Optimal Daily Caloric Breakdown: Fat, Protein & Carbs

According to the FDA, we must receive a certain percentage of calories from fat, protein and carbohydrate. These percentages vary among individuals, and make up the total calories consumed in one day.

Daily Caloric Needs

• The amount of calories needed per day varies with gender, age, height and activity level. The Mayo Clinic offers a free online calculator to determine your daily caloric needs based on your criteria.

Calories From Protein

• The Mayo Clinic, as well as the FDA, recommends receiving 10 to 35 percent of daily calories from protein. So, if one were consuming a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, then one would be consuming 50 to 175 grams of protein per day. This equates to 200 to 700 calories from protein, since protein is four calories per gram.

Calories From Fat

• Total fat consumption is recommended to be 20 to 35 percent of daily caloric intake. With 2,000 calories per day, one would consume an average of 44 to 78 grams of fat per day. This is about 400 to 700 calories per day from fat.

Carbohydrates

• About 45 to 65 percent of daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Using a 2,000-calorie diet as an example, this would equate to 225 to 325 grams per day of carbohydrates, or 900 to 1300 calories per day from carbohydrates.