The average American man consumed 2,475 calories per day and the average American woman consumed 1,833 calories per day in 2000. If you consume too many calories, you will gain weight, possibly becoming overweight and putting yourself at a higher risk for future health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Total Calories
The total number of calories you need to consume depends on a number of factors, including your age, sex, height, weight and activity level. You can use a calorie calculator, such as the one at MayoClinic.com, to get a good idea of how many calories you should be getting each day. Another option is monitoring your weight and caloric intake for a short time, noticing at what caloric intake your weight goes up and down, to determine the range of calories you need to eat to maintain your weight. If you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you use throughout the day but enough calories to prevent your metabolism from slowing down.
Carbohydrate, Fat and Protein Recommendations
The total number of calories is not the only important part of a healthy diet. You need to eat a balanced diet, including carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the proper proportions. A mix of 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 15 to 20 percent protein and 25 percent fat is a balanced diet. For a 2,000 calorie diet, that translates to 250 g to 300 g of carbohydrates, 75 g to 100 g of protein and 56 g of fat.
Food Choices
Food choices are also important for good health. Consume more fruits and vegetables, seafood and low-fat dairy products, make most of your grains whole grains and use oils instead of solid fats. Limit your consumption of dietary cholesterol, saturated fat, trans fats, sodium, added sugars, refined grains and alcohol.
Considerations
If you want to consume more calories without gaining weight, you can increase the amount of time you spend being active during the day. Many of the calorie calculators are not accurate for people with certain illnesses or pregnant or breast-feeding women. Consulting a registered dietitian can help you plan a nutritious diet that contains the right number of calories for you.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Calorie Calculator; Apr. 17, 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 Executive Summary
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Intake of Calories and Selected Nutrients for the United States Population, 1999-2000
- Tufts University; Dietary Guidelines: A Breakdown by Calorie Intake; Nov. 4, 2010
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