Average is a difficult word to define, especially when it comes to a person's daily caloric need. A formula called the Harris-Benedict equation can help determine your caloric intake based off your age, height, weight, gender and activity level.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Every person's body is continuously expending calories at rest by performing basic metabolic functions, such as pumping blood and growing fingernails. Finding your BMR is the first step in figuring out your daily caloric needs. For men, the formula is: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.76 x age in years). And for women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years). Or, you can use the calculator listed in the Resources section to calculate your BMR.
Activity Level
Choose the number that best describes your activity level and multiply by your basal metabolic rate. Heavy exercise: 1.725. Moderate exercise: multiply by 1.55. Light exercise: multiply by 1.375. Sedentary: multiply by 1.2.
Doing the Math
Lee is 69 years old, 6 feet tall and weighs 163 lbs. Using these stats, we find his BMR is 1,527. He gets his weekly exercise three days per week by walking briskly in a local park. By multiplying his BMR by 1.375, we determine that Lee needs 2,100 calories per day to maintain his weight.
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