Calories

Learn to make healthier food choices by using the Nutrition Facts table on prepackaged foods. Calories are found in the Nutrition Facts table.

What are calories?

Calories are the amount of energy in food. Nutrients that provide calories are carbohydrates, fat and protein.

Your body uses the energy from calories to do all of your daily activities - from walking to talking to sleeping. We need to eat food to replenish the calories that we use.

If you eat more calories than you need over time, you may gain weight. If you eat less calories than you need over time, you may lose weight. Canada's Food Guide can help you know more about how much food you need every day.

Where can you find calories?

Calories are found in food and drinks that contain carbohydrates, protein and/or fat.

How can you make a healthier choice?

• The calories in the Nutrition Facts table are based on an amount of food.
• If you eat more than the amount of food, your calorie intake will be higher than the value listed.
• If you eat less than the amount of food, your calorie intake will be lower than the value listed.

Helpful hints at the grocery store:

• Always look at the Nutrition Facts table to choose and compare foods.
• Choose foods that contain less fat and sugar.
• Canada's Food Guide recommends foods that are lower in fat and sugar. Make sure your grocery list includes foods from the four food groups.

Additional resources:

• Interactive tools
• Using the Nutrition Facts table: % Daily Value (Factsheet)
• Interactive Nutrition Label and Quiz
• Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide
• Shopping tips
• Dietitians of Canada's  eaTracker lets you track your day's food and activity choices.