Macro Portions

Carbohydrates

45%-65% of the diet

Provide energy in the form of glucose

High in Vitamins and Minerals           

According to MyPlate, Fruits and Vegetables should be half the meal for every meal

Grains shouldn’t be the focus of our meals and neither should protein, a common misconception.

They’re often high in calories, have a very good place in the diet, and should be evenly distributed throughout the day.

The average person needs 0.8g of  protein for every kilogram of body weight, which is usually no more than 75g of protein.

For a 160lb athlete their requirements would be between 87g and 140g being that their requirements are between 1.2g-2.0g per kg

The recommended daily meat intake is 4-6oz daily, however many American meals consist of 5-7oz on a single plate. 5 ounces of meat is also 37g of protein which is more than half of the daily protein recommendations. Spread these portions out and have strips of steak across your meal instead of the focus of the meal.

The healthy diet consists of large salads or other vegetables with protein and healthy fats on top for extra flavor, calories, and nutrients.

A single serving of nuts is only ~20 nuts, enjoy this on top of a meal instead of as a hardy snack

Fats are 9 kcal for every gram, meaning that a meal consisting of 15g of fat = 135 kcal from fat

A diet should consist of 20%-35% calories from fat which is easily attainable with a diet consisting of minimally processed foods

On a 2400 kcal diet this equates to 64g-90g fat

Fats are used for energy, hormone regulation and decreasing inflammation.

A very important nutrient and the more that comes from plants the better

Fat from plants are:

·         low in saturated fats

·         have balanced omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,

·         control cholesterol levels

·         raise HDL levels

·         lower LDL levels