The food item which has the highest calorie?

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2018

Explanation

Fat is the most energy-dense macronutrient among the options.
It provides approximately 9 kilocalories (kcal) of energy for every gram consumed.
This is more than twice the energy supplied by either carbohydrates or proteins, which each provide about 4 kcal per gram.

Option A: Carbohydrates provide 4 kcal per gram. While they are the body's primary and preferred source of energy, they are not the most calorie-dense nutrient.
Option B: Proteins provide 4 kcal per gram, the same as carbohydrates. Their main function is to build and repair tissues, not to serve as the primary energy source.
Option D: Vitamins are essential micronutrients that facilitate various enzymatic and metabolic reactions in the body. They do not contain calories and therefore provide no energy.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Caloric value of macronutrients as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses use the '4-4-9 rule' (4 kcal/g for carbs/protein, 9 kcal/g for fat) for nutritional assessments, diet planning, and patient education, especially for managing conditions like obesity, diabetes, and malnutrition.
This knowledge is critical for accurately calculating caloric intake for patients receiving enteral (tube feeding) or total parenteral nutrition (TPN).
What if? If a patient has a poor appetite and needs to gain weight (e.g., a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy), a nurse would recommend incorporating healthy, high-fat foods to maximize calorie intake with less food volume.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question testing fundamental knowledge of nutrition.
First, identify the core of the question, which is to find the nutrient with the 'highest calorie' content.
Recall the standard energy values (Atwater factors) for the major macronutrients.
Compare the caloric values: Fat provides 9 kcal/g, Protein provides 4 kcal/g, and Carbohydrate provides 4 kcal/g. Vitamins provide 0 kcal/g.
Based on this comparison, select 'Fat' as the nutrient with the highest value.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Physiology Ganong 27e Vol 2 Part 1 p. 24-26

Practise the full RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2018

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