Dear Dietitian

What is energy density?

I heard someone talk about energy density. Can you explain this term?

You possibility heard this in relation to weight management. We have heard a lot about the low fat message but many people are following a lower fat diet without losing weight. This could be because many low fat products are not low in energy.

Energy density relates to the amount of energy such as kilojoules (KJ) or calories (Kcals) in food. The water, fat and fibre content of foods mainly determine their energy density.

A food that is energy dense provides a lot of kilojoules in a small amount, such as high fat, high sugar foods like chocolate.

Although fat does contribute to the energy density of foods, there are other factors also. A high carbohydrate food low in water is considered a high energy dense food.

Obtaining the same amount of kilojoules from a food low in energy density would mean eating a larger amount. Ideally, we should fill up on low energy dense foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes and wholegrain cereals.

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