Energy in food

 

Food labels

There are many kinds of foods and drinks in supermarkets. We need them to give us enough energy for our daily activities, such as:

 

• Walking
• Sporting activities
• Sleeping

 

Energy can change from one form to another, but it is never lost. Foods and drinks have energy stored as chemical energy. The energy amount is often shown as a calorie (kcal), but a better unit is joules (J) or kilojoules (kJ).

 

Remember: 1 kJ = 1,000 J The energy we get from the food we eat helps our body to do all its functions. The energy amount in different foods is shown on their food labels, which also tell us about the food’s nutrients, such as fat, carbohydrates and salt.

 

Here is an example of a food label:

 

 

The energy section in the label above shows that each 150g serving contains 1046 kJ of energy, which is the same as 250 kcal.

 

Summary:

 

• We need food to give us enough energy for our daily activities, such as walking and sporting activities.
• Energy can change from one form to another, but it is never lost.