As most know I am am trying to figure all this stuff out about what to eat. So I need a favor. To be healthy and lose weight what percentage daily of the food groups do I need.
Example: 20% protein 10% fruit etc. Can someone point me in the right direction because I don't know where to find this info.
There's no magic formula! Everyone will have a different diet that works for them.
For general guidelines, I would say make sure every meal is primarily vegetable based. Include a little lean protein (from dairy, meat, eggs, or soy) and a little whole grains at most meals. Eat 1-2 pieces of fruit a day. Strongly limit fats, but be sure to include a few good fats (a little olive oil, some nuts, avocado). For me, I seem to do best with approximately 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fats ... but there's a wide margin of percentages that will work for health and weight loss. Read some good books and learn about nutrition so you can decide what sounds right for you!
Well... usually the percentages are based on proteins/carbs/fats rather than on fruits, breads, etc. Different weight loss plans use different ratios of these nutrients. For example, a "low carb" diet has p/c/f at 40/25/35. Those numbers are percent. A "low fat" diet has p/c/f at 25/60/15.
I use something close the "The Zone," which is 30/40/30.
So, what plan are you following? Or if you're calorie counting, I'd say try to keep those percentages fairly even until you find out what suits you and still allows you to lose weight.
You can search on the Web using keywords "nutrient percentages" to look for more information.
If you use FitDay, it gives you the percentages based on your entries.
If you are uncertain about which foods are protein, fat or carbohydrate here is the USDA site http://www.mypyramid.gov/. This might help you get started.
Yup, that looks about right! You just want to be sure that the bulk of those carbs are coming from veggies and whole grains and not from simple carbs (white bread, white rice, potatoes, sugar). But you'll be able to tinker with it as time goes on to see what works for you for weight loss, energy and fullness.
Although protein, fat, carb is now becoming a common way to view things, I think you could also go back to the good ol' "Four Food Groups" and be just fine. I seem to remember it was 4 parts grain, 4 parts fruit/veggie, 2 parts meat & 2-4 parts dairy (depending on age & gender) - which is pretty decent for a balanced diet.
Need some quick info
