empty calories

Idioms  

1. Food that has little or no nutritional value. For example, Snacking on beer and potato chips makes for a lot of empty calories. [1960s]

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Example Sentences

"It's like dumping empty calories into a system that's been running on a finely tuned diet for hundreds of years."

From Science Daily • Nov. 8, 2025

This sounds like sugar's keeping us fed, but added sugars are actually empty calories – they are bereft of any nutrients like vitamins or fibers.

From Salon • Nov. 20, 2024

By design, the single “loser” point awarded for overtime and shootout losses, which the Kraken have gorged on like empty calories, keeps NHL standings artificially close.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2024

But sometimes, his numbers get looked at as empty calories.

From Washington Times • Dec. 26, 2023

But when empty calories or devitalized foods or misdigestion cuts our nutrient intake we begin experiencing tooth decay, gum disease and bone loss in the jaw.

From How and When to Be Your Own Doctor by Solomon, Steve