Protein & Calorie Calculation for Food Amount Recommended in Dietary Guidelines (Adult)
If you follow our dietary guidelines, how much protein will you get? How many calories will you get? Should you worry about protein? Let’s do a calculation.
Fruits
We usually recommend 750 grams of fruits. Let us discuss an example:
| Fruit | Calories | Protein |
| Apple – 150 g | 94 | 0.4 g |
| Banana – 150 g | 142 | 2.1 g |
| Orange – 150 g | 67 | 1.5 g |
| Strawberries – 75 g | 21 | 0.5 g |
| Nectarine – 150 g | 69 | 1.8 g |
| Pineapple – 75 g | 33 | 0.4 g |
| Total | 426 | 6.7 g |
Vegetables
We usually recommend 450 grams of raw vegetables and 150 grams of cooked vegetables (no added fat). Let us discuss an example:
| Vegetable | Calories | Protein |
| Raw Vegetables | : | : |
| Carrots – 150 g | 55 | 0.9 |
| Baby Spinach – 50 g | 8 | 1.4 |
| Lettuce Iceberg – 150 g | 14 | 1.4 |
| Tomato – 100 g | 19 | 0.6 |
| Cooked Vegetables | : | : |
| Potatoes – 75 g | 48 | 1.1 |
| Cauliflower – 75 g | 20 | 1.5 |
| Total | 164 | 6.9 grams |
Whole Grains
We usually recommend 6 servings of whole grains to people between the age of 18 to 30.
| Cooked Grains | Calories | Protein |
| Quinoa – 100 g | 105 | 3.4 |
| Bread – 2 big slices (84 g) | 194 | 9.4 |
| Brown rice – 100 g | 166 | 4.1 |
| Roti – 1 big (76 g) | 223 | 6.7 |
| Total | 688 | 23.6 grams |
Legumes
We usually recommend 3 servings of legumes for adults.
| Legumes | Calories | Protein |
| Chickpeas (cooked) – 125 g | 148 | 9 |
| Peas – 150 g | 106 | 8.7 |
| Green Beans – 140 g | 39 | 2.7 |
| Total | 293 | 20.4 grams |
Nuts
We usually recommend 45 grams of nuts to adults.
| Nuts | Calories | Protein |
| Almonds – 25 g | 143 | 4.9 |
| Walnuts – 20 g | 139 | 2.9 |
| Total | 282 | 7.8 grams |
Seeds
We usually recommend 15 grams of seeds to adults.
| Seeds | Calories | Protein |
| Flaxseeds – 5 g | 25 | 0.8 |
| Sesame Seeds – 5 g | 31 | 1.1 |
| Pumpkin Seeds – 5 g | 29 | 1.5 |
| Total | 85 | 3.4 grams |
Total Calories and Total Protein
| Food Category | Calories | Protein |
| Fruits | 426 | 6.7 |
| Vegetables | 164 | 6.9 |
| Whole Grains | 688 | 23.6 |
| Legumes | 293 | 20.4 |
| Nuts | 282 | 7.8 |
| Seeds | 85 | 3.4 |
| Total | 1938 | 68.8 grams |
Conclusion
According to the above analysis, you will get more than the required protein. Your body generally needs approx. 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight. If you have a normal weight (e.g., 75 Kg), you need 60 grams of protein daily. The above diet provides 68.8 grams of protein. It is more than the required amount of protein. Therefore, you should not worry about the protein. You can increase the intake of whole grains and legumes to increase calories.
If you follow our dietary guidelines, you will get approx. 1900 – 2000 calories per day. According to your energy need, you should increase servings of whole grains and legumes. If you want to lose weight, you might follow these guidelines exactly mentioned in this article. It will help you to lose weight slowly but safely.
Learn More: Dietary Guidelines
