Table of Contents
What is Calorie?
Calories are unit of measurement of energy. In the field of food and nutrition it could essentially mean the amount of energy provided to our body. There are two units of calorie, Calorie and kilocalorie. A calorie (cal) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. A kilocalorie (kcal) is the amount of temperature required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
A person needs energy for his body to function and also to carry on work in his/her life which is the person’s per day calorie requirement. The energy provided by the food we eat is measured in calories. These calories are the energy imparted to our cells and tissues and thus to our entire body for all the physiological processed within the body as well as our day to day activities. If the standard amount of calories is consumed by all persons as per the requirements of their respective bodies, no person would suffer from any ailments whatsoever. Too much calories or too little calories consumption will lead to diseases.
Calorie Requirements for Men and Women:
An average male needs 2700 kcal per day whereas a woman needs 2200 kcal per day approximately. These may differ from person to person based on the following factors:
Factors Influencing Calorie Requirements:
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Overall Health:
A person’s overall health may lead to variations in the amount of calories required per day. A weaker person would need more calories than a healthier person.
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Physical Activities:
A person having more physical activity to do would naturally need more calories compared to those who do very less or no physical work.
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Body Shape:
The shape and size of a person also plays an important role in deciding the calorie requirements of the body. Broad shaped people with a good height would consume more calories than petite, short persons.
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Profession:
The profession of a person is important when it comes to calorie requirements. People doing menial, physical work requiring more mental and physical energy would need more calories than a person with simple sedentary work style.
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Kind of Lifestyle:
Routines, exercising habits, rates of metabolism are all factors that influence the lifestyle followed by a person and thus the calories required by them to generate energy.
Diet for Calorie Requirements in Adults:
A medium sized banana provides around 105 calories. The bananas are an instant source of calorie. They provide a lot of energy to your body.
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Calories in an Egg:
A boiled or scrambled egg provides as much as 102 calories. Eggs are a great source of fats and proteins to your body.
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Calories in Chicken Breast:
Boneless, skinless and roasted breast piece would provide as high as 142 calories. Roasted chicken is easy to digest and also is very beneficial for weight loss. One may thus pocket so many calories and that too free of guilt.
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Calories in Milk:
One must check for the fat content in milk. Milk that contains 2% of fat provides around 122 calories per 8 ounces of consumption.
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Calories in Mixed Nuts:
Dry roasted, peanuts, salted nuts provide 168 calories per an ounce of consumption.
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Calories in Rice:
Starchy, carbohydrate rich rice has as high as 205 calories.
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Calories in Tuna:
Tuna is a very healthy form of sea food. It has various vitamins and minerals. Tuna is rich in Vitamin D. It also provides 100 calories to your body.
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Calories in Fruit Juices:
Fruit Juices like orange juice contains a lot of vitamins. Fresh fruit juice provides 90 calories per 200 ml of juice, to the body. Since fruit juices are easier to assimilate in your body, they provide instant energy on consumption. One must ensure that concentrated syrups are not used as they contain sugars.
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Calories in Cheddar Cheese:
100 grams of cheddar cheese provides 429 calories to your body.
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Calories in Olive Oil:
It contains plenty of vitamins and minerals and also poly saturated fats which are essential for bodily development. It contains as high as 120 calories per table spoon of utilization.
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Calories in Carrots:
A raw carrot provides around 52 calories per day.
Calorie Requirements of Children:
Children of different age group require different amounts of calories as per their age and gender.
Calorie requirements for boys:
02 years to 05 years of age- 1000 calories-1400 calories per day.
06 years to 10 years of age- 1400 calories-1800 calories per day
11 years to 15 years of age- 2000 calories- 2500 calories per day
16 years to 18 years of age- 2500 calories -2700 calories per day
Calorie requirements for girls:
2 years to 5 years of age- 1000 calories – 1400 calories per day
6 years to 10 years of age- 1400 calories -1800 calories per day
11 years to 15 years of age- 1800 calories-2000 calories per day
16 years to 18 years of age- 2000 calories -2200 calories per day
Diet imparting calories for children:
The following food items listed below enrich the bodies of children and prepare them for the energy requirements in their growth years:
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Milk:
Milk is an all- rounder in the field of food and nutrition. It contains fats, carbohydrates, proteins, calcium, vitamins and all such nutrients that a person would need for a healthy development. The WHO advises 2 glasses of milk to children per day for proper nourishment. It provides roughly around 120 calories per day per 1 glass of consumption.
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Cheese:
Normal processed cheese contains 100 calories. It contains nearly 7 grams of protein per ounce. Cheese is liked by toddlers.
80 Calories per 1 table spoon is provided by chia seeds. One may make pudding using chia seeds for kids. Chia Seeds contain loads of proteins, fiber and minerals like zinc, magnesium, etc.
Hemp Seeds contain fiber, proteins, healthy fats, iron, thiamine and phosphorous. They can be added to soups, salads, smoothies and dips to be consumed with healthy chips for children. They provide around 55 calories per table spoon.
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Ghee:
Ghee added to any meals makes the meal an energy rich food. It provides 120 calories per 1 tbsp.
Lentils contain 58 calories per 100 grams of consumption. They form an essential portion of the diet in the growth years of kids.
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Blue berries, Goji berries:
They provide around 85-90 calories roughly. They have antioxidant properties and also minerals to support the development of the body in the teenage span of a child’s life.
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Chicken Liver:
This high on protein food provides as many as 150 calories per 4 oz of consumption. Since chicken is high on protein content, it is best advised to support the wear and tear during the full-fledged growth period of a child’s body. Children may start consuming chicken and meat nearly after completing 18 months of life depending upon the number of teeth development.
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Organic egg yolk:
A soft boiled egg retains all its nutrients like vitamin A, D, E, K, and B 12. It also imparts 55 calories.
The Calories provided by different nutrients are listed as under:
- 1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 kcal
- 1 gram of proteins contain 4 kcal
- 1 gram of fats contain 9kcal
One may thus use this information to calculate the calories imparted by a particular food item.
For Ex. If a large Egg contains around 23 grams of fat, 30 grams of protein and roughly 2 grams of carbohydrates, here’s how you can have your personal calorie calculation:
23 x 9 kcal= 207 kcal
30 x 4 kcal= 120 kcal
2 x 4 kcal= 8 kcal
It may also be noted that Water, Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber do not provide any calories whatsoever to the body. However, with their individual roles to play, they too play important for the physiology of your body.
Calories and Fats are often misconstrued to increase the weight of a person. However, it is to be understood that the weight does not increase due to consumption of high calorie foods. It increases when the body does not burn those calories against the consumption. To stay fit and healthy, one must ensure to utilize the calorie intake by performing exercises against them.
