Calories are units of energy that we get from food. The average daily calorie intake for a healthy person is about 2000 calories. However, how can you tell if this is a lot of food or not enough? Let's look at examples of dishes from different restaurants to understand how much you can actually eat on 2000 calories.
A multifruit juice (250), a large mayonnaise sandwich (1,088), chips (220) and cookies (420) is just 1,978 calories. It would seem that it is quite possible to meet the norm. But in fact, 2000 calories is a very general figure and may differ depending on a person’s gender, age and lifestyle.
For example, for a sedentary lifestyle, women should consume between 1,600 and 2,000 calories per day, and men between 2,000 and 2,400 calories. In a moderate lifestyle, it is recommended that women consume between 1,800 and 2,200 calories per day, and men between 2,200 and 2,800 calories. For an active lifestyle, women need to consume between 2,000 and 2,400 calories per day, and men between 2,400 and 3,200 calories.
If you want to lose weight, you need to subtract no more than 200 calories from this figure. And try to reach your daily requirement using foods with low energy value, such as vegetables and dairy products.
To better understand how much food you can eat for 2000 calories, consider examples of identical foods with different calorie content. For example, 100 grams of chicken breast contains about 165 calories, and 100 grams of sausages - already 301 calories. 100 grams of green peas contain about 81 calories, and 100 grams of French fries contain about 319 calories.
Thus, in order to control calorie intake, it is necessary to take into account not only the amount of food, but also its calorie content. It is recommended to eat foods that are nutrient-dense and low in energy and watch your portion sizes.
It is also important to understand that each person is unique and may have their own dietary habits. Therefore, if you want to know how many calories you need to consume per day, it is recommended that you consult a nutritionist.