Modern day nutrition jockeys would have you believe that calories don't matter at all, only the source of the calories do. As per usual, there's truth mixed with lie.
What is absolutely true is that in my 61 years of life, America has gotten fatter and diseases of affluence have increased, regardless of the popular nutrition wisdom of the hour.
My comments here will be simplified to... support a paradigm shift and return to sanity.
When I studied nutrition in college in my late teens/early 20s, there was a lot of emphasis on the math....calories in and calories out. The balance of those two things results in weight decrease, maintenance, or increase, and barring interfering factors (like medication), this is still TRUE!
At the same time pop culture ran with the directive to reduce fat in the diet (truth), which resulted in the widespread "all fat bad" narrative (lie). There are only 3 macronutrients - protein, carbohydrate, and fat - and so with one macro severely restricted, it led to overdependence on the other two macros. Marketers and manufacturers especially promoted high-carbohydrate products that were low or non-fat. Result: diseases and conditions related to this type of imbalance. And America got fatter.
The experts have now corrected the "all fat bad" error by seemingly lifting restrictions on fat consumption, elevating protein, and villainizing carbohydrate. We now have problems of that imbalance. And is America losing weight?
And there is now acknowledgement that our bodies treat some calories differently, depending on the source and other factors. This may be especially true when the body encounters unnatural food that it doesn't recognize.
Here are some facts:
God created protein, carbohydrate, and fat, and He called it GOOD!
The protein, carbohydrate, and fat He created was not processed, but rather in its natural state -- whole foods.
Fat has over twice the calories of both protein and carbohydrate. Math still matters. That doesn't mean fat is evil, it means that moderation and balance is crucial. A low fat diet is still a good rule of thumb, but that doesn't in any way mean a "no fat" diet, or to consume as little fat as possible. It doesn't mean to be afraid of fat, as I was taught to be in my twenties. It simply means to choose wisely and be mindful.
God created balance in nature. If whole foods dominate your eating style, and you incorporate variety, your plates should be fairly balanced by default. You won't have to plan or think about it as much as the "counters" would have you do.
A great reminder for a balanced approach to eating is the K.I.S.S. principle: Keep It Simple Stupid. Whole foods are simple, processed foods are not. To the degree that we stray from God's provision and design is the degree to which it becomes complicated, and our health and vitality becomes jeopardized.
Good food is medicine.