Calculate your calorie intake

This Calorie Calculator is based on the Harris-Benedict principle which calculates an adult person’s basal metabolic rate, also known as “BMR”. BMR is the amount of energy the body needs to function. Input your age, gender, height, weight, and activeness to determine the recommended daily allowance of calories. Enter another weight to determine the BMR for that weight. It is recommended that a person lose no more than 2 pounds a week because losing more will likely mean the weight will return. Cutting back 1000 calories a day should result in losing 2 pounds a week. It is better to cut back on calories and burn off calories through exercise to eliminate the desired calories. A person should never cut back to fewer than 1,200 daily calories without medical supervision.

Calculate Your Protein Intake

Calculate your daily protein intake based the recommended daily allowance for both men and women of .8 grams of protein for every kilogram or .37 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. (Note: Research indicates that pregnant women should eat 20 grams more a day and weightlifters should get twice the recommended number.)

Proteins are compounds that are part of our muscles, bones, blood cells, hair, skin, nails, and tissues, and proteins are necessary to build and repair them. Our bodies also use proteins to make enzymes, hormones and antibodies, to transport nutrients to the cells, and to regulate water. Proteins are made up of varying combinations of 20 different amino acids, and our bodies can make 11 of the 20 amino acids. We need to get the other 9 amino acids from foods. Some of the combinations of amino acids from proteins like keratin, a protein found in the skin, hair and nails, hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body, and myosin, a protein which helps to contract muscles.

Many people are under the misconception that vegans, vegetarians, and people in general can’t get enough protein from a plant based diet which includes: vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, seeds, and grains. This is very far from the truth, and even women who are pregnant and athletes who need extra protein can satisfy their protein requirements eating a plant based diet. Body builders often supplement with protein powders and their supplements can be plant based, and they can use pea protein.

Find vegetable protein sources here.