Kilojoules vs calories

Kilojoules (kJ) and calories (kcal) measure the same thing, the energy in food, in different units.

The conversion

One calorie (strictly, one kilocalorie) is 4.184 kilojoules. For a quick estimate, multiply calories by 4.2 to get kilojoules, or divide kilojoules by 4.2 to get calories.

• 100 kcal is about 418 kJ
• 500 kcal is about 2,092 kJ
• 1,000 kcal is about 4,184 kJ
• 2,000 kcal is about 8,368 kJ

Why labels differ

Food labels in Australia and New Zealand show energy in kilojoules, and the daily reference intake printed on the label is 8,700 kJ. In the United States, labels show Calories, which means kilocalories. Many products sold in more than one country show both.

In Nality

Nality sets your daily goal in calories, and meals you describe in text also show their energy in kilojoules, with a likely range. When a database or a label gives energy in kilojoules, the value is converted using the same factor, 4.184.