Required Daily Allowances Of Calories, Fat & Sodium

Your body requires a minimum amount of calories in order to function properly. In addition, you need a particular amount of fat and sodium in your diet, as well as other nutrients, to ensure your body functions properly. Although it is far more common to have an excess intake of calories, fat and sodium, it is possible to not take in enough through your diet.

Calories

The amount of calories that your body needs is determined by your age, gender and activity level, among other factors. Adult men need from 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day, and adult women from 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, according to "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010" from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The lower numbers are for people who are generally sedentary, whereas the higher number is the calorie needs of a more active person.

Fat

Dietary fat consists of saturated, trans, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Adults should consume no more than 25 to 35 percent of their daily dietary calories in fats, and these should be from either mono or polyunsaturated fatty acids such as salmon, walnuts and olive oil.
Saturated fat intake should be less than 7 percent, and trans fat intake should be less than 1 percent of your total daily calories, advises the American Heart Association. Fast foods and fried foods are typically high in saturated and trans fats. Total daily calories from all fats should not exceed 1,050 calories for adult men and 840 calories for adult women each day.

Sodium

Men and women need no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, reports the USDA. Sodium can be found in virtually all canned and packaged foods, as well as in food prepared in restaurants. The need for added dietary sodium supplementation is very rare. Generally our diets contain too much sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure and fluid retention.

Maintaining a Healthy Balance

Maintaining a balance of the right dietary nutrients is essential to sustaining a healthy body. Although reducing calorie consumption is needed in order to lose weight, your body needs the minimum intake of food and nutrients in order to keep your brain and organs functioning properly. Fat is needed in order to absorb many vitamins, and a loss of too much sodium can result in seizures, coma and death.