Quick answer: Start by calculating your daily calorie needs using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula. Then track everything you eat for one week without changing anything. Most people discover they eat 200 to 500 kcal more per day than they thought. That baseline measurement is your starting point for any adjustment.
You have thought about it ten times over. Maybe you want to lose a few kilos, maybe you want to build muscle, or maybe you are simply curious how much you actually eat. But every time you try to start tracking your food, you get stuck. How many calories should I eat? How do I track a homemade stew? And how many calories are in a cheese sandwich, anyway?
In this beginner's guide to calorie counting, you will learn how it works step by step. No complicated formulas. No mandatory meal plans. Just a clear overview with practical examples, verified nutritional values and actionable tips you can apply tomorrow.
What are calories and why do they matter?
A calorie is a unit of energy. Technically, it is the amount of energy needed to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. In practice, we use kilocalories (kcal), but everyone just says "calories" [1].
Your body needs calories for everything it does: breathing, pumping blood, walking, thinking, sleeping. Even if you lie on the couch all day, your body burns calories.
The basic rule is simple:
- Eat more than you burn. You gain weight.
- Eat less than you burn. You lose weight.
- Eat the same as you burn. Your weight stays the same.
This is called energy balance. It is not an opinion or a trend — it is thermodynamics. Mathematical modelling by Hall et al. (2011) demonstrated that changes in body weight are directly predictable from the energy balance equation [1]. The diet method (keto, paleo, low-fat) is the vehicle. The calorie deficit is the engine.
How many calories do you need per day?
Your daily calorie requirement depends on four factors: your basal metabolic rate, your activity level, your goal and individual variation.
1. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR)
This is the energy your body burns at rest — just to keep functioning. Your BMR is determined by your age, sex, height and weight.
The most accurate publicly available formula is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation [2]. A large-scale study by Van Dessel et al. (2024) found that this formula correctly predicted resting metabolic rate in 73 percent of participants [3].
Men: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) - 161
Example: A 30-year-old man, 180 cm, 80 kg: BMR = (10 x 80) + (6.25 x 180) - (5 x 30) + 5 = 800 + 1,125 - 150 + 5 = 1,780 kcal
2. Your activity level
Multiply your BMR by an activity factor to calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE):
| Activity level | Factor | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary (desk job, little movement) | 1.2 | Office work, no exercise |
| Lightly active | 1.375 | Light exercise 1 to 3 times per week |
| Moderately active | 1.55 | Exercise 3 to 5 times per week |
| Very active | 1.725 | Intense exercise 6 to 7 times per week |
| Extremely active | 1.9 | Physical job plus daily exercise |
Our example: The 30-year-old man with BMR 1,780, exercising 3 times per week: TDEE = 1,780 x 1.55 = 2,759 kcal per day
An important note: most people overestimate their activity level. A 30-minute walk does not make you "lightly active" if you sit at a desk the rest of the day. When in doubt, choose one level lower.
3. Your goal
- Lose weight. Eat 300 to 500 kcal less than your TDEE. Read more in our calorie deficit guide.
- Maintain weight. Eat around your TDEE.
- Gain weight or build muscle. Eat 200 to 300 kcal more than your TDEE.
Our example for weight loss: 2,759 - 400 = 2,359 kcal per day
4. Individual variation
Formulas provide an estimate, not an exact number. Your actual needs can deviate by 10 to 20 percent due to genetic variation, hormones, sleep quality and gut microbiome [4]. Use the calculation as a starting point and adjust based on your results after two to three weeks.
Which nutrients provide calories?
Calories come from three sources, known as macronutrients. Understanding these helps you read nutrition labels more effectively.
Protein (4 kcal per gram)
Protein is the building block of your muscles, organs and immune system. It is also the most satiating macronutrient — you feel full longer after a protein-rich meal.
Recommendation. 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight if you exercise [5]. At 80 kg: 128 to 176 grams of protein per day.
Good sources. Chicken breast, eggs, Greek yoghurt, legumes, fish, cottage cheese.
Fat (9 kcal per gram)
Fat is essential for hormone production, vitamin absorption and brain function. Per gram, it contains more than twice the calories of protein or carbohydrates.
Recommendation. 0.8 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. At 80 kg: 64 to 96 grams of fat per day.
Good sources. Nuts, olive oil, avocado, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), cheese.
Carbohydrates (4 kcal per gram)
Carbohydrates are your body's preferred fuel for physical activity. They are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver.
Recommendation. Fill your remaining calories with carbohydrates after calculating protein and fat.
Good sources. Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, oats, fruit.
What does a day of calorie tracking look like?
Let us walk through a typical day with verified calorie values. These values come from the NEVO database, the Dutch national food composition database.
Breakfast: two slices of bread with cheese and butter
| Product | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Whole wheat bread | 2 slices (70 g) | 164 kcal |
| Butter | 2 x 7 g | 104 kcal |
| Semi-aged Gouda cheese | 2 slices (60 g) | 222 kcal |
| Total | 490 kcal |
Mid-morning: coffee with milk and an apple
| Product | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Black coffee | 1 cup | 2 kcal |
| Semi-skimmed milk | 30 ml | 14 kcal |
| Apple (with skin) | 1 medium (150 g) | 85 kcal |
| Total | 101 kcal |
Lunch: bread roll with a Dutch croquette and mustard
| Product | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Hard bread roll (pistolet) | 1 piece (65 g) | 194 kcal |
| Deep-fried croquette (kroket) | 1 piece (70 g) | 190 kcal |
| Mustard | 1 teaspoon (5 g) | 5 kcal |
| Total | 389 kcal |
Mid-afternoon: banana
| Product | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Banana | 1 piece (130 g) | 120 kcal |
| Total | 120 kcal |
Dinner: kale mash (stamppot) with smoked sausage
| Product | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Potatoes (boiled) | 300 g | 249 kcal |
| Kale (cooked) | 75 g | 25 kcal |
| Butter | 15 g | 111 kcal |
| Semi-skimmed milk | 50 ml | 23 kcal |
| Smoked sausage (rookworst) | 100 g | 304 kcal |
| Total | 712 kcal |
Evening: cup of tea and a stroopwafel
| Product | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Tea without sugar | 1 cup | 0 kcal |
| Stroopwafel (Dutch syrup waffle) | 1 piece (33 g) | 155 kcal |
| Total | 155 kcal |
Daily total: 1,967 kcal
For someone with a TDEE of 2,759 kcal, this would be a deficit of nearly 800 kcal — quite steep. In practice, most days end up higher because of untracked snacks, drinks and extra portions. Curious about how many calories popular Dutch snacks contain? That can make a significant difference.
How do you start counting calories? 5 steps
Step 1: calculate your daily needs
Use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula above, or use our interactive calculator. Determine your TDEE and subtract 300 to 500 kcal if you want to lose weight.
Step 2: track everything for one week
The first week is a baseline measurement. Change nothing about your eating pattern, but track everything you eat and drink. The goal is to discover how much you currently eat, not to immediately eat less.
Most people discover they eat 200 to 500 kcal more per day than they thought. That discovery alone is valuable.
Step 3: identify the big wins
After a week of tracking you will see patterns. Maybe you eat a stroopwafel with your coffee every day (155 kcal). Maybe you drink two glasses of chocolate milk per day (380 kcal). Maybe your dinner is consistently above 800 kcal.
Focus on the largest calorie sources where you can easily make a change. That delivers more results than weighing every gram.
Step 4: make small adjustments
Not everything at once. Choose two to three adjustments per week:
- Skip the butter on your bread. Saves 52 kcal per slice.
- Water instead of chocolate milk. Saves 190 kcal per glass.
- Half a portion of chips instead of a full one. Saves roughly 200 kcal.
Small adjustments you maintain are more effective than drastic changes you abandon after three days [6].
Step 5: evaluate after two to three weeks
Weigh yourself after two to three weeks. Is your weight moving in the direction you want? Then you are doing well. If not, adjust your calorie intake by 100 to 200 kcal per day.
Do not expect miracles. A healthy rate of weight loss is 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week. That translates to a daily deficit of 500 to 1,000 kcal [7]. Anything above that is unsustainable and can lead to muscle loss and metabolic adaptation.
What mistakes should you avoid when counting calories?
1. Eating too little
It is tempting to keep your calorie intake as low as possible. But below 1,200 kcal per day (women) or 1,500 kcal (men) you get insufficient nutrients. Your metabolism slows, your energy drops and eventually you overcompensate [4]. This mechanism is called adaptive thermogenesis [8].
2. Forgetting liquid calories
A glass of orange juice (110 kcal), a cappuccino with milk (80 kcal), a beer (140 kcal), a glass of wine (120 kcal). Liquid calories count but are almost never tracked. They also provide less satiety than solid food.
3. Ignoring sauces and toppings
A tablespoon of olive oil (120 kcal), a serving of mayonnaise (100 kcal), a pat of butter (52 kcal), a handful of nuts (170 kcal). These small additions can collectively amount to hundreds of calories per day.
4. Skipping weekends
Many people track diligently on weekdays and let it go on weekends. Two days of less tracking can undermine your weekly result. You do not need to be perfect on weekends, but track your main meals.
5. Continuing too long without a break
Calorie tracking is a learning tool, not a lifestyle. After four to eight weeks you should have a good feel for portion sizes and calorie values. After that, you can switch to periodic tracking or more mindful eating [6].
Wondering how to eat more after a diet without regaining weight? Read our guide on reverse dieting.
Frequently asked questions about calorie counting
Do I need to weigh all my food?
In the beginning, weighing for a few days helps you learn to estimate. A 30-gram slice of cheese looks different than you think. After a week of weighing, you can usually estimate reasonably well without a scale.
How do I count calories in homemade meals?
Add up the calories for all ingredients in the entire dish, then divide by the number of portions. Making a stew with 1 kg of potatoes, 300 g of kale and 50 g of butter? Add up the calories and divide by the number of servings.
Is calorie counting suitable for everyone?
No. People with a (history of) eating disorder are advised against counting calories. Research shows that calorie tracking can worsen the condition in people at elevated risk for eating disorders [9]. If tracking causes obsessive behaviour or anxiety around food, stop and seek professional help.
How many calories per day is healthy?
The Dutch Nutrition Centre uses approximately 2,000 kcal per day for women and 2,500 kcal for men as a general guideline [10]. But your personal needs can vary substantially based on height, weight, age and activity level. Use the formula in this guide as a starting point.
What is the difference between calories and kilocalories?
In everyday use: nothing. When someone says "a croquette contains 190 calories," they mean 190 kilocalories (kcal). Nutrition labels usually list kcal. In a scientific context, 1 kilocalorie equals 1,000 calories, but this distinction is rarely used in daily conversation.
Do all calories count the same?
Not entirely. A calorie is a calorie when it comes to energy balance, but the source matters for satiety, muscle preservation and overall health. 200 kcal from chicken breast is far more satiating and provides building blocks for your muscles, while 200 kcal from biscuits spikes your blood sugar and leaves you hungry again quickly. That is why the distribution across protein, fat and carbohydrates matters [5].
Start gaining insight into your nutrition today
Calorie counting does not need to be complicated. Start small: track your main meals for one week, without changing anything. You will learn more about your eating patterns in that single week than in months of guessing. Read our complete calorie counting guide for more tips and background.
At Moveno, we are building an app that makes tracking as easy as possible. Take a photo of your food and see your nutritional values instantly — from a cheese sandwich to a hearty stew. With the NEVO database, the app recognises everything you eat.
Curious? Join the waitlist and get early access.
Sources
- Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D et al. (2011). Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet, 378(9793), 826-837. PubMed
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA et al. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr, 51(2), 241-247. PubMed
- Van Dessel K, Verrijken A, De Block C et al. (2024). Basal metabolic rate using indirect calorimetry among individuals living with overweight or obesity: The accuracy of predictive equations for basal metabolic rate. Clin Nutr ESPEN, 59, 413-421. PubMed
- Most J, Redman LM (2020). Impact of calorie restriction on energy metabolism in humans. Exp Gerontol, 133, 110875. PubMed
- Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ, Wildman R et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: diets and body composition. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 14, 16. PubMed
- Hector AJ, Phillips SM (2018). Protein recommendations for weight loss in elite athletes: A focus on body composition and performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 28(2), 170-177. PubMed
- Byrne NM, Sainsbury A, King NA et al. (2018). Intermittent energy restriction improves weight loss efficiency in obese men: the MATADOR study. Int J Obes (Lond), 42(2), 129-138. PubMed
- Rosenbaum M, Leibel RL (2010). Adaptive thermogenesis in humans. Int J Obes (Lond), 34 Suppl 1, S47-55. PubMed
- Linardon J, Messer M (2019). My fitness pal usage in men: Associations with eating disorder symptoms and psychosocial impairment. Eat Behav, 33, 13-17. PubMed
- Voedingscentrum. Hoeveel calorieën heb ik nodig? voedingscentrum.nl
