If you've ever tried to calculate calories based on macronutrients, you might have noticed that the math doesn’t always match the number on the label. If you're wondering why, let's break it down.
The 4-4-9 Method
A common way to estimate calories is using the 4-4-9 method:
Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram
Protein: 4 calories per gram
Fats: 9 calories per gram
Using this method, our OG: Chocolate Chip mix has:
14g Carbohydrates → 56 calories
9g Protein → 36 calories
3g Fat → 27 caloriesTotal: 119 calories
But our label states 90 calories per serving—so what gives?
Why the Numbers Don’t Match
They will, but the discrepancies come from a few factors:
1. Different Caloric Values for Certain Nutrients
Not all macronutrients provide the same calories across all foods. The Atwater method, which assigns more precise caloric values depending on the type of food, can lead to different calorie totals. For example, fiber and sugar alcohols don’t provide the same energy as regular carbs.
2. Non-Digestible Carbs (Fiber & Sugar Alcohols)
Fiber: Insoluble fiber contributes zero calories, while soluble fiber provides about 2 calories per gram.
Erythritol (a sugar alcohol): Mostly non-digestible, contributing about 0.2 calories per gram instead of the standard 4.
Since our product contains 2g of fiber and 7g of erythritol, the total calorie count is lower than what the 4-4-9 method would suggest.
3. FDA Labeling Rules Allow Rounding
The FDA allows rounding calorie counts up or down to the nearest 5- or 10-calorie increment. This rounding can also account for some of the difference between your calculation and the label’s number.
Adjusting for Non-Digestible Carbs
We fall into all these above rules with Og: Chocolate Chip. When we subtract fiber and erythritol from the initial 119-calorie total, we get 83 calories. But since fiber and erythritol aren’t actually zero-calorie, we add back their true caloric values, bringing us closer to 90 calories per serving.
The Takeaway
Calorie labels can be confusing because they’re based on a combination of food science, digestibility, and regulatory rules. The numbers on the label might not always add up perfectly when you do the math yourself, but that’s because certain factors, like non-digestible carbs and rounding rules, come into play.
For a deeper dive into how calories are calculated, check out this informative video from Whats Up Dude? as he explains the process in a simple way.
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