If you're new to the world of calorie and nutrition counting, you may find that improving your diet by the numbers is surprisingly easy. Government dietary guidance provides the recommended amounts of nutrients that you need to get more of for better health---and those that you need to limit for the same reason. Achieving nutritional goals with this formula will raise your energy level while controlling your weight, and may even pay off with a longer, happier life. Best of all, everyone in the family can benefit from a good diet.
Significance
If you currently ignore calorie and nutrition counts in the foods you eat, you may be at risk for current and long-term health problems. Too much fat and salt, for instance, can cause clogged arteries or high blood pressure. Inadequate dietary calcium can initiate bone degeneration, resulting in osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. Focusing on the nutritional content of foods is one way to avoid illness. If you already have a medical condition, a good diet is a prerequisite for better health.
Features
Calorie boundaries in a nutritional diet are based on your body type and activity level. An average figure for adults is 2,000 calories. On food label nutrition facts, the daily value (DV) information represents the calorie and nutrition content provided by a serving of the food. The Food and Drug Administration requires listings for nutrients that can harm consumers in excess, such as cholesterol, and those that promote better health, such as dietary fiber.
Function
Calorie and nutrient figures should guide your choices as you plan, buy and cook meals for a good diet. You can count up the calories in your foods for the day and subtract the total from your limit. This tells you how much you can eat. Adding together the percentage DVs on food labels will tell you when you achieve 100% recommended nutrition in important categories, such as calcium, fiber, and vitamins A, C and E.
Considerations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans list daily calorie and nutrition needs for various ages and genders. In general, however, they counsel Americans to limit dietary fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar, and increase vitamins, fiber, calcium, magnesium and potassium gained from food sources. This means swapping fatty meats, sweets and fried foods for whole grains, beans, other vegetables and fruit.
Benefits
A good diet encourages better health now, with energy and nutrient needs met. When you hit your nutritional targets often, you'll stay fit and get sick less often. You'll enjoy vibrant skin, cardiovascular and immune system health. Eating right also lowers your risk for future serious illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Counting calories today is an important investment in your future.
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