Calorie

A unit of energy in food and activity. In nutrition, “calorie” usually means a kilocalorie (kcal).

Definition

A calorie is a unit of energy. On food labels and in most nutrition apps, the term “calorie” typically refers to a kilocalorie (kcal), which is the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.

Example

A snack labeled 200 calories provides about 200 kcal of energy.

See also