Daily calorie requirements and the four major food groups: the basics of a balanced diet

Four food groups. Group 1: Foods with a balanced content of high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals, and lipids. Particularly high in calcium. Examples include milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products. Eggs, quail eggs, low-fat milk, and other dairy products. Group 2: Foods rich in high-quality protein, but note that they are high in fat and calories. Contain many vitamins B₁ and B₂. Examples include mackerel, tuna, sardines, shrimp, octopus, clams, and other fish and shellfish, and their processed products. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and other meats and their processed products. Soybeans and their processed products. Group 3: Foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. These foods are mostly low in calories, making them suitable for weight loss. Examples include light-colored vegetables such as cucumbers, white radishes, lettuce, cabbage, and bok choy. Yellow-green vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, and bok choy. Also included are taro, fruits, seaweed, and mushrooms. Group 4: Foods containing fats and carbohydrates. Sugar and alcoholic beverages are also included. Do not consume too much. Foods to include include: rice, rice cakes, udon noodles, bread, and other grains; oils and sugars; seeds such as walnuts and sesame seeds; spices, seasonings, and favorite beverages.

The average daily calorie intake for adults is currently 2000 kcal for women and 2400 kcal for men. 160 kcal is the figure previously referred to as "eating until you're 80% full." Some people find it troublesome to calculate calories while cooking or eating. However, it is achievable. If you want to lose weight without compromising your health, simply keep your daily calorie intake within 10% of your required amount. That is, around 1600 kcal for women and approximately 1900 kcal for men.

Because of the rush to lose weight, calorie intake falls below the basal metabolic rate. As a result, not only is stored body fat burned, but also protein, which should be used to make up all parts of the body, is consumed to make up for the lack of calories. In other words, it's like sacrificing your body to survive. This is not weight loss; instead, it harms your body.

The daily calorie requirement is 1700 to 1800 kcal. For men, it is around 2000 to 2200 kcal. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) plus the calories burned through daily activities, or even labor, constitutes the necessary calories for daily life. While BMR varies from person to person, a standard for daily calorie needs can still be determined based on nutritionists' guidelines and differences in the level of daily activity or labor. For example, housewives or office workers engaged in "light lifestyle activities," i.e., women aged 20 to 40 in Taiwan, need 1700 to 1800 kcal per day. For men, it is around 2000 to 2200 kcal.

Determining your daily calorie needs: Humans expend a certain amount of energy even when doing nothing; this is called basal metabolic rate (BMR), the minimum amount of energy necessary to sustain life. Adding BMR to daily activities, or the energy burned through labor, yields the necessary daily calorie requirements. While BMR varies from person to person, standards set by nutritionists and variations in daily activity levels or workload can still help determine the standard daily calorie needs.

Consider a balanced intake of nutrients. To maintain and improve health, it's essential to cultivate proper eating habits. Many domestic and international experts and researchers have offered various suggestions, which, after being compiled and summarized, conclude that one should "eat in moderation" and "consume in a balanced way." A balanced diet means "a diet in which all nutrients can be obtained in moderation." The human body needs to maintain health by consuming appropriate amounts of enzymes, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients every day. If the amounts of these nutrients are unbalanced, leading to poor utilization of enzymes or fats as energy sources and proteins used to build the body, weight loss will be impossible.

Therefore, the "Four-Group Calorie Calculation Method" was devised, a method proposed and guided by the Women's Nutrition University. It primarily focuses on the types of nutrients obtainable from food, categorizing over 1000 foods into four groups based on nutritional principles. The Four-Group Calorie Calculation Method uses 80 calories as one point. This is provided for your reference. For example, the first to third groups contain nutrients essential for body building and smooth bodily functions, so everyone should consume three points from each group, totaling nine points (720 calories). In the fourth group, which serves as a source of energy, you can consume twelve points (960 calories) or sixteen points (1280 calories). If you wish to lose weight, you can reduce the number of points in the fourth group, keeping the total between eighteen points (1440 calories) and 1600 calories.