Discretionary Calories

A. For your body to function, you need to consume a certain number of calories each day. These calories also provide energy for physical activities.
Think of the calories you need as a daily budget. Let's say you need 2,000 calories per day. Within that budget, there are essential nutrients your body needs to function optimally (low-fat foods without "added" sugars such as fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, high-fiber whole grains, lean meat, poultry and fish). If you meet your nutritional needs for the day with 1,800 calories, then you have 200 calories left over. These are discretionary calories, or the "extra" calories you can indulge in on luxuries like solid fats, added sugars, additions to foods (e.g., salad dressing, sauces, butter), alcohol or on more food from any food group.
Each person has an allowance in their budget for some discretionary calories, but most discretionary calorie allowances are very small - between 100 and 300 calories, especially for those who are not physically active. For many people, the discretionary calorie allowance is totally used by the foods they choose in each food group.