Are you on a quest to eat healthy for weight loss or for heart health – perhaps both? Most people know that eating healthy involves including fresh fruits and vegetables since they are good for the body. There is one fruit that has received a bad reputation due to avocado calories and the amount of fat they are often seen as the forbidden fruit, but when you understand the nutrition facts in avocados you will understand why you need them in your diet.

There has been much confusion surrounding the calories and nutrition information in the avocado. In an average size avocado or medium, the calories are approximately 250. A medium avocado carries 22 grams of fat, but before you gasp at these numbers, it’s important to look at the entire fruit and how you can and should incorporate this power-packed vegetable into your diet. Avocados have 0 cholesterol, 13 grams carbohydrates, and a whopping 10 grams of fiber, which is 40 percent of the daily fiber you should get.

An average avocado packs 30 grams of unsaturated fat, which is the heart-healthy kind of fat. It has just 4 grams of saturated fat. It has vitamins B6, K, and C. It is rich in antioxidants and packs 3 grams of protein so that when you eat avocados you feel full for a longer time. If you like avocados but have been avoiding them due to the high calories fat content, it’s time to stop feeling they are forbidden and get the many health benefits that avocados has to offer everyday!

If you’re making guacamole one of the aspects that happens quickly is it begins to turn brown. Many people put lemon juice on it which can help but it changes the flavor, which you may or may not like. A tip that does work especially helpful when you’re making a large amount is after mixing the ingredients, put in one or two of the avocado seeds in the guacamole and mix them in. Leave the seeds in until you serve it or even while being served. It keeps it green much longer!

Calories are what provides the body with energy. Therefore, they are necessary for survival. However, if a person takes in more calories from food than is burned with activity, they will gain weight. If the person eats an inadequate number of calories weight will be lost. It is important to understand how many calories are required for good health. Below is some information that may help to answer the question “How many calories should I eat?”.

The number of required calories differs for men and women. As well, factors such as age and level of activity affect the required caloric intake of an individual. Younger people require a larger number of calories. As a person grows older metabolism slows and calories are burned at a slower rate. As a result, elderly individuals require less calories per day. Those who are exceptionally active will need a greater number of calories. This will supply them with the energy levels needed to accomplish activity. People who are less activity do not use as much energy. They do not need as many calories for daily functions.

The Institute of Medicine published the following numbers as a general guide to daily calorie intake.

• Men who are among the ages of 19-30 require 2,400 daily calories if mildly active, 2,600-2,800 daily calories if moderately active, 3,000 daily calories if very active.

• Men who are among the ages of 31-50 require 2200 daily calories if mildly active, 2,400-2,600 daily calories if moderately active, 2,800-3000 daily calories if very active.

• Men who ages of 51+require 2,000 daily calories if mildly active, 2,200-2400 daily calories if moderately active, 2,400-2800 daily calories if very active.

• Women who are among the ages of 19-30 require 2,000 daily calories if mildly active, 2,000-2,200 daily calories if moderately active, 2,400 daily calories if very active.

• Women who are among the ages of 31-50 require 1,800 daily calories if mildly active, 2,000 daily calories if moderately active, 2,200 daily calories if very active.

• Women who are ages 51+ require 1,600 daily calories if mildly active, 1,800 daily calories if moderately active, 2,000-2,200 daily calories if very active.

The above numbers are only a guide to answer the question “How many calories should I eat?” Needed calorie intake may differ due to health conditions or for those persons trying to achieve weight loss. If a person wants to lose weight the calories must be reduced. Less calories should be consumed than are burned with exercise. A doctor or health care physician can help to determine an appropriate diet plan for healthy weight loss.

Living a healthy, balanced lifestyle is a goal of many people. However, it can be hard to maintain this balance in today’s hectic world. One of the main components of a healthy lifestyle is diet. Navigating the world of nutrition can be full of confusing information. But here is some basic information on calories and different food groups.

Many people want to know, how many calories should I eat a day? The simple answer is that it varied from person to person. There are many websites, including the USDA’s website, which help individuals to figure out their daily calories. Women and men who are physically active usually are at a few hundred calories a day to maintain body weight. Nutrition facts on food are based on a 2,000 calorie diet which is fairly accurate for most of the population. Women are usually around 1,900 calories and men are usually slightly above at 2,200 calories, but 2,000 is a good reference point. Use these online sites to determine BMI, and enter physical activity level to determine how many calories are needed per day to maintain weight, lose, or gain weight.

Regardless of calorie intake, there are set proportions that calories should come from. 10% of calories should come from protein. Usually, protein exists in meats, legumes, and small amounts in other foods. 30% of calories should come from fat. Usually sources of fat are in prepared foods, oils, and spreads and it’s not generally a problem for most people to meet this requirement. 60% of calories should come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates exist in most foods. The best sources are getting complex carbs from fruits and vegetables, but they can also be found in breads and grains. These are some of the basic guidelines for figuring out how many calories should I eat a day and where those calories should come from.

There is no one, specific, numeric answer to the question, how many calories should I eat for breakfast?
The correct response will be determined by several factors.
First, are you male or female? That was easy, right?
Next, your height and current weight.
Then an estimated level of activity must be included as well. How many times per week do you exercise? For our purposes, exercise will be defined by at least twenty minutes a session, with a minimum of three times a week.
The last issue is optional. Do you want to lose weight or simply maintain your current poundage?
As an example, let us say you are a 35 year old female, 5 ft, 6 in. tall and weighing 145 lbs.
Our hypothetical female friend takes three, twenty minute walks a week.
In this case, to keep her weight the same, she should consume 1,885 calories per day. To lose pounds in a safe manner, 1,508 calories should do the trick.
Although I’d like to have you believe I’m some sort of dietary mathematician, calorie calculators are prevalent all across the internet that will provide this number to you, based on your personal criteria.
However, this article is specifically relating to breakfast. So let us further define the number of calories you should have in your first meal of the day. In this case, there is an easy math calculation to determine this. Most experts cite thirty percent of your overall daily caloric intake should be at breakfast. Therefore in our example, she would be looking at a range of 450 to 550 calories each morning.
The great thing about breakfast is it’s wide array of food options depending upon your taste.
Lets start with an american favorite, scrambled eggs and bacon. A large egg is approximately 70 calories. A typical slice of bacon around 45. Therefore, two eggs and two bacon strips would be in the 230 range. So lets go healthy with a slice of whole wheat toast (unbuttered of course) which would add another 100 calories. We’re doing pretty well so far, so lets have some hash brown potatoes too, just a half cup though for another 200. Grand total of the above breakfast 530 calories.
Whoo, our imaginary girlfriend just made it under her plan.
To help answer the question, how many calories should I eat for breakfast?, Here are some other examples :
A three egg omelette with one ounce cheddar cheese = 325 calories
Three blueberry pancakes with one ounce maple syrup= 350 calories
One cup of oatmeal = 300 calories
An eight ounce serving of non fat yogurt = 160 calories
These are but a few of the foods and meals you may prefer at breakfast.
No matter which ones you choose, I hope it’s your start to a GREAT DAY!