The amount of fat and carbohydrate calories you require on a daily basis depends on your total recommended calorie intake, which depends on factors such as your age, gender, activity level and current body weight. If you're overweight or obese, you'll likely need to reduce your daily calorie intake to achieve a healthy body weight. The Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board recommended dietary allowance for carbohydrates is at least 130 g per day for children and adults, at least 175 g per day for pregnant women and at least 210 g per day for nursing women. There are no RDAs for fat intake, and fat recommendations are based on your total calorie intake.
Calculations
Step 1
Determine your daily calorie requirements for weight maintenance using resources such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 or LIVESTRONG.COM's MyPlate. You can also used MedlinePlus's method for estimating your weight maintenance calorie needs, which is 10 calories per pound of your ideal body weight if you're obese or sedentary, 13 calories per pound if you're older than 55 or have a low activity level, 15 calories per pound if you perform regular moderate physical activity and 18 calories per pound of your ideal body weight if you regularly perform strenuous exercise. If you're overweight or obese, the American Dietetic Association encourages you to subtract 500 to 1,000 calories per day from your weight maintenance calorie requirements.
Step 2
Determine your daily carbohydrate calorie requirements using your estimated daily calorie needs. The Institute of Medicine recommends adults consume between 45 to 65 percent of their daily calories from carbohydrates. Multiply your daily calorie needs by 0.45 to determine your minimum daily carbohydrate calorie requirement and by 0.65 to determine your maximum daily carbohydrate calorie requirement. For example, if your daily energy needs are 2,000 calories per day, your recommended daily calories from carbohydrates are between 900 and 1,300 calories, or 225 g to 325 g of carbohydrates per day because carbs provide 4 calories per gram.
Step 3
Determine your daily fat calorie requirements using your estimated daily calorie needs. The Institute of Medicine recommends adults consume between 20 to 35 percent of their daily calories from fats. Multiply your daily calorie needs by 0.20 to determine your minimum daily fat calorie requirement and by 0.35 to determine your maximum daily fat calorie requirement. For example, if your daily energy needs are 2,000 calories per day, your recommended daily calories from fats are between 400 and 700 calories, or 44 g to 78 g of fats per day because fats provide 9 calories per gram.
Things You'll Need
- Computer with internet
- Pen
- Paper
- Calculator
References
- Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board; Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients; January 2011
- MedlinePlus; Weight Management; March 2011
- American Dietetic Association; American Dietetic Association Publishes Evidence-based Nutrition Practice Guidelines for Registered Dietitians; September 2006
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