About Units

Kilocalories: Kilocalories (kcal), also known as food calories, are equal to 1,000 small calories. This unit is commonly used in the context of food energy, with dietary energy intake and expenditure often measured in kilocalories.

Calories: Calories (cal) are a unit of energy. Specifically, they are defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. In nutrition, calories measure the energy content of food, with 1 food calorie (kcal) being equal to 1,000 small calories.