When you consume foods, you get heat energy that is measured in calories. Your body "spends" these calories on all of its different activities, from body functions and basic mobility to high-intensity sports play. It pays to watch your daily caloric intakes and to attempt to deplete any excesses with additional exercise. Conversely, dieting to restrict calories can go too far and leave you with inadequate nutrition and energy. The best caloric intake strikes a balance that allows you to maintain a healthy weight.
Identification
One way to determine whether or not your diet reflects the best caloric intake is based on your waist circumference. A waist over 40 inches if you're a man, or over 35 inches if you're a woman who isn't pregnant, probably indicates an overweight condition, which is the result of consuming too many calories or not expending enough of them. Ask your doctor to help you set an exercise goal and a daily calorie limit. The FDA considers 2,000 calories an average daily intake limit.
Nutrient-Dense Foods
To achieve the best caloric intake for you, form a diet plan that emphasizes nutrient-dense foods and limits calorie-dense foods. The USDA describes nutrient-dense foods as those that offer beneficial vitamins, minerals and fiber and little solid fat, sugar or sodium within relatively few calories. Many fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat protein and dairy foods meet these criteria. You can use nutrient-dense ingredients in your meals to achieve your ideal caloric intake.
Calorie-Dense Foods
Calorie-dense foods have greater quantities of fat and other detrimental nutrients and less of fiber, minerals and vitamins. These foods, which include hamburgers, hotdogs and sodas, may have much higher calorie counts than their nutrient-dense counterparts. Other high-calorie foods that can upset your caloric balance include full-fat dairy products and fried meats, fish and vegetables and grain products. Eating high-calorie foods frequently causes a calorie surplus, which your body stores as fatty tissue, precipitating weight gain.
Benefits
A diet with a greater nutrient-to-calorie ratio will help you control your weight, and eating reasonable portions of these nutrient-dense foods will preserve the best possible caloric intake. This is important to your long-term health. The Office of the Surgeon General reports that avoiding overweight conditions reduces your cardiovascular risk and your chances of dying prematurely from any cause. Staying at a healthy weight also lowers your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and kidney, colon and gallbladder cancer.
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