Daily Caloric Intake

Daily caloric intake is decided by many different variables.

Activity is one of the more important ones - a person who plays a sport will have different caloric needs than someone who doesn't. Gender also is important. Females generally require less calories than males.

Heritage contributes some factors, as well. Metabolism, or how one converts food into energy, is a big factor in determining caloric intake. Someone with a good metabolism can eat a lot more calories and stay within a good BMI than someone with a bad metabolism.

Age is the last key factor in deciding caloric intake. A thirteen year old going through puberty will require more calories than a sixteen year old who has finished puberty, since the thirteen year old is still growing.

These are the main variables that define daily caloric intake. Most nutrition labels on processed food will base their calculation on a 2000 calorie diet, which is about average for an adult. However, a pubescent boy who is very active will require a lot more than 2000 calories.

You should determine your own requirements for daily caloric intake. This will allow you to correctly plan out what nutrients you will need and how much of them you should have. Calculating your caloric intake is one of the first steps in eating healthy.