Ask Monica: What's a kilocalorie?

Q. How do I convert kilocalories to calories?

A. In a physics laboratory, a kilocalorie equals 1,000 calories. In the nutrition world, however, the terms are used interchangeably. When we use the term "calorie" to describe the amount of energy contained in food or burned through exercise, we really mean kilocalorie.  For example, if the label on your cereal box indicates that a serving contains 120 calories, it actually contains 120 kilocalories, or 120,000 calories.  Sometimes you'll see calories listed as "kcal." The term is more accurate, but the number means the same thing.

There is another measurement for energy called a joule, which is more commonly used in Europe. One calorie (kcal) is equal to about 4 kilojoule (kJ).  In the detail section of ND's analysis page (and on some food labels), you'll see the number of calories (kcal) followed by the number of kilojoule (kJ) in that food.

Hope that helps!