# What food has the most calories? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442 "2013-07-14T01:43:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/1 "2013-07-14T01:43:21Z")
What food, in and of itself, has the most calories? “In and of itself”=no extra added ingredients, just the food itself. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/2 "2013-07-14T01:44:23Z")
Fat-9 calories per gram. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/3 "2013-07-14T02:00:48Z")
Whale blubber? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/4 "2013-07-14T02:17:13Z")
I suppose you mean calories per unit weight. Anyway, as **runner pat** says, the answer to that would be fat: triglyceride fat if we are confining ourselves to naturally occurring, normally eaten food ingredients. Saturated fat will have a little more than unsaturated fat, and you will get a little more energy density the longer the hydrocarbon chains of the fatty acid components are. To a good approximation, that means that the more solid the fat is, i.e., the higher its melting point, the more calories you will get per gram. Thus, for instance, mutton fat is going to have a slightly higher energy density than vegetable oil, but even vegetable oil will have more calories per gram than any sugar, starch, or protein. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/5 "2013-07-14T02:27:34Z")
As food - meat fats like [Lard - pig fat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lard) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/6 "2013-07-14T08:19:53Z")
Deep-fried lard. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/7 "2013-07-14T12:05:40Z")
I feel like I’m at the state fair. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/8 "2013-07-14T12:47:04Z")
Are fats like explosives, and have more energy because of the double bonds ? So polyunsaturated fats would have more energy ? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/9 "2013-07-14T12:58:05Z")
It’s not because of the double bonds. When fats are metabolized they are broken down into more small molecules that can be converted to ATP (energy production) compared to proteins or carbs. So, molecule for molecule and gram for gram they have provide the body with more raw materials to make energy. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/10 "2013-07-14T14:01:33Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I feel like I’m at the state fair. 😛 Mmmm… Nothing beats the traditional deep-fried, bacon-wrapped butter… On a stick! ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/11 "2013-07-14T14:13:25Z")
Yeah, pure fat is where it’s at. As one wonderful restaurant I just went to has as its slogan: “Pork Fat: We Put that #%@! in Everything!” ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/12 "2013-07-14T16:47:43Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Mmmm… Nothing beats the traditional deep-fried, bacon-wrapped butter… On a stick! Dipped in chocolate. With sprinkles. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/13 "2013-07-14T16:53:33Z")
The food with the largest portion probably. Measuring calorie percentage by weight or volume doesn’t mean much. To get a meaningful answer you have to consider the portion size. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/14 "2013-07-14T17:00:50Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The food with the largest portion probably. Measuring calorie percentage by weight or volume doesn’t mean much. To get a meaningful answer you have to consider the portion size. Portion size= 1 blue whale. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/15 "2013-07-14T17:08:04Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Portion size= 1 blue whale. That would probably be the correct answer if it is a stuffed Blue Whale. I’d suggest for stuffing a Finback Whale, stuffed with a Minke Whale, stuffed with a Bottle-nose Dolphin, stuffed with a camel, stuffed with a cow, stuffed with a sheep, stuffed with 20 geese, each stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken stuffed with hen’s eggs stuffed with pigeon eggs. Drape the whole thing with 200 sides of bacon and roast at 350F for 6 weeks. Add salt and pepper to taste. But whatever you do, don’t add any rabbit. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/16 "2013-07-14T17:15:24Z")
Alton Brown says stuffing is evil. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/17 "2013-07-14T17:31:12Z")
> [@](#): > > But whatever you do, don’t add any rabbit. Good idea; most people don’t like finding a hare in their food. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/18 "2013-07-15T00:30:14Z")
Poutine; potato carbs and starches, deep fried in fat, with gravy, (meat fats with flour and grease), and cheese curds, ( milk fats and salt)! ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/19 "2013-07-15T00:34:42Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Poutine; potato carbs and starches, deep fried in fat, with gravy, (meat fats with flour and grease), and cheese curds, ( milk fats and salt)! Okay. Now I’m hungry. ---
**Author:** ![themouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@themouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442/20 "2013-07-15T00:35:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Good idea; most people don’t like finding a hare in their food. If my food is not up to paw, I leave without paying bunny. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-has-the-most-calories/663442.md?page=2)