Have you ever looked on the back of a chip bag and saw how many calories were in each serving? Or, perhaps, you’ve heard that there is a 2,000 calorie recommended daily consumption. But, what does all that mean?
The calories of food are actually kilocalories, or, 1,000 calories. 1 calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1℃ at STP. An almond has about 7.7 kcal, whereas 5.6 kcal in Cheez-It baked snack crackers. This implies that the almond would raise the temperature of one gram of water much more than the almond.
If you want to demonstrate this, measure water into an empty soda can, place a tube thermometer inside, and ignite the specific piece of food underneath it with a butane lighter. Be sure to record the temperature before igniting the food. Once the food burns out, record the final temperature on the thermometer.
Although this method is not terribly accurate, because of variables you cannot control, such as the temperature of the atmosphere of the experiment, or even how long you keep the butane fire on while lighting the food. As a result, you should find that your nut, or any food with high caloric value, will increase the water’s temperature tremendously - possibly even bringing it to a boil.
Your body can process the calories of a food once it digests and absorbs the nutrients. A high-caloric food, such as almonds, will, release a lot of energy into your body, making it a popular ingredient in both protein and energy bars. Although, not all high-caloric foods are good for you. Some, like pasta have a lot of calories, but they also have a lot of starch; which, when consumed, causes a drastic increase in blood sugar, followed shortly by a crash, causing the consumer to be sleepy and tired. Consequently, many runners chose to eat pasta the evening before a morning competition.
So, the next time you pick up a snack, pause to ponder about it's properties, how much energy it will give you, or how tired it will make you.
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