A person with Diabetes mellitus is asking you the calories obtained from one teaspoon of sugar. Your answer would be?

Appeared in: SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2015 (Set-A)

Explanation

One standard level teaspoon of sugar weighs approximately 4 grams.
Carbohydrates provide 4 kilocalories (kcal) per gram.
The calculation is 4 grams × 4 kcal/gram = 16 kcal.
The option '15' is the closest and most widely accepted value used for patient education.

Option A: This value is too low, representing only about 1.25 grams of sugar.
Option C: This value is based on the assumption that a teaspoon holds 5 grams of sugar, which is more than a standard level teaspoon. While sometimes rounded to this number, 15-16 kcal is more accurate.
Option D: This represents the caloric value of approximately 15 grams of sugar (about 3-4 teaspoons), not a single teaspoon.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Nutritional education for patients with diabetes mellitus, specifically the caloric content of sugar as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Accurate carbohydrate counting is a cornerstone of glycemic management in diabetes, helping patients match their insulin doses to their food intake.
Educating patients with simple, memorable values (like 1 tsp sugar ≈ 15 kcal) empowers them to make better daily dietary choices.
What if? If the patient was experiencing symptoms of hypoglycemia (shakiness, sweating, confusion), the correct action would be to provide 15g of carbohydrates (equivalent to about 60 kcal from sugar), not just one teaspoon.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core question: It asks for the number of calories in one teaspoon of sugar.
Recall or deduce the basic nutritional facts: 1 teaspoon of sugar is about 4 grams, and 1 gram of carbohydrate is 4 kcal.
Perform the calculation: 4 grams * 4 kcal/gram = 16 kcal.
Compare the result to the given options (5, 15, 20, 60).
Select the closest and most commonly accepted value, which is 15 kcal.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Nutritional education for patients with diabetes mellitus, specifically the caloric content of sugar.
Stem keywords: Diabetes mellitus, calories, one teaspoon, sugar
Lead-in keywords: Your answer would be

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E6 Biochemistry U Satyanarayana— Part 2 (pp 421-820 of 840) p. 151-153

Practise the full SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2015 (Set-A)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.