Introduction

• When it comes to losing weight, calories are the the most important thing to watch. To burn a pound of fat you need to burn or cut out at least 3,500 calories. When trying to burn or reduce calories, an important dietary aid is a calorie chart. A calorie chart helps determine how many calories a person is consuming of common foods. The chart also helps determine a number of other important nutrition factors.
  
  

Calories

• The first way that a calorie chart works is through telling you exactly how many calories are obtained in a serving of a specific food. A calorie chart is normally organized alphabetically by food, or separated into food groups and then alphabetized. Some will even go as far as to include lists by brand names. Once you have located the food you are looking for you simply move across the column to find the typical serving amount and the calories per serving.
  
  

Fat

• The next column of the calorie chart tracks the amount of fat in a serving of a food item. Fat content will be listed for both saturated and unsaturated fats. When dieting it is specifically important to keep track of the saturated fats column, as that is where most of the bad fats lie.
  
  

Protein

• Another important nutritional fact that a calorie chart shows is the protein content of a food. Protein is important in eating a healthy balanced diet because it helps your body build muscle. The more muscle that your body contains, the more calories you will burn. This is because muscle needs more calories to work properly than fat does.
  
  

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates is another nutritional category that a calorie chart tracks per serving. Carbohydrates can be both good and bad for you. A diet too high in carbohydrates can help you put on additional weight instead of lose it. However, carbohydrates are where your body gets much of its energy from. Without this energy, your body can't burn calories. This is why it is important to keep a balance intake of carbohydrates, and a calorie chart helps you to do so.
  
  

Cholesterol

• Another important nutritional substance that a calorie chart keeps track of is cholesterol. While cholesterol is important for insulating your nerves and producing certain hormones, too much can have detrimental effects on the heart and arteries. Using the calorie chart you can track how much cholesterol is contained in foods and limit your intake.