Nutrition
The plate
- Vegetables and fruit, Half the plate. Mostly vegetables; potatoes do not count.
- Whole grains, A quarter. Intact grains such as oats, brown rice and whole-wheat bread.
- Healthy protein, A quarter. Fish, poultry, beans and nuts; little red or processed meat.
Cook with healthy oils, such as olive oil, and in small amounts. Drink water, tea or coffee instead of sugary drinks.
Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Healthy Eating Plate.
Macros
Carbohydrate, fat and protein can each supply a share of your daily calories. These are the acceptable ranges from the US Institute of Medicine.
- Carbohydrate45% – 65% of calories · 4 kcal per g
- Fat20% – 35% of calories · 9 kcal per g
- Protein10% – 35% of calories · 4 kcal per g
Protein
Needs scale with body weight. Spreading protein over your meals works better than eating it all at once.
- Adult minimum
- 0.8 g per kg of body weight a day
- While losing weight
- 1–1.6 g per kg a day, to help keep muscle
- Per meal
- 20–40 g
Common foods
Raw and cooked differ a lot, so each row says which it is. Rice, pasta and beans soak up water as they cook, so they have fewer calories per 100 g cooked; meat and fish lose water, so they have more.
| Food | State | kcal | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, skinless | raw | 120 | 22.5 | 0 | 2.6 |
| Chicken breast, roasted | cooked | 165 | 31 | 0 | 3.6 |
| Ground beef, 85% lean | raw | 215 | 18.6 | 0 | 15 |
| Salmon, Atlantic, farmed | raw | 208 | 20.4 | 0 | 13.4 |
| Tuna, light, canned in water | as sold | 116 | 25.5 | 0 | 0.8 |
| Egg, whole | raw | 143 | 12.6 | 0.7 | 9.5 |
| White rice, long-grain | cooked | 130 | 2.7 | 28.2 | 0.3 |
| Pasta | cooked | 158 | 5.8 | 30.9 | 0.9 |
| Whole-wheat bread | as sold | 252 | 12.4 | 42.7 | 3.5 |
| Oats, rolled | raw | 379 | 13.2 | 67.7 | 6.5 |
| Potato, baked, with skin | cooked | 93 | 2.5 | 21.2 | 0.1 |
| Black beans | cooked | 132 | 8.9 | 23.7 | 0.5 |
| Lentils | cooked | 116 | 9 | 20.1 | 0.4 |
| Whole milk, 3.25% | as sold | 61 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 3.3 |
| Cheddar cheese | as sold | 403 | 22.9 | 3.4 | 33.3 |
| Plain yogurt, whole milk | as sold | 61 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 3.3 |
| Banana | raw | 89 | 1.1 | 22.8 | 0.3 |
| Apple, with skin | raw | 52 | 0.3 | 13.8 | 0.2 |
| Broccoli | raw | 34 | 2.8 | 6.6 | 0.4 |
| Avocado | raw | 160 | 2 | 8.5 | 14.7 |
| Olive oil | as sold | 884 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Butter, salted | as sold | 717 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 81.1 |
| Sugar, granulated | as sold | 387 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
| Almonds | raw | 579 | 21.2 | 21.6 | 49.9 |
Per 100 g. Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy.
Before you rely on this
This page is written for adults and is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and kidney conditions change these numbers. Ask a doctor or a dietitian before changing how you eat.