Eli5: How can edible items have 0 calories in them while still contain nutritional items like carbs (sugars and other sweeteners), vitamins, and amino acids (BCAAs etc.)?

Question

Eli5: How can edible items have 0 calories in them while still contain nutritional items like carbs (sugars and other sweeteners), vitamins, and amino acids (BCAAs etc.)?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Simple: They (or at least most food) can’t.

The amount of vitamins in food is usually small enough that it doesn’t matter, so their caloric value might as well be 0 although they’re considered nutrients. And most artificial sweeteners really have 0 or close to 0 caloric value. Table salt is edible (in small amounts) and has 0 caloric value, and of course plain water is drinkable and also has no calories.

But carbohydrates have calories pretty much by definition, as do amino acids. If you’re eating any of those, you’re eating calories.