I have always assumed that consuming 2000 calories daily is fine for the average person. A few years ago when restaurants were by law required to include calorie counts on the food they sell, things go scary. That salad you thought was healthy may have been 1400 calories. That milkshake and burger over 2000. A calorie is a measure of energy. Women under normal circumstances require fewer calories than men with 1600-2400 daily calories being needed. Men can range from 2000-3000 calories daily. Imagine you found out that your three slices of pizza were over 1200 calories. In the normal male, you may get away with it but in females, less so. Imagine that a burger and a shake use most of your daily needs during only one meal. These needs become lower as we age and older adults typically eat less as their needs are less. I love hamburgers but french fries, it is not only filling but can kill your daily diet. With some thought, you can enjoy that burger but reduce the calories of the meal while making it healthy. I often will substitute fries for a salad which helps. Also, skip the heavy and calorie-rich shake and replace it with unsweetened iced tea. Your 2000-calorie meal may drop by 1100 or more calories making it fit into a more balanced daily diet. This logic applies to other meals as well. Want proof? Go to Wendy's drive-up window and look at the calorie counts for their burger alone and then with a combo. Check out this informative blog post that gets into the details of who should eat how much and at what ages. How Many Calories Should You Eat in a Day? By Jillian Kubala, RD Published on March 9, 2023 A calorie is a measure of energy, often used to express the nutritional value of foods. The energy that food provides is actually measured in kilocalories or kcals, which is the amount of energy needed to raise 1 kilogram of water by 1-degree celsius.1 Your body requires a steady supply of calories in order to perform vital functions and maintain healthy energy levels. Your calorie needs depend on a variety of factors, including body weight, activity levels, age, health, and gender. For example, people who have a larger body frame will require more calories than people with a smaller body frame. Likewise, people who are physically active need more calories compared to people who are sedentary. Men typically need more calories than women due to body size and body composition, but that's not always the case. For example, a woman who’s extremely active may require more calories to maintain her body weight than a sedentary male. Read more