The National Research Council, Recommended Dietary Allowances (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1989)
TABLE 5-3 How Many Calories Do You Need to Do the Work You Do?
| Activity Level | Calories Needed for This Work for One Hour |
|---|---|
| Very light | 80–100 |
| Light | 110–160 |
| Moderate | 170–240 |
| Heavy | 250–350 |
| Exceptionally heavy | 350+ |
“Food and Your Weight,” House and Garden Bulletin, No. 74 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Calculating Your Daily Calorie Needs
Figuring out exactly how many calories to consume each day can be a consuming task. Luckily, the Institute of Medicine, the group whose Food and Nutrition Board determines the RDAs for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, has created a list of the average daily calorie allowance for healthy people from infants to senior citizens who maintain a healthful weight (see Chapter 4) based on the amount of activity a person performs each day.
Table 5-4 shows the calorie recommendations as estimated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Note that in this context, sedentary means a lifestyle with only the light physical activity associated with daily living; moderately active means a lifestyle that adds physical activity equal to a daily 1.5-to-3-mile walk at a speed of 3 to 4 miles per hour; active means adding physical activity equal to walking 3 miles a day at the 3 to 4 miles per hour clip.
TABLE 5-4 Estimated Daily Calorie Requirements for Healthy Adults Based on Activity Level
| Gender | Age (years) | Sedentary | Moderately Active | Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child | 2–3 | 1,000 | 1,000-1,400 | 1,000-1,400 |
| Female | 4–8 | 1,200 | 1,400–1,600 | 1,400–1,600 |
| 9–13 | 1,600 | 1,600–2,000 | 1,800–2,200 | |
| 14–18 | 1,800 | 2,000 | 2,400 | |
| 19–30 | 2,000 | 2,000–2,200 | 2,400 | |
| 31–50 | 1,800 | 2,000 | 2,200 | |
| 51–60 | 1,600 | 1,800 | ||
| Male | 4–8 | 1,400 | 1,400–1,600 | 1,600–2,000 |
| 9–13 | 1,800 | 1,800–2,200 | 2,000–2,600 | |
| 14–18 | 2,200 | 2,400–2,800 | 2,800–3,200 | |
| 19–30 | 2,400 | 2,600–2,800 | 3,000 | |
| 31–50 | 2,200 | 2,400–2,600 | 2,800–3,000 | |
| 51–60 | 2,200 | 2,200–2,400 | 2,400–2,800 | |
| 61–65 | 2,000 | 2,400 | 2,800 | |
| 66–75 | 2,000 | 2,200 | 2,600 | |
| 76+ | 2,000 | 2,200 | 2,400 |
Note: “Sedentary” means lifestyle with only light physical activity such as that associated with typical day-to-day life. “Moderately active” means adding physical activity equal to walking 1.5 to 3 miles a day at about 3 to 4 miles per hour. “Active” means adding a walk longer than 3 miles per day at the same clip of 3 to 4 miles per hour.
Source https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/estimated-calorie-requirement based on https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/usda_food_patterns/EstimatedCalorieNeedsPerDayTable.pdf