Term for the physiological value of a food, depending on the quantity and ratio of its ingredients. However, this also depends on the type of preparation and the combination of individual foods. The main components (macronutrients) of the nutritional value of a food are the "big four", i.e. the calorific value and the content of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Numerous micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins also play a role.
The energy released during the combustion (digestion) of nutrients in the organism is measured in kilojoules (kJ) and referred to as the physiological calorific value. This can be used to calculate the energy content of nutrients, which is important for certain diets, for example. Examples: 1 g carbohydrates = 17.2 kJ, 1 g fats = 38.9 kJ. The evaluation of combustion is called quantitative nutritional value. However, the outdated term kilocalorie is still commonly used. The conversion:
- Kilocalorie: 1 kcal = 4.1868 kJ
- Kilojoule: 1 kJ = 0.2388 kcal
- Watt hour: 1 kcal = 1.163 Wh
Calorie values
After fat,alcohol contains the most calories, almost twice as much as sugar. Wine has a relatively high calorific value or large proportion of calories, namely around 500 to 600 Kcal per 0.75 litre bottle or 85 to 100 Kcal per glass, which is mainly due to the alcohol content. For a bottle of brandy with 38% alcohol by volume, this is around three times as much. Alcohol is a high source of energy, 7 Kcal per gram, which is an average of around 90 Kcal per eighth of wine.
One litre of wine is equivalent to 0.8 kg of potatoes, 1 litre of whole milk, 10 eggs, 100 g of butter, 400 g of rye bread or three rolls with 50 g of Leberkäse. With light work, a person needs around 2,500 Kcal a day, with heavy work around 4,000 Kcal. The US drinks multinational Diageo started to list the "big four" on the labels of some wines as early as 2004. Chardonnay, for example: 124 calories, less than 1 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat per 5-ounce serving (0.15 litres).
Nutritional labelling
Under European law, pre-packaged foods placed on the market in the EU must be labelled with consumer information about their energy and nutrient content. This "nutrition declaration" must appear directly on the packaging or on a label...
