New data on calories reported as consumed
USDA has just released the latest figures on nutrient intakes among Americans. These amounts are reported by a statistically determined sample of people interviewed as part of the What We Eat in America NHANES—the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Having just published Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics, I’m interested in calories.
The survey results from 2009-2010 for calories per day for adults over the age of 20:
- Men 2512
- Women 1778
How many of those calories are consumed away from home?
- Men 35%
- Women 30%
How are daily calories distributed?
No, the percentages do not add up to 100%. That’s because of snacks. What percent of calories is consumed as snacks?
- Men 24%
- Women 23%
No surprises here, but the figures are fun to play with.
Compared to the figures reported in Why Calories Count for 2008, the figures for daily intake are not significantly changed.
Note: These are reported figures, and remain well below the 3000 calories a day for men and 2400 for women observed in studies that actually measure calorie balance.
