Amount Of Carbohydrates Based On Caloric Intake

Carbohydrates, protein and fat are the three macronutrients that form your diet. The number of carbohydrates you eat depends on your caloric intake.The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010" suggests between 45 and 65 percent of your daily calories come from carbohydrates, 10 to 35 percent come from protein and 25 to 35 percent come from fat. The majority of your carbohydrate intake should be nutrient-dense complex carbs.

Simple and Complex Carbohydrates

The bulk of your diet should be carbohydrates, the easiest type of food to convert into glucose -- your body's primary form of energy. Carbs are classified as "simple" or "complex" based on how quickly your body can convert them into energy. Simple carbs quickly break down into glucose, while complex carbs take longer. Sugar, including the natural sugars found in fruit and dairy products, such as fructose and lactose, are simple carbs. Complex carbs digest more slowly and include starchy vegetables and fiber. Legumes, vegetables and whole grains are complex carbs. Whole grains are complex carbs, but refined grains have had the fiber and some nutrients removed -- and are converted into glucose more quickly than whole grains.

How Many Carbohydrates?

Following a 2,000-calorie diet, between 900 and 1,300 calories daily should come from carbs, according to the "Dietary Guidelines." Each carbohydrate gram has 4 calories, so that's 225 to 325 g of carbs daily. The majority of your carb choices should be complex carbs -- foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Added sugars found in snack foods, sweets and soda should be limited. According to the "Dietary Guidelines," you should "limit the consumption of foods that contain refined grains, especially refined grain foods that contain solid fats, added sugars, and sodium."

Low-Carb Diets

Several different popular low-carb diets are on the market, and each may recommend a different level of carbohydrate intake. The University of Maryland Medical Center says that you should consume a minimum of between 100 and 150 g of carbs to ensure adequate nutrition. That's at least 400 to 600 calories coming from carbs daily. The theory behind low-carb dieting is that controlling carbs limits the amount of glucose and insulin your body produces. Without a ready supply of glucose, your body must break down stored fat to use as energy, causing you to lose weight.

The Glycemic Index

The type of carbs you consume is as important as the number of carbs you eat. The glycemic index, or GI, can be a useful tool in selecting carbs, as it measures a food's effect on your glucose levels. Foods rank on a scale of 1 to 100 in comparison to pure glucose. The higher a food scores on the GI, the faster your body converts it into energy. The majority of your carbs should be low on the glycemic index. Low-GI foods score a 55 or less and include almost all vegetables, most fruits, legumes and whole grains.