diet.

Key Points

Empty Calories Defined: Empty calories provide energy but lack essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber.
Common Sources: Added sugars and solid fats are the primary sources of empty calories, found in sugary drinks, processed baked goods, and fried snacks.
Health Risks: High consumption of empty calories is linked to weight gain, nutrient deficiencies, and an increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Nutrient-Dense Alternatives: Swapping empty-calorie snacks for nutrient-dense options like fruits, nuts, and plain yogurt provides more nutritional value and promotes satiety.
Reading Labels: Learning to read nutrition labels and identify added sugars and solid fats is crucial for making informed dietary choices.
Mindful Snacking: Planning ahead, choosing whole foods, and drinking plenty of water are effective strategies for reducing empty calorie intake and promoting healthier eating habits.

The Definition of an Empty Calorie

Calories are units of energy that your body uses to function, but not all calories are created equal. An empty calorie is defined as a calorie found in foods and beverages that are primarily composed of calorie-rich macronutrients like sugars and fats, but contain little to no essential micronutrients, fiber, or protein. Most empty-calorie foods are highly processed and contain added sugars and solid fats. Solid fats, like butter or shortening, are fats that are solid at room temperature. Added sugars are sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup or table sugar added during processing.

In contrast, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, provide substantial amounts of valuable nutrients relative to their calorie content. Consuming too many empty calories can crowd out room for these essential nutrients, potentially leading to nutritional imbalances and other health issues over time.

Common Examples of Empty Calorie Snacks

Many of the most popular snacks fall into the empty-calorie category due to their high content of added sugars, solid fats, and salt. Here are some common culprits:

Sugary Beverages

Liquid calories are one of the most significant sources of empty calories, especially among young people.

Soda and soft drinks: Loaded with added sugar and offer no nutritional benefits.
Sweetened fruit juices: Unlike whole fruit, which contains fiber, juice lacks this vital nutrient and contains concentrated sugar.
Energy and sports drinks: Often contain high amounts of added sugar that can lead to energy crashes.

Processed Baked Goods

These are often a double whammy of solid fats and added sugars.

Cookies, cakes, and pastries: Contain a high concentration of refined flour, sugar, and fat.
Donuts and muffins: Can be surprisingly calorie-dense, with some large muffins containing over 400 calories.

Savory Fried Snacks

Snacks fried in processed oils contain high levels of fat and sodium.

Potato chips and french fries: Deep-fried items are a classic example of foods with lots of calories but very little nutritional value.
Crackers: Some snack crackers, especially flavored or refined-grain varieties, contain processed oils and additives.

Certain Dairy Desserts

Even foods that contain some beneficial nutrients can be loaded with empty calories if sweetened or processed.

Ice cream and frozen yogurt: These dairy-based desserts often have significant amounts of added sugar.
Sweetened yogurt: Be cautious of fruit-flavored yogurts with high sugar content. Opting for plain yogurt and adding your own fresh fruit is a better choice.

Empty vs. Nutrient-Dense Snacks: A Comparison

Making smarter choices often involves simple swaps. Here is a table comparing common empty calorie snacks with healthier, nutrient-dense alternatives:


Empty Calorie Snack	Nutrient-Dense Alternative	Why It's Better
A can of soda	Plain or sparkling water with fruit slices	Provides hydration without added sugar or empty calories.
A bag of potato chips	A handful of mixed nuts or air-popped popcorn	Nuts provide protein and healthy fats for satiety, while popcorn offers whole grains and fiber.
A specialty coffee drink	Black coffee or tea with unsweetened soymilk	Eliminates a significant source of added sugars and excess calories.
A frosted donut	A piece of fresh fruit like an apple or berries	Offers natural sugars along with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Sweetened fruit juice	An actual piece of fruit	Contains the fiber that was stripped from the juice, which helps you feel full and controls blood sugar.
Ice cream	Plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries	Provides protein for lasting fullness and avoids high amounts of added sugar.

Health Implications of a Diet High in Empty Calories

Regularly consuming snacks high in empty calories can have a negative impact on your health. The primary concerns include:

Weight Gain: Empty calorie snacks are often calorie-dense but lack the fiber and protein needed for satiety. This makes it easy to overeat without feeling full, and the excess calories are stored as fat. Over time, this can lead to obesity, which increases the risk of numerous health problems.
Nutrient Deficiencies: When a large portion of your diet comes from empty-calorie foods, it displaces the opportunity to consume nutrient-rich foods. This can result in deficiencies in essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, which are all necessary for proper body function.
Energy Slumps: Snacks high in added sugar can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, followed by a crash that leaves you feeling tired, sluggish, and unmotivated. These energy fluctuations can negatively impact your productivity and mood.
Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases: A diet consistently high in sugar and solid fats is linked to an increased risk of developing chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. These issues can arise from the resulting weight gain as well as the inflammatory effects of these unhealthy ingredients.

How to Identify and Reduce Empty Calorie Snacks

Making conscious choices is key to reducing empty calorie intake. Here are some effective strategies:

Read nutrition labels: Check the label for solid fats and added sugars. The new labels make it easier to identify the amount of added sugar. A good rule of thumb is to choose foods with fewer ingredients and less added sugar.
Choose whole foods: Prioritize minimally processed whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. These are naturally nutrient-dense and should form the basis of your diet.
Plan ahead: Prepare your own healthy snacks in advance, such as cutting up vegetables or making a trail mix. When you have nutritious options readily available, you are less likely to reach for unhealthy, empty-calorie choices out of convenience.
Stay hydrated: Sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger. Drinking water or unsweetened tea throughout the day can help you stay hydrated and reduce the urge to snack unnecessarily.
Practice mindful eating: Focus on the flavors and textures of your food, rather than mindlessly snacking. This can help you recognize when you are full and prevent overconsumption.

Conclusion: Making Smarter Snack Choices

Understanding what empty calories are and where they hide is a powerful step towards improving your overall nutrition. While a balanced approach allows for occasional indulgences, making a consistent effort to replace empty calorie snacks with nutrient-dense alternatives can significantly benefit your health. Focusing on whole foods rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals supports weight management, provides sustained energy, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. By paying attention to food labels and planning your snacks, you can make smarter choices that nourish your body and contribute to long-term wellness. For more resources on healthy eating, visit the CDC website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Empty calories come from foods with lots of calories but little nutritional value, such as vitamins, minerals, or fiber. Nutrient-dense calories, on the other hand, provide substantial amounts of valuable nutrients relative to their energy content, like those found in fruits and vegetables.

To identify empty calorie snacks, look at the nutrition label for high amounts of added sugars and saturated or trans fats. Also, check the ingredient list for refined grains or processed oils. If a food contains mostly calories with few other nutrients, it's likely an empty calorie source.

No, not all processed foods are empty calories, but most empty-calorie foods are highly processed. Processing isn't inherently bad, but ultra-processed foods, stripped of nutrients and loaded with added sugars and fats, are the main concern.

Instead of soda, choose water. Swap potato chips for a handful of nuts or air-popped popcorn. Replace cookies with a piece of fresh fruit, and opt for plain Greek yogurt with berries instead of sweetened ice cream.

Yes, excessive consumption of empty calories can lead to weight gain. Because they lack protein and fiber, they don't promote a feeling of fullness, making it easy to overeat. The extra calories are then stored as fat.

Beyond weight gain, a diet high in empty calories can lead to nutritional deficiencies, energy slumps from blood sugar crashes, and an increased risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Limit sugary drinks like fruit juice and soda, offer fresh fruits instead of sugary snacks like cookies or candy, and involve kids in preparing healthy snacks. Many children get a significant portion of their empty calories from these specific items.

Yes, alcohol is a source of empty calories. The ethanol in alcoholic beverages provides calories but offers little to no nutritional value. Consuming excessive alcohol can significantly increase daily calorie intake.