The calorie is a unit of measurement. It makes it possible to measure the energy value of foods. They are all composed of macronutrients: carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. These are sources of calories but the amount each contains is different. Please note, in this article, we provide you with the official nutritional recommendations from ANSES. These numbers refer to an average recommendation.
Do you want to rebalance your diet or lose a few cm of your waistline, but have no idea about your energy needs and what your daily meals provide you? Calculating calories can help you gain or lose weight. Indeed, when you want to lose weight, you must be in a calorie deficit, that is to say, you must spend more calories than you consume.
Thanks to this article, you will find some nutritional advice to help you see more clearly what you eat, as well as the impact of each food on your daily intake.
Carbohydrates.
Too familiarly called sugars, carbohydrates are an important source of energy that your body can easily use. They are essential fuels for your body. There are two types of carbohydrates:
- Simple carbohydrates. Source of energy quickly usable by the body. Ex: sugar, honey, syrup, candy, can of soda, fruit, etc.
- Complex carbohydrates. Their slow assimilation therefore limits blood sugar peaks. Ex: Cereal products (oatmeal, rice), legumes (peas, soya), bread, etc.
For a daily intake of 2000 kilocalories per day, ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) recommends consuming between 200 and 275 g of carbohydrates per day.
Calories per 100g of carbohydrate-rich foods.
| Pastries | 400 calories |
| Complete dough: | 350 calories |
| Oats | 350 calories |
| White rice | 340 calories |
| Fruit paste | 310 calories |
| Bread | 264 calories |
| Jam | 240 calories |
| Soda | 100 calories |
| Potato | 100 calories |
| Juice | 54 calories |
The proteins.
Present in every cell, proteins play a vital role in your growth, construction and renewal of your muscles, your skin appendages (hair, fur and nails), your bone matrix and your skin. There are two sources of protein:
- Animal proteins . Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, etc. all contain amino acids in large quantities.
- Plant proteins come from cereals (oats, rice, etc.) as well as legumes (peas, soya, etc.). Although each plant protein source may be deficient in certain essential amino acids, it is easy to combine different plant ingredients to achieve a complete amino acid supply. Feed products. contain a combination of legumes and cereals to guarantee optimal amino acid content.
Calories per 100 g of protein-rich foods.
| Chickpea | 365 calories |
| Salmon | 217 calories |
| Egg | 150 calories |
| Turkey | 125 calories |
| Chicken breast | 121 calories |
| Split pea | 121 calories |
| Lens | 116 calories |
| Natural yogurt | 50 calories |
| Semi-skimmed milk | 45 calories |
Lipids.
Commonly called “fats”, lipids have a bad reputation because they are considered responsible for many diseases (obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular diseases, etc.). In addition, many people wrongly believe that eating fat will automatically lead to fat gain. However, they are just as important as other nutrients.
In addition to being very good sources of energy, they are part of the composition of essential elements for the proper functioning of your body, such as certain hormones. There are different types of fatty acids within the lipid family:
- Saturated fatty acids. An important source of energy, it is still recommended to consume them in moderation because they can increase bad cholesterol levels. Ex: Butter, cream, palm oil, coconut, chocolate, etc.
- Monounsaturated fatty acids. Also known as omega 9 and often considered good lipids because they reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Ex: Oilseeds, olive oil, avocado, etc.
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also called omega 3 and omega 6, these are fatty acids essential for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system. Ex: Omega 3: fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), walnuts, hemp seeds, flax seeds, almonds, etc. Omega 6: sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, etc. 03.
How to balance your diet?
It is important to view food as a whole and not demonize certain ingredients. They all have a role to play in our nutritional balance and our health. For a daily intake of 2000 kilocalories, ANSES recommends that:
- Carbohydrates must represent between 40 and 55% of total caloric intake, i.e. 200 to 275 g.
- Proteins should represent between 10 and 20% of the total intake, i.e. 50 to 100 g.
- Lipids must represent 35 to 40% of the total intake, or between 70 and 90 g.
It is therefore important that the content of what you eat corresponds to your needs.
How to calculate your calorie expenditure and needs?
Knowing how many calories your body needs helps you adapt your consumption to achieve your goals. There are different metrics to do your calculations like MB, NAP and DEJ.
Your basic metabolism (MB):
You can calculate it using the formulas of Harris and Benedict (1984):
- Male BMR (kcal) = 13.707 x weight (in kg) + 492.3 x height (in meters) – 6.673 x age (in years) + 77.607
- Female BMR (kcal) = 9.740 x weight (in kg) + 172.9 x height (in meters) – 4.737 x age (in years) + 667.051
This is the minimum daily energy expenditure allowing your body to survive at rest. It is linked to your breathing, the functioning of your body and your brain, etc.
Did you know ?
If you find yourself overweight, the formula to use to calculate your basal metabolism is that of Black et al. (1996):
- Male BMR (kcal) = 259 x (weight^0.48 x height ^0.50 x age^-0.13)
- Female BMR (kcal) = 230 x (weight ^0.48 x height ^0.50 x age^-0.13)
Your physical activity level (PAL):
This corresponds to the energy expenditure linked to various activities of everyday life depending on their duration.
Examples of related activities.
NAP < 1 (sedentary activity) Little travel, little leisure-time physical exercise, office worker.
1.6 - 1.7 (moderate activity) Short trips, office worker with weekend outdoor recreation or standing work.
1.8 - 1.9 (significant activity) Practice more than 3 hours of sport per week, numerous outdoor activities, intensive professional activity.
> 2 (very significant physical activity) Practice more than 6 hours of sport per week, outdoor leisure activities, numerous intensive professional activities.
Once your basic metabolism and your NAP have been defined, simply carry out the following calculation to obtain your daily energy expenditure (DEJ):
DEJ = MB x NAP
The number obtained represents an estimate of the daily energy expenditure linked to the functioning of your body and your physical exercise. This number represents the amount of calories you need to consume each day to meet your needs and exercise. Once this figure has been established, you must:
- As part of weight loss: reduce your daily intake to find yourself below this number.
- As part of mass gain: increase your daily intake to find yourself above this number.
- As part of stabilizing or maintaining your weight: keep your intake stable, more or less equal to this number.
Did you know ?
No need to start your diet directly by deducting 1000 calories from the figure (DEJ) obtained. Start by eating 100 calories less than your DED for 10 days. This will allow you to see how your weight curve evolves and thus adapt your intake subsequently (reduce even further the number of calories per day consumed or not). Repeat the process until you reach your goal.
In summary.
No need to restrict yourself to reach your ideal weight, learn to listen to your body and your sensations. Contrary to the idea you may have, there is no point in restricting yourself to eat a healthy diet, to achieve your goals or to lose superficial pounds. On the contrary, take your time and also avoid frustration.
Practicing regular sport remains essential to maintain your figure.
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