What Is the Average Calorie Intake for Men?

Both men and women should understand their daily calorie needs in order to make sure they are meeting their dietary needs. Calories provide energy in the form of heat so that our bodies can function.

The average calorie intake for men will vary depending on factors such as age, activity level, and goals. To determine how many calories you should consume in a day, you should decide if you want to lose, gain, or maintain your current weight. You will also need to calculate your daily energy requirements. The more specific information you can provide, the more precise your calorie number will be.

The Average Calorie Intake for Men

You can use estimates to guess your caloric intake. For example, the USDA uses a 2,000 calorie per day diet as an example on the Nutrition Facts label. The number is used to provide information about Daily Values and Percent Daily Value (%DV).1 But it is not a recommendation to eat 2,000 calories.

The use of a calorie calculator is most helpful when you are trying to figure out how many calories to eat per day. To use this calculator, you'll need to input your age, height (in feet and inches), activity level, and current weight. You will also need to input a goal weight and a target date to reach your goal. Keep in mind that if your goal is weight loss, a rate of 1-2 pounds per week is considered healthy and reasonable.2

Set Your Calorie Goal and Get a Free Meal Plan

About You

English Metric

Male

Female

Age

Height Ft.

In.

Current Weight

Goal Weight

Select Date

How Active Are You?

Sedentary

Light Activity

Moderate Activity

Very Active

CALCULATE

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As an example, an average height, 32-year-old man who weighs 160 pounds and is moderately active will require about 2,608 calories to maintain his weight. However, the calorie needs for men will change if he wants to gain or lose weight.

According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the recommended calorie intake for adult men ranges from 2,200 to 3,200 calories per day.3 Your specific calorie needs will vary, which is why the calculator is helpful.

Calorie Needs for Men vs. Women

Almost every calorie calculator will take your gender into account, in addition to your weight and your activity level. Why? Because a man's body will generally require more energy (in the form of calories) even when it is the same size as a woman's.4

Men generally have more muscle mass than women.5 The extra muscle requires more energy. Men are usually taller than women and the extra height leads to increased calorie needs for men.6

But even in similarly sized men and women, men often need more calories. Men generally have an increased lung capacity—as indicated by a greater average VO2 max—which allows them to work harder during exercise and physical activity and also requires more calories to maintain.7

Calories for Men to Maintain Weight

To maintain your weight, you want to consume enough food to meet your daily energy needs. If you don't eat enough calories per day you will lose fat and muscle mass. If you eat too many calories per day, your body will store the excess energy as fat.

You can use a calculator to find out how many calories you burn each day. Or scan these average calorie numbers for men to see how much energy you use each day and how many calories you should consume to maintain your weight.

Based on numbers provided by the calorie calculator, here's the average calorie number for a man who wants to maintain his current weight based on a moderately-active man of average height (approximately 5'10") who weighs 175 pounds:

20-year-old man: 2806 calories per day

30-year old man: 2728 calories per day

40-year old man: 2651 calories per day

50-year old man: 2573 calories per day

60-year old man: 2496 calories per day

70-year old man: 2418 calories per day

80-year old man: 2341 calories per day

If you are sedentary or lightly active you should consume fewer calories per day to maintain your weight. If you are very active (you work a job that includes physical labor and/or you exercise vigorously on a regular basis) you should consume more calories per day to maintain your weight.

 What Is Physical Inactivity?

You might notice that the number of calories you need declines with age. As we get older, our metabolism slows down and we don't need as much food (energy) to fuel our bodies. Your metabolism may slow because of a decrease in muscle mass8 or because of a slower lifestyle. We typically become less active as we get older.9