How do I Combine Protein, Complex Carbs & Healthy Fat in a Diet?
Protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats are all important parts of an effective diet. Combining these elements into a diet provides the energy and fuel needed to avoid fatigue and sluggishness for people seeking to maintain an active lifestyle. For more sedentary people, a diet with the proper proportions of protein and the right kinds of carbs and fats still may help them shed pounds or keep off excess weight.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
- Poultry
- Fish
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole-Wheat Bread
- Beans
- Avocados
- Nuts
Instructions
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Calculate how many calories you will strive to consume daily. The Food and Drug Administration recommends 2,000 calories each day for women and 2,500 for men. If you are healthy and participate in an intensive exercise program, you may need up to 1,500 additional calories to support your active lifestyle. If you want to lose a significant amount of weight, you may need fewer calories.
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Calculate how much protein you should eat each day. The recommended dietary allowance is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. With a conversion rate of 2.2 pounds per kilogram, a 200-pound man weighs 90.9 kilograms and thus would aim to eat about 73 grams of protein a day. Pregnant and lactating women, elderly people, and anyone who is sick or disabled may need more than 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The ratio for athletes who do endurance training may be as high as 1.2 grams.
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Eat foods such as meat, fish, poultry and dairy products for the most effective protein intake. These foods have all nine of the essential amino acids, which are crucial building blocks at the cellular level. Plants and vegetables are protein sources as well, but do not have the complete amino acid chain. Red meat is a good source of protein, but is high in fat and cholesterol. Leaner protein sources such as chicken and fish generally are preferable.
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Calculate how many carbohydrates you should eat per day. Nutritionists recommend getting 55 to 60 percent of your daily calorie intake from carbs. If you consume 2,500 calories a day, carbs should comprise about 1,450 of those calories.
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Eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans as your primary sources of calories from carbohydrates. These complex carbs provide energy and important vitamins and minerals. They take longer to digest than simple carbs, thus leaving you feeling full for longer and making you less likely to overeat.
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Calculate how much fat you should eat per day. The ideal limit is 30 percent of your total calories. If you consume 2,000 calories a day, you should get no more than 600 calories from fats.
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Eat foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, fish and vegetable oils for the healthiest sources of fat. As unsaturated fats, these foods help lower cholesterol.
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Tips & Warnings
Eating moderate amounts of protein, carbs and fat generally is better than following a diet that excludes fat or carbs. The body needs fats to regulate blood pressure and heal wounds. The body needs carbs for energy and to avoid severe bouts of lethargy.
Eat home-cooked meals whenever possible. Foods you may eat at a restaurant or via takeout tend to be higher in fats and simple carbohydrates. You also have less control over the ingredients and portions. The more cooking and processing a food undergoes, the more potentially unhealthy it is.
You can track the amount of calories you get from fat with relative ease. The Food and Drug Administration requires nutritional labels to include the number of fat calories per serving.
While complex carbs are essential, simple carbs such as white rice, white bread, sweets and other processed foods may cause you to gain weight and are factors in health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. You should de-emphasize these foods when planning your carbs intake.
The American Heart Association recommends keeping saturated fats to seven percent of total daily calories and trans fats to one percent because these fats increase the risk of heart disease by raising LDL cholesterol. Saturated fats come primarily from red meat, dairy products (but not skim milk), cocoa butter and certain oils. Trans fats come from many of the same sources, especially red meat and sweets.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: A Key to Choosing Healthy Foods
- The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Publications
- The Doctor Will See You Now: How Much Protein Do You Need?
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source: Carbohydrates
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
Resources
- Photo Credit roasted cashews image by inacio pires from Fotolia.com
