Every human being is different: different sizes, different genetics, different metabolism, different lifestyle. Because of this, every human being has different specific nutritional needs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, tasked with the job of making nutrition recommendations for the entire population of a major country, makes public recommendations based on their definition of an "average" person. From that average, you can make changes based on your personal unique needs.
Calories
The USDA recommendations are based on a 2,000 calorie per day food intake. This represents an average from the USDA's gender-specific recommendations of 2,000 to 2,500 calories for men and 1,800 to 2,300 calories for women. It should be noted that many studies place the average American caloric consumption at nearer to 3,000 calories per day.
Nutrients
Calories in food come from three major nutrients: fat, carbohydrates and protein. Your body needs all three of these substances to build, grow and maintain its tissue and have energy to burn for its various processes. Based on 2,000 calories per day, you should eat 50 g of protein and fat and 300 g of carbohydrates every day. Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health advises that these recommendations are incomplete in that they don't differentiate between different kinds of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. However, information found on the newest food nutrition labels begins to address this concern.
Minerals
Your body uses minerals to fuel the processes that keep your organs functioning and your body alive. The USDA recommends that you eat a minimum amount of 15 dietary minerals. This includes 4.7 g of potassium, 2.3 g of chloride, 1.2 g of calcium, 1.3 g of sodium, 0.9 g of copper, 0.7 g of phosphorus, 0.42 g of magnesium, 0.08 g of iron, 0.03 g of fluoride, 0.02 g of manganese, .01 g of zinc, 150 IU of iodine, 55 IU of selenium, 45 IU of molybdenum and 30 IU of chromium every day. Willett recommends taking a daily multivitamin to get all of these minerals, rather than trusting your diet to see to it all.
Vitamins
Vitamins fill a role very similar to minerals, fueling the processes that make your body work. According to the USDA, you should eat a minimum of .05 g of vitamin D, .024 g of vitamin B-12, .016 g of vitamin B-3, .015 g of vitamin E, .012 g of vitamins B1, B-2 and B-6, .09 g of vitamin C, 120 mcg of vitamin K and 900 IU of vitamin A. Fruits and vegetables are an abundant source of many of these vitamins, with meats being the best source of B-complex vitamins. As with minerals, Willett recommends taking a daily multivitamin to make certain you get all your needed vitamins.
References
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Dr. Walter Willett, et al.; 2006
- "National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference," U.S. Department of Agriculture; 2009
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