Your body gets energy from the foods you eat, and the amount of energy you get is measured in calories. The nutrients that provide calories and yield food energy are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. A healthy diet includes enough calories from nutritious foods to support your energy needs, but not so many calories that you gain unwanted weight.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for most people, and each gram of starch or sugar provides 4 calories. A balanced diet gets 45 to 65 percent of total calories from carbohydrates, or 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates per day on a 2,000-calorie diet, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Starchy foods include potatoes, beans and grains, and sugars can be natural, such as lactose from milk or fructose from fruit, or added, such as white sugar or corn syrup.
Fat
Fat provides the most concentrated source of energy, with 9 calories per gram. Healthy adults should get 20 to 35 percent of total calories from fat, or 44 to 77 grams of fat per day on a 2,000-calorie diet, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Unsaturated fats, such as from olives, nuts, canola oil and avocados, are considered healthier than saturated fats, which are in full-fat cheese, fatty meats, butter and coconut oil.
Protein
Protein provides 4 calories per gram, and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend getting 10 to 35 percent of your total calories from protein. Along with providing energy, protein is an essential nutrient for maintaining your lean muscle mass, promoting a strong immune system and allowing reactions in your body to occur. Good sources of protein include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, tofu and beans.
Role of Other Nutrients
When you get carbohydrates, fat and protein from your food, your body needs to metabolize them in order to get energy. Even though vitamins and minerals do not provide energy, many of them are necessary for your body to metabolize carbohydrates, fat and protein into energy. Examples include thiamin, or vitamin B-1; riboflavin, or vitamin B-2; niacin, or vitamin B-3; and magnesium. The best way to meet your needs is to emphasize a wide variety of foods in your diet.
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