Caloric Recommendations

Caloric recommendations are a guideline as to how many calories children and adults should consume in a day. Following these recommendations can help prevent health problems related to weight gain, such as diabetes.

Types

• Caloric recommendations are different for children and adults. Further distinctions are made based on age, gender and physical activity level. Additional guidelines exist for pregnant and nursing women.

Features

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains caloric recommendations on its My Pyramid website. For example, physically active toddlers need 1,000 to 1,400 calories per day. Teens need to consume a minimum of 1,800 calories per day regardless of activity level, while active teenage boys can have up to 3,200 calories daily. While pregnant, a woman should eat an additional 300 calories per day.

Considerations

• When looking at caloric recommendations, it is important to take physical activity levels into account, cautions the USDA. "Physically active" means getting 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily. Individuals who are not active will need to adjust their caloric intake accordingly. In addition, the USDA recommends keeping discretionary calories -- that is, calories from sweets, chips and sodas -- to a minimum.