Food labels: kcal vs kJ explained simply
Read nutrition labels with confidence. What kcal and kJ mean, and how to convert between them on NiftyRecipe.
EU and many other markets print both kilojoules and kilocalories on nutrition labels. The larger number is usually kJ; the smaller is kcal (Calories with a capital C in everyday speech).
Rule of thumb
Divide kilojoules by 4.184 to get kilocalories, or use our pages:
- 200 kilojoule in kilocalorie (small snack)
- 500 kilojoule in kilocalorie
- 2000 kJ to kcal (large meal band)
- 100 kcal in kJ
Calories, kilocalories and “big C”
On labels, “Calories” almost always means kilocalories. Our converter also covers the scientific calorie (cal): see kcal to calorie and 1000 calorie in kilocalorie.
More unit pages: kilojoule, kilocalorie, calorie.
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