If your normal diet provides you with a good number of nutrients, micro- if you must use that term, then your body should have all the reserve of them it needs while you ride to process any additional carbs you need. Now absorption is a different thing. If the carbs you are taking in during your ride needs something other than any water you might take in to make your body absorb them, then that probably rules them out as a useful bike motor fuel.
And since your last statement is true, IMO:
Although over the long run I'd avoid too many empty calories since they can make you fat real quick.
Then empty Calorie foods must be absorbed fairly easily by a digestive system.
I don't think anyone should be consuming more Calories on their ride than they are expending. I'd probably puke if I tried to consume that much while riding at high aerobic to anerobic zones.
Remember I'm only talking about fueling during the ride. Totally different IMO than what I eat and drink for overall health.