@Escoffier @Volkish_Observer @BuddyTex @Mustard88 @Rose @feralphilosophernc @matty It's not a dumb idea, but it might be wrong. The only reason to set the food on fire was to get a reasonable estimate of latent chemical energy. Stuff is catabolized by the body and energy is released along the way. We know the number of ATP molecules a single glucose molecule can recharge. We know how many are in a gram. We can work backwards for nutrition for that, but it flat out doesn't factor in the internal processes that contribute to rate or absorption and how quickly it's accessible (glycemic index) or micronutrients along for the ride. The calorie is a convenience tool that's reasonably accurate.