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Are you eating enough to fuel your active lifestyle? That is the question of energy balance.

In the nutrition world, “energy” is another word for calories, so “energy balance” is the balance or the relationship of “energy in” (the calories you eat and drink) to “energy out” (the calories you expend through daily activity).

Most of us have heard this concept before, and it makes sense.  For an ideal energy balance, I should be taking in exactly what I will be exerting or burning.  So what is my optimal energy balance?

Well, determining that number is actually quite scientific and complex, considering a myriad of factors. And in addition, even once you know that number, just consuming that number of calories doesn't necessarily mean that you are eating well or fueling your body properly. As it turns out, the content and quality of the calories you consume matter. Not all calories are created equal.

In our Energy Balance class with nutritionist and fellow farmgirl Darci Barman, this fact alone, led to great discussion amongst everyone in attendance about what and how we eat, how that affects energy levels, athletic performance, body composition, stress, sleep, and just about everything else.

If you’re interested in reviewing the handout Darci provided, you can find it HERE. Another excellent resource discussing Energy Balance--what it is and what it means for eating well--can be found HERE.

We hope you join in the conversation for our third and final (for now) topic: “Vegetables: How to Make the Mark.”