The daily requirement for protein is equivalent to 0.8g/kg body weight. This implies that the total protein intake should never exceed this rate. The calculation can also be based on the total calorie requirements per day. In such a case, protein should account for an average of 25% of total calories in a day. The range is between 10-30%.
This requirement is the average intake for an average woman with an averagely active lifestyle. However, this can increase when the activity level increases. Furthermore, the requirement also increases during pregnancy or when recovering from an illness. Under such circumstances, the intake should be increased by about 71g of protein per day.
Calculations:
- Based on body weight, an average woman aged 32 could have a weight range of 55 – 70 kgs with an average of 57.5 kgs. The protein requirements, based on the 0.8g.kg body weight, lies in the range of 44g to 56g. The average protein requirement is 46g per day.
It is important to make sure that the food choices do satisfy the protein nutrient needs. There are various measures that can be used to make sure that the recommended intake is not exceeded. Some of these are as follows:
- A cup of milk yields 8g of protein.
- A cup of dry beans yields about 16g of protein.
- 3-ounce piece of meat has a total protein yield of 21g.
- An 8-ounce yoghurt container offers about 11g protein.
In case other protein foods are used, the exchange lists should be used so as to make sure that the requirement is not exceeded.
