Calories are a part of everyone's nutritional plan because caloric values are attributed to every food item. Calculating the amount of calories you consume is important because there are limits to the amount you should eat each day. Organizations such as the American Heart Association provide recommendations on caloric limits based on age, gender and activity level.
Dietary Recommendations
Your diet is composed of everything you eat. Your diet can provide you with significant nutrition if you make healthy choices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends eating a diet that combines lean protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy carbohydrates.
Calories for Women vs. Men
If you are a woman, you will notice that the caloric recommendations are higher for men than women. Because men generally contain more muscle mass and therefore burn more calories, they can consume more calories.
Women Ages 19 to 30
Calorie recommendations are provided in ranges based on age and three activity levels: sedentary, moderately active and active. Being sedentary typically involves very little physical activity outside of normal, daily activity. Being moderately active includes normal activity plus exercise two to three times per week. Being active includes daily activity plus consistent exercise on most days of the week. Women between the ages of 19 and 30 who are sedentary should consume no more than 2,000 calories each day. Moderately active women can increase their calorie consumption up to 2,200; active women can consume a maximum of 2,400 calories each day.
Women Ages 31 to 50
As you age, you should decrease the amount of calories you consume. Women between the ages of 31 and 50 should limit their daily calorie consumption to 1,800 calories. Moderately active women can consume 2,000 calories each day and active women can consume up to 2,200 calories each day.
Women Age 50 and Older
Women in this age range should eat the least amount of calories. Sedentary women age 50 and older should reduce their calorie consumption to 1,600 per day. Moderately active women in this age range can increase their amount of calories to 1,800. Consistently active women age 50 and older can consume up to 2,200 calories daily.
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