Don't Let Your Diet Let You Down | The Pregame Meal Planner
Keeping Energy Levels Up | Keeping Fluid Levels Up

The new MyPyramid food guidance system can help you select a diet that meets your nutritional
needs, but you have to know how to use it. The system is set up for different calorie levels. To
estimate how many calories you need daily, see Table 1: Estimated Daily Calorie Needs. Consider your age, gender, and activity level. You can see that calorie needs for each age and gender category have quite a range depending on activity levels. Your activity level may be hard to determine, but Table 1 will give you a starting point. Most teens that are actively involved in sports would require at least the highest level of calories listed and probably more.

For example, if you are a 13-year-old girl, spend some time outdoors riding your bike and taking
walks, and you are actively involved in organized sports, you are very active. A good estimate for your needs would be at least 1,800 to 2,200 calories a day and probably more.

Table 1: Estimated Daily Calorie Needs⁴

Gender and Age	Sedentary1	Moderately Active2	Active3
Females
9-13	1,600	1,600-2,000	1,800-2,200
14-18	1,800	2,000	2,400
Males
9-13	1,800	1,800-2,200	2,000-2,600
14-18	2,200	2,400-2,800	2,800-3,200

¹Sedentary means a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

²Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

³Active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life. If you are actively involved in sports such as volleyball, basketball, or football, you will probably need more calories than the amounts listed.

⁴Calorie ranges show are to accomodate needs of different ranges within the group. More calories are needed at older ages.

Once you have estimated your daily calorie needs, see Table 2: MyPyramid Food Intake Patterns, to determine how much of each food group you need daily. The estimated daily amounts of food needed by the 13-year-old girl would be: 1½ to 2 cups of fruits, 2½ cups of vegetables, 6 ounce equivalents of grains, and so on.

Table 2: MyPyramid Food Intake Patterns

Calorie Level	1,600	1,800	2,000	2,200	2,400	2,600	2,800	3,000	3,200
Fruits	1.5 cups	1.5 cups	2 cups	2 cups	2 cups	2 cups	2.5 cups	2.5 cups	2.5 cups
Vegetables	2 cups	2.5 cups	2.5 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3.5 cups	3.5 cups	4 cups	4 cups
Grains	5 oz-eq	6 oz-eq	6 oz-eq	7 oz-eq	8 oz-eq	9 oz-eq	10 oz-eq	10 oz-eq	10 oz-eq
Meat and Beans	5 oz-eq	5 oz-eq	5.5 oz-eq	6 oz-eq	6.5 oz-eq	6.5 oz-eq	7 oz-eq	7 oz-eq	7 oz-eq
Milk	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups
Oils	5 tsp	5 tsp	6 tsp	6 tsp	7 tsp	8 tsp	8 tsp	10 tsp	11 tsp
Discretionary calorie allowance	132	195	267	290	362	410	426	512	648

1. Calorie Levels are set across a wide range to accommodate the needs of different individuals. Table 1: Estimated Daily Calorie Needs can be used to help assign individuals to the food intake pattern at a particular calorie level.
2. Fruit Group includes all fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and fruit juices. In general, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or 1/2 cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the fruit group.
3. Vegetable Group includes all fresh, frozen, canned, and dried vegetables and vegetable juices. In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens can be considered as 1 cup from the vegetable group.
4. Grains Group includes all foods made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, such as bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits. In general, 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, or cooked cereal can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the grains group. At least half of all grains consumed should be whole grains.
5. Meat & Beans Group in general, 1 ounce of lean meat, poultry, or fish, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp. peanut butter, 1/4 cup cooked dry beans, or 1/2 ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the meat and beans group.
6. Milk Group includes all fluid milk products and foods made from milk that retain their calcium content, such as yogurt and cheese. Foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not part of the group. Most milk group choices should be fat-free or low-fat. In general, 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese, or 2 ounces of processed cheese can be considered as 1 cup from the milk group.
7. Oils include fats from many different plants and from fish that are liquid at room temperature, such as canola, corn, olive, soybean, and sunflower oil. Some foods are naturally high in oils, like nuts, olives, some fish, and avocados. Foods that are mainly oil include mayonnaise, certain salad dressings, and soft margarine.
8. Discretionary Calorie Allowance is the remaining amount of calories in a food intake pattern after accounting for the calories needed for all food groups—using forms of foods that are fat-free or low-fat and with no added sugars

 

 

 

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