Calorie

A calorie is a unit of energy. The simple term ‘calorie’ is the amount of energy that is needed to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree centigrade.

A calorie is not to be confused with a Kilocalorie (Kcal), which is marked on food packets and nutritional information documents. A kilocalorie is 1000small calories, and is the energy required to heat 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree centigrade.