How many calories are in one kilocalorie?

1 kilocalorie (kcal) equals exactly 1000 small calories (cal). Multiply kcal by 1000 to get cal. For example, 2 kcal = 2000 cal.

Is a food Calorie the same as a kilocalorie?

Yes. The "Calorie" (capital C) on US nutrition labels is a kilocalorie. A 300-Calorie meal contains 300 kcal, which equals 300,000 small thermochemical calories (cal).

What is the difference between cal_th and cal_IT?

The thermochemical calorie (cal_th) is defined as 4.184 J exactly. The International Table calorie (cal_IT) is 4.1868 J. For dietary purposes both round to 1 kcal = 1000 cal; the difference only matters in precision scientific work.

What is the formula to convert kcal to cal?

cal = kcal × 1000. For example, 5 kcal × 1000 = 5000 cal. Conversely, cal ÷ 1000 = kcal.

Why do nutrition labels use Calories instead of kilocalories?

US nutrition convention uses "Calorie" (capital C) as shorthand for kilocalorie to keep label numbers readable. Most other countries show kJ or kcal directly.

Kilocalorie to Calorie Converter

Name: Kilocalorie to Calorie Converter
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter kilocalories (kcal) and instantly get small calories (cal). Also shows thermochemical and International Table calorie values.

Enter Kilocalories

Kilocalories (kcal)

1 kcal = 1,000 cal | Food "Calorie" (Cal) = 1 kcal

Result

Enter a kilocalorie value to see the result

Common Conversions

Kilocalories (kcal)	Small calories (cal)	Context
100 kcal	100,000 cal	Small snack
200 kcal	200,000 cal	Medium snack
500 kcal	500,000 cal	Light meal
1,000 kcal	1,000,000 cal	Half a day's intake
2,000 kcal	2,000,000 cal	Typical daily adult intake

Summary

Enter kilocalories (kcal) and instantly get small calories (cal). Also shows thermochemical and International Table calorie values.

How it works

Enter a kilocalorie (kcal) value in the input field.
The converter multiplies by 1000 to get small calories (cal).
Thermochemical (cal_th) and International Table (cal_IT) variants appear below.
Results update in real time as you type.
Click "Copy" to copy the cal result to your clipboard.

Use cases

Convert dietary energy values from kcal to cal for scientific reporting.
Understand nutrition label Calories (kcal) in thermochemical terms.
Cross-check diet tracking apps that mix cal and kcal units.
Translate food energy data between unit conventions for academic work.
Teach students the difference between kcal, cal_th, and cal_IT.
Verify calorie figures in chemistry or physics problems.
Convert recipe energy counts from kcal to small calories.
Compare dietary intake with lab-measured energy values.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-23 · Reviewed by Nham Vu