calories

     

The calorie is a pre-SI unit of energy, in particular heat. In most fiels, its use is archaic, and the SI unit of energy, the joule, has become accepted. However, it remains in common use as a unit of food energy. It was first defined by Professor Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a kilogram-calorie, and this definition entered French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. Etymology: French calorie, from Latin calor (heat).

Trivia about calories

  • One Big Mac has 560 of these
  • There are about 150 in a 12-ounce bottle, or 95 in the light type
  • The daily values are based on a diet of 2,000 or 2,500 of these a day
  • The energy content of food is measured in these well-watched units
  • They're the "cal" in lo-cal salad dressing
  • From the Latin for "heat", bodybuilders know to fuel up with food high in these heat units
  • With 500 of these units in one serving, a peanut paste called Plumpy'nut can put 2 lbs. a week on a malnourished kid
  • For moderately active 12- & 13-year-old boys, the government recommends consuming 2,200 of these units a day