How to Count Calories in Food

Nutrition Facts

There are different reasons for counting calories, which include: losing weight, gaining weight or maintaining a healthy diet. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, Americans are consuming more calories today than 30 years ago. For women, the increase is actually three times higher than for men. It's important to know what your calorie intake should be so you can maintain a healthy diet. Too many calories can lead to obesity and not enough calories can cause anything from fatigue to liver and kidney failure.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Look on the labels of the foods and drinks you consume. The calorie count per serving will be listed. Note how much an actual serving is, and multiply the calories by the number of servings you consumed.

   If your food is from a restaurant or is produce or meat that doesn't have a calorie count listed, you can look up the calorie count using a web tool such as The Daily Plate, which has a food and drink search engine with calorie counts available.

2. Track your calories in a small notebook daily. Record the calories you consume, and don't forget to add drinks. Drinks are often overlooked, but sometimes contain more calories than the meals you are eating with them.

3. Maintain a level of calorie intake that is within 100 calories of what is recommended for your age, weight and medical conditions. Men have different caloric needs than women. Be sure to discuss your recommended daily calorie intake with your doctor if you are pregnant, nursing or have metabolic conditions.

4. Track the calories you burn each day. Take the total calories consumed minus the calories you burned, and you will have your true calorie intake for the day. This is helpful when trying to lose or gain weight. If you aren't sure of how many calories you burn for each activity, you can also use The Daily Plate to calculate calories burned.

Tips & Warnings

• In order to gain a pound a week you need to consume 500 more calories per day. In order to loose a pound a week you need to consume 500 fewer calories per day. If you increase your activity level, you can also lose weight by burning more of the calories you consume.

• Its not recommended that you lose more than 2 pounds per week. Drastic changes in your caloric intake can cause strains on your heart, and possibly cause a heart attack. Always consult your physician regarding diet changes.

References

• The Center For Disease Control
• HPathy
• The Daily Plate