Empty calorie is term used for food with high amount of calorie but have little to none nutrient. This food will give energy but not giving the nutrient that the body need to be healthy. Typical food would be the one with high sugar or fat content. Consumption of empty calorie food will provide more calorie, make the person easier to gain weight.
Overprocessing food is the biggest cause of empty calories in American diets. The various steps in the process of industrializing food add a number of artificial preservatives and other chemical stabilizers that are unhealthy if consumed in excess, plus added sugar, salt and fat to help remove most. of the nutrients that a food would have if consumed fresh.