Eating 500 calories of processed foods equals the same 500 calories of natural unprocessed foods? This question is considered a tautology.

Surprisingly?  - Processed foods are making us gain weight much faster than the same equal calories of natural foods.

Short answer:

Every food and beverage has two options for routing within the digestive system.

1. To become available energy for immediate exploitation. (Or fat storage.)
2. To be used for building tissues & long-term maintenance.

• The nutrients we eat & the calories they carry cannot disappear, but they can be redirected to other non-energy purposes.
• This process has tremendous significance for our overall health, for the overall appearance and for maintaining the optimal weight for our body.

The "Negative calories" hypothesis explained. 

Macronutrients suitable & needed for regeneration or long-term maintenance processes are not "counted as calories."

1. Nutrients suitable & needed for regeneration and long-term "maintenance" are emulsified.
   1. Better carried by dietary fiber. (The absorbance of the emulsified nutrients requires the exact types and amounts of gut bacteria.)
2. The remainder goes into producing short-term energy and fat storage.

By adding moist dietary fiber and natural oils/fats or sauces, with good live bacteria, it might be possible to redirect the nutrients to other non-energy purposes

Continue reading: The "Negative calories" intake hypothesis.