Nutrition Calculation and Plan
OBJECTIVE: Students will (privately) determine their Basal Metabolic
Index to determine if they should gain wait, remain the same, or lose
weight. They will then calculate the number of calories they need
each day, then design a one-day meal plan that meets all
nutritional hallmarks. The purpose of this is so students know what a
healthy meal (for them) looks like, for the sake of their health.
BODY FAT RANGES (MALE/FEMALE)
Exceptionally lean
6-10%/10-15%
Very lean
11-14%/16-19%
Lean
15-18%/20-25%
Moderate
19-24%/26-29%
Overfat
25%+/30%+ (yes, they really use the word
overfat!)
Little known (or at least acknowledged) Weight & Diet Facts:
1)
Muscle is 22.5% more dense than fat, so it “weighs” more
2)
Growing adolescents, generally, need 2500-3500 calories/day
3)
To lose weight, reduce calories by 500/day (equals about a
pound per week). To gain weight, add 500.
4)
A calorie is actually a scientifically measurable unit: the
amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram
of water 1 degree Celsius. One food calorie is really a
kilocalorie…1000 lab calories
STUDENT TASKS & INSTRUCTIONS:
TASK #1
Determine your Body Mass Index to determine if your weight is fine,
or you should consider gaining or losing (always, though, speak to
your parents and/or your doctor!)
BODY MASS INDEX:
Calculate by dividing your weight (in pounds) by the square of your
height, then multiplying by 703. For example:
115/642 = 115/4096 x 703 = 19.7 BMI
BMI Value
Interpretation
<18.5
Underweight
18.5-24.9
Normal range
25-29.9
Overweight
30+
Obese
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Carbohydrates provide 4 calories/gram
Proteins provide 4/calories/gram
Fats provide 9 calories/gram
According to most nutritionists, who care more about your health
than what they can sell you, your diet should be about 45-65%
carbohydrates (complex carbs, not simple sugars and white
flour!),depending on other health issues that may be present, so for
purposes of this activity, we’ll set it at 60%. Proteins should make up
10-15%, and the remaining should come from lipids (preferably
unsaturated fats). There are a lot of dietary “rules” to follow these
days (as we learn more and more about how our body works), but
these are the basics so let’s start there!
TASK #2
Now that you know whether or not your weight is fine where you’re
at, you need to figure out how many calories you should be taking
in. First we must consider what you need for basic metabolic
function (what you’d need if you were in a coma, even), and then
add in whatever your level of activity would require:
Basal metabolism + Active metabolism = total calories
To determine your basal metabolic needs, use the appropriate
equation below.
MALES: 66 + (13.7 x wt.) + (5 x ht.) – 6.8 x age
FEMALES: 655 + (9.6 x wt.) + (1.8 x ht.) – (4.7 x age)
Ht. = centimeters (inches x 2.54)
Wt. = kilograms (pounds divided by 2.2)
Age =years
Once you have this value, multiply by the number that best
describes your activity level. This number is your total caloric
requirement for one day.
Activity multiplier:
Sedentary 1.2 (little to no exercise)
Lightly Active 1.375 (1-3 periods of aerobic exercise lasting at least
15 minutes per week)
Moderately active 1.55 (exercise 3-5 times per week)
Very Active 1.725 (exercise 6-7 times per week)
**Only professional athletes would need a larger multiplier
Example: Say you calculate your basal needs to be 1400
calories/day, but you are very active. 1400 x 1.725 (very active
multiplier) = 3105. You need about 3100 calories per day to
maintain your current weight. REMEMBER: If you need to gain/lose
weight, adjust your menu plan caloric intake the appropriate
number of calories (plus or minus 500)
TASK #3
Now that you know how many calories you need, you must
determine how many calories you should have from each nutrient.
Sticking with the 3100 calories per day example, 60% of those
should be from carbs, 10 % protein and 30% fat:
3100 x .60 = 1860 calories should be from carbs
3100 x .10 = 310 calories should be from proteins
3100 x .30 = 930 calories from fat
To make things even easier, you can determine how many grams of
each simply by dividing by the number of calories per gram (4, 4
and 9)
1860 carb calories/4 cals per gram = 465 grams of carbs
Finally, it’s time to plan your diet. Create a table or spreadsheet to
organize your one-day meal plan. You need to show:
1) food and serving size
2) Number of calories or grams from each of the nutrient categories
(be consistent—show one or the other): carbs, proteins & fats
3) Stay within your caloric requirement, plus or minus 10 % in each
category and within 100 calories total. It’s very difficult to eat
exactly the right number of calories, but if we don’t consistently
overeat, this will not become a health issue
4) Show all your calculations for BMI and Caloric requirements so I
can compare your meal design