The amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in your diet.

In many videos and television programs prepared with the participation of the Rospotrebnadzor project “Healthy Nutrition” within the framework of the national project "Demography," you can hear and see the formula for creating a balanced diet: the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates (BJU) should be 1:1:4, or "one protein, one fat, four carbohydrates.” But how do you apply this in practice?

Experts from the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology” explain:

In accordance with the methodological recommendations MP 2.3.1.0253-21 “Norms of physiological needs for energy and nutrients for various groups of the population of the Russian Federation” and WHO recommendations, in a balanced, healthy diet (BJD), the share of proteins should provide from 10 to 15% of its calorie content, fats from 15 to 30%, and carbohydrates from 55 to 75%.

“The optimal ratio of macronutrient shares in the caloric intake of the diet is determined individually depending on gender, age, and level of physical activity. When basic nutrients are oxidized in the body, energy is released, expressed in kilocalories (kcal). When 1 g of proteins and carbohydrates is oxidized, about 4 kcal are released, and fats are 9 kcal,” comments Viktor Aleksandrovich Tutelyan, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Scientific Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology."

 

So, according to the recommendations in a balanced diet, for every 1000 kcal, there should be 150 kcal from protein, 300 kcal from fat, and 550 kcal from carbohydrates.

 

When choosing an individual B:F:U ratio, a 15%, 30%, or 55% contribution to the daily caloric intake will be provided by:

 

  • 150 kcal: 4 kcal = 37.5 g protein;
  • 300 kcal: 9 kcal = 33.3 g fat;
  • 550 kcal: 4 kcal = 137.5 g carbohydrates.

 

Thus, the ratio B:F:Y in grams is 37.5: 33.3: 137.5, and when reduced to unity, it can be expressed as 1:1:4.

The ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the daily diet, expressed in grams as B:F:U = 1:1:4, is traditionally used by nutritionists to simplify the explanation to patients of the portions of essential nutrients.