Food Recipes Calories is a passionate project aiming to provide information about everything related to food, cooking and drinking recipes and nutritional information of food ingredients.
Food Glossary
Please find bellow a list of terms with explanations related to food, food ingredients, food families, nutritional values, calories, recipes and anything related to food.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is a value derived from the mass (weight) and height of a person. The BMI is defined as the body mass divided by the square of the body height, and is expressed in units of kg/m2, resulting from mass in kilograms and height in meters. The BMI is a convenient rule of thumb used to broadly categorize a person as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese based on tissue mass (muscle, fat, and bone) and height.
Calories
In nutrition, the term calories almost always refer to kcals. Sometimes the kcal is indicated by capitalizing calories as "Calories". Carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 calories per gram, and fats provide 9 calories per gram. Fat is the most energy-dense nutrient, because it provides the most calories per gram (more than double carbohydrates and protein).
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The major food sources of carbohydrates are grains, dairy products, fruits, legumes, and starchy vegetables, like potatoes. Non-starchy vegetables, like carrots, also contain carbohydrates, but in lesser quantities.
Direct Food Additives
Direct food additives are used in foods to impart specific technological or functional qualities. For example, stabilizers are used to help prevent separation of nutrients in milk products, while phosphates are used as a leavening agent in baked goods.
E Number
E numbers ("E" stands for "Europe") are codes for substances used as food additives, including those found naturally in many foods such as vitamin C, for use within the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Commonly found on food labels, their safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Energy-Yielding Nutrients
Energy-yielding nutrients are the nutrients that provide energy to the body. That energy comes from their chemical bonds.
FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, caffeine products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), cosmetics, animal foods & feed and veterinary products.
Food
Any solid or liquid material consumed by a living organism to supply energy, build and replace tissue, or participate in such reactions. Defined by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission as a substance, whether processed, semi-processed, or raw, which is intended for human consumption and includes drink, chewing gum, and any substance that has been used in the manufacture, preparation, or treatment of food but does not include cosmetics, tobacco, or substances used only as drugs.
Food Additive Functional Classes
Food ingredients are classified by Codex into the functions they serve in food products.
Food Additives
Food additives are substances added intentionally to foodstuffs to perform certain technological functions, for example to color, to sweeten or to help preserve foods. Food additives may be natural or artificial. Common natural additives include sugar, salt, corn syrup, baking soda, and pepper. In the European Union all food additives are identified by an E number. Food additives are always included in the ingredient lists of foods in which they are used. Product labels must identify both the function of the additive in the finished food (e.g. color, preservative) and the specific substance used either by referring to the appropriate E number or its name (e.g. E 415 or Xanthan gum). The most common additives to appear on food labels are antioxidants (to prevent deterioration caused by oxidation), colors, emulsifiers, stabilizers, gelling agents and thickeners, preservatives and sweeteners. Most food additives are therefore found toward the end of the ingredient list. This indicates they are used in very small amounts in the food, generally less than two percent of the product. These ingredients may be used at very low levels, but they have a big impact on the overall food.
Food Energy
Food energy is measured in kilocalories (kcals). A kilocalorie is the amount of energy needed to raise 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
Food Group
A group of foods that have similar nutritional properties. There are various classifications, but one commonly used in the USA and UK divides foods into four groups:
- Milk group
- Meat or protein group
- Fruit and vegetable group
- Cereal group
Food Ingredient
A food ingredient is any substance that is added to a food to achieve a desired effect. Ingredients perform a variety of functions in foods, including providing nutrition, flavor, color, physical stability and many more.
Food Labels
Food labels include a list of what ingredients and additives are present foods. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) serves as the primary regulatory agency responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of foods and requires that ingredients intentionally added to foods be listed on food labels. In the European Union, ingredients are listed by name, functional class and specific name or designated E number. Food labels are required to list all ingredients contained in the food in descending order based on the amount found in the final product. Most food additives are therefore found toward the end of the ingredient list. This indicates they are used in very small amounts in the food, generally less than two percent of the product. These ingredients may be used at very low levels, but they have a big impact on the overall food.
Food List
List of common foods: chives, spring onion, leek, shallot, garlic, onion, water chestnut, beet, turnip, parsnip, carrot, celeriac, horseradish, radish, white radish, rutabaga, eddoe, salsify, burdock, eggplant, avocado, pepper, olive, cucumber, winter melon, bitter melon, okra, tomato, tomatillo, squash, pumpkin seeds, spaghetti squash, chayote, spinach, sorrel, nettle, dandelion, purslane, mash, rocket, cress, radicchio, chicory, endive, lettuce, wood violet, nasturtium, cabbage, sea kale, collard greens, kale, cabbage lettuce, brussels sprout, chinese cabbage, asparagus, bamboo, cardoon, chard, fennel, fiddlehead ferns, kohlrabi, celery, cassava, potato, taro, yam, yam bean, sweet potato, jerusalem artichoke, artichoke, cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli raab, artichoke, bean, lima bean, mung bean, black gram, azuki bean, runner bean, lupine, lentil, dolichos bean, bean, peas, chickpea, peanut, alfalfa, soy, soy milk, tofu, okara, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, dried fruits, candied fruit, rhubarb, currant, blueberry, bilberry, blackberry, raisin, grapes, strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, winter cherry, plum, prune, nectarine, peach, date, cherry, apricot, apple, pear, quince, medlar, grapefruit, pomelo, lemon, orange, mandarin, kumquat, lime, citron, bergamot, banana, plantain, durian, jabuticaba, starfruit, cherimoya, jackfruit, tamarillo, rambutan, longan, pepino, persimmon, lychee, papaya, pomegranate, kiwi, feijoa, jujube, passion fruit, guava, apple pear, mango, mangosteen, horned melon, sapodilla, prickly pear, fig, pineapple, melon, watermelon, nuts, pecan, cashew nuts, kola nut, coconut, macadamia, brazil nut, pine nut, ginkgo nut, chestnut, beechnut, hazelnut, sesame, almond, sunflower seed, pistachio, arame, wakame, kombu, agar-agar, hijiki, kelp, ulva lactuca, dulse, carrageen moss, spirulina, nori, samphire, mushroom, enokitake, morel, oyster, jew's ear, chanterelle, bolete, shiitake mushroom, truffle, wheat, wheat gluten, buckwheat, oats, barley, millet, rice, wild rice, quinoa, rye, amaranth, triticale, corn, popcorn, bread, flour, pasta, noodle, kamaboko, eel, largemouth bass, pike, carp, zander, perch, trout, grey mullet, bluefish, shad, monkfish, european seabass, sturgeon, caviar, sardine, anchovy, herring, mackerel, gurnard, sea bream, conger, swordfish, red mullet, rockfish, salmon, cod, smelt, lamprey, john dory, shark, tuna, ray, halibut, sole, turbot, plaice, shrimp, crab, lobster, crayfish, crayfish, lobster, abalone, cockle, scallop, clam, mussel, oyster, squid, octopus, cuttlefish, whelk, periwinkle, snail, frog, sea urchin, dill, anise, laurel, tarragon, chervil, rosemary, oregano, basil, sage, thyme, mint, parsley, clove, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, savory, lemon balm, sweet flag, capers, coriander, cumin, saffron, caraway, common juniper, borage, angelica, ginger, curry, turmeric, cinnamon, mustard, pepper, fenugreek, spice, horseradish, poppy, tamarind, vanilla, miso, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, beef, veal, pork, lamb, venison, rabbit, minced meat, heart, liver, tongue, thymus, brain, kidneys, tripe, bacon, ham, sausage, andouille, rillettes, foie gras, blood sausage, turkey, goose, chicken, hen, capon, rooster, guinea fowl, pigeon, quail, pheasant, duck, egg, milk, goats' milk, buttermilk, sour cream, butter, cream, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, sugar, artificial sweeteners, honey, maple syrup, carob, cocoa, margarine, fat, oil, arrowroot, baking powder, cream of tartar, sodium bicarbonate, yeast, tea, herbal tea, coffee.
Guideline Daily Amount (GDA)
A Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) was a nutrition facts label originally designed in 1996 in the United Kingdom (UK) as a collaboration between the government, the food industry and consumer organizations. GDAs appeared on the front and back of food packaging to help raise awareness of how much a food item represents as a proportion of a balanced intake each day in each food element (e.g. energy, fat, salt, etc.). GDAs are guidelines for healthy adults and children about the approximate amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, total sugars, and sodium/salt. The GDA labels have the percentage of daily value per serving and the absolute amount per serving of these categories.
Indirect Additives
Indirect additives are not intentionally added to food, but may be present in trace amounts as a result of processing, packaging, shipping or storage.
Inorganic Nutrients
Inorganic nutrients include both water and minerals. Inorganic nutrients do not contain both carbon and hydrogen, and they are not created or destroyed.
Kilocalorie (kcal)
In the US, the kilocalorie (kcal) is the most commonly used unit of energy and is often just referred to as a calorie. Strictly speaking, a kcal is 1000 calories.
Lipids
Lipids are also a family of molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but unlike carbohydrates, they are insoluble in water. Lipids are found predominantly in butter, oils, meats, dairy products, nuts and seeds, and in many processed foods. The main job of lipids is to provide or store energy.
Macronutrients
Nutrients that are needed in large amounts are called macronutrients. There are three classes of macronutrients: carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Water is also a macronutrient in the sense that you require a large amount of it, but unlike the other macronutrients, it does not yield energy.
Micronutrients
Nutrients required by the body in smaller amounts; include all of the essential minerals and vitamins.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic substances that are classified depending on how much the body requires.
Non-Nutrient (Phytochemicals)
A member of a wide range of chemicals found in fruits and vegetables that may have beneficial effects on human health. Phytochemicals are biologically very active. They include antioxidants, phyto-oestrogens, and compounds that modify potential toxins and carcinogens.
Nutrient Group (Classes of Nutrients)
There are six classes of nutrients:
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Water
- Vitamins
- Minerals
Nutrients
Nutrients are chemical substances found in food that are required by the body to provide energy, give the body structure, and help regulate chemical processes.
Organic Nutrients
The organic nutrients include the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) and vitamins. An organic nutrient contains both carbon and hydrogen. Organic nutrients can be made by living organisms and are complex, made up of many elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sometimes nitrogen) bonded together.
Proteins
Proteins are large molecules composed of chains of amino acids, which are simple subunits made of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Food sources of proteins include meats, dairy products, seafood, and a variety of plant-based foods, like beans, nuts, and seeds. Proteins provide structure to bones, muscles, and skin, and they play a role in conducting most of the chemical reactions occurring in the body.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic nutrients that are categorized based on their solubility in water.
Water
Water is one other nutrient that we must have in large quantities. More than 60 percent of your total body weight is water. Without it, nothing could be transported in or out of the body, chemical reactions would not occur, organs would not be cushioned, and body temperature would fluctuate widely. On average, an adult consumes just over two liters of water per day from food and drink combined.
Recipes
What to expect in our full release:
Food Recipes
- Recipe of the Day
- Recipes by Cuisine Type
- Recipes by Course
Drink Recipes
- Non Alcoholic Drink Recipes
- Alcoholic Drink Recipes
Conversion Tables
Mass
| Gram (g) | Ounce (oz) |
| 1 | 0 |
| 30 | 1 |
| 60 | 2 |
| 90 | 3 |
| 120 | 4 |
| 140 | 5 |
| 170 | 6 |
| 200 | 7 |
| 230 | 8 |
| 260 | 9 |
| 290 | 10 |
| 340 | 12 |
| 450 | 16 |
| 1000 | 35 |
Temperature
The formula for converting Fahrenheit to Celsius (°F to °C) is: °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9.
The formula for converting Celsius to Fahrenheit (°C to °F) is: °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32.
Volume
| Cup or Spoon | Milliliter (ml) | Fluid ounce (fl oz) |
| 1 US teaspoon | 5 | 0.2 |
| 2 US teaspoon | 10 | 0.3 |
| 1 US tablespoon | 15 | 0.5 |
| 1/8 US legal cup | 30 | 1.0 |
| 1/5 US legal cup | 50 | 1.7 |
| 1/4 US legal cup | 60 | 2.0 |
| 1/3 US legal cup | 80 | 2.7 |
| 2/5 US legal cup | 100 | 3.4 |
| 1/2 US legal cup | 120 | 4.1 |
| 2/3 US legal cup | 160 | 5.4 |
| 3/4 US legal cup | 180 | 6.1 |
| 4/5 US legal cup | 200 | 6.8 |
| 1 US legal cup | 250 | 8.5 |
| 2 US legal cup | 500 | 16.9 |
| 3 US legal cup | 750 | 25.4 |
| 4 US legal cup | 1 000 | 33.8 |