Question 1

How does this Australian Dietary Guidelines calculator work?

Accepted Answer

It estimates your daily energy needs from your age, sex, height, weight and activity level using the IOM 2005 equations, then shows the result in kilojoules or Calories next to the NHMRC's recommended daily serves for your age and sex. It is an independent tool, not an NHMRC product.

Question 2

What is the 8,700 kJ figure?

Accepted Answer

8,700 kJ is the reference average-adult daily energy intake used on Australian food labels (for the percentage Daily Intake, %DI). It is an average for labelling (about 2,080 Calories), not a personal target. Your own needs depend on your age, sex, body size and how active you are, which is what the calculator estimates.

Question 3

How many serves of each food group should I eat?

Accepted Answer

The Australian Dietary Guidelines publish recommended daily serves that vary by age and sex. For adults aged 19–50, that's roughly 5 (women) to 6 (men) serves of vegetables and legumes, 2 serves of fruit, 6 serves of grain foods, 2.5 serves of milk/alternatives, and 2.5–3 serves of lean meats and alternatives. Your results show the serves for your own age and sex, and how many extra serves a taller or more active person can add.

Question 4

Can I switch the calculator between kilojoules and Calories?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The energy result has a kJ⟷Calorie toggle. Australia and New Zealand label food in kilojoules, but many people still think in Calories, so you can read the same estimate in either unit. The conversion uses 1 Calorie = 4.184 kJ. Australian food labels use 4.18, a difference of about 0.1%.

Australian Dietary Guidelines Calculator: Energy in kJ or Calories