Nutrition Requirements in Adulthood

Eating healthy and sticking to the rules of a balanced diet is easier said than done. The nutrients that matter most to the human body are divided into three categories namely proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates.

However, the unique nutrition requirements in adulthood are useful in ensuring the body functions well—and is in a healthy state. Such nutrients include calories, fats, and minerals.

Though you must acquire a set of nutrition needs to achieve optimal growth in each stage, adults seem to have unique requirements because of the activities they carry out.

Unfortunately, most of us consume lots of processed foods, some with little or no nutritional value. These foods, commonly referred to as “junk food” can result in obesity leading to serious health problems. For instance, one may develop heart conditions like sudden cardiac arrest which can be remedied by CPR for adults but takes longer to treat.

During processing, these foods lose virtually all nutrients and what remains after processing can be equated to garbage that we still pump into our bodies not knowing what the end result will be.

As much as these foods are “available on order”, we need to avoid them at all costs to keep our bodies in a healthy state.

Foods to Cater for Nutrition Requirements in Adulthood

Follow this balanced diet to kick start your day well and accomplish all you’ve lined up for the day.

  • Breakfast– a cup of tea, ¼ piece of an orange, a slice of whole white bread and omelet made of 2 eggs, 3 tbsp. water, 1 tsp. butter, ½ cup of sliced green peppers, ½ cup filling of finely chopped ham, shredded cheese and baby spinach.
  • Lunch– baked sweet potatoes topped with 1 teaspon butter and sprinkled with cinnamon, ½ cup of grape juice and 3 pieces beef stew seasoned with 1 sliced red onions, ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes,1/8 cup of sliced cucumbers, 1,8 tbsp. of salt, 2 tbsps of olive oil.
  • Dinner-1 cup of cooked whole grain pasta , 1/2 cup of diced watermelon juice and 3 pieces of chicken stew seasoned with 1/8 tbsp salt, 2 sliced tomatoes, 1 garlic,  and 1 pepper,1sliced red onion, 2 tbsp olive oil and a ½ glass of water.
  • Snacks-Mid-morning- baby carrots (30 calories). Dinner-a cup of nonfat fruit flavored yogurt (140 calories).

These meals are appropriate for this stage because adults are ever busy, both physically and emotionally.

At this stage, most people are engaged with their families and require lots of energies to deal with virtually everything at a go.

Grownups spend most of their time thinking about daily activities, and this consumes lots of energy thus their bodies require more and more to compensate for the energy lost on day to day activities.

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Apart from the daily routines of caring for their families, there is the need to work because most parents must commit to a job to provide for their loved ones. The consumption of calories also depends on the body weight and the kind of job a person does.

Each person is different and all of us are involved in different types of activities that require different energies. Therefore, the activities we do play a key role in determining the kind and quantity of the foods one takes.

Some people prefer to have their meals in reverse, depending on their activeness. Some work better when not full while other fellows can hardly focus at work on a hungry belly. Such individuals prefer to have a heavy breakfast, can do without lunch, and then have a light dinner.

As long as what is taken is in the right amounts to meet the nutrition requirements in adulthood— and does not do any harm to the body e.g. by fattening the person or triggering obesity—then your eating habits are okay.

Still, as you or your partner adds weight and develops heart conditions, it helps to learn the importance of CPR for adults in preserving lives.

According to a 2014 publication by Waterlow, malnutrition is caused by nutrient deficiencies in the body.  Better nutrition results in better health which contributes to a strong immune system.

This means that the body is in a healthy form to fight any disease causing microorganism alone. People who lack certain nutrients in their bodies are more likely to fall sick or be affected by other health complications because of their poor immunity.

Food Security and Nutrition Requirements in Adulthood

Food insecurity is a situation of either limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food to share in a socially acceptable way.

Food security involves measures of resilience to future unavailability or disruptions of food supply due to climate change that results in drought, fuel shortages to transport food to various places, economic instability, pandemics like COVID-19 and wars.

Food security is usually measured by calories intake per individual per day. In general, the main objective of food security measures and indicators is to capture the main components of food security in terms of the availability, access and utilization of food.

Famine is an example of food insecurity that has killed millions of people all over the world.

The most common causes of famine are wars and droughts. Since food security is a problem affecting virtually all countries in the world, the following are solutions to food security problems.

  • Improving agricultural diversity
  • Encouraging sustainable agriculture
  • Increasing incentive for local farmers
  • Fighting hunger by minimizing the level of poverty among people

Many communities deal with food security issues making it one of the primary causes of malnutrition among adults.

A 3-Day Diet Log to Guide You Through Nutrition Requirements in Adulthood

It takes discipline to achieve proper nutrition, especially in a contemporary world with strange eating habits and lots of processed foods that aren’t fit to consume every day.

Irrational nutrition decisions and the fact that most people care less about their diet has led to a rise in obesity and malnutrition cases.

In this three-day diet log, we will focus on nutrition requirements in adulthood and eating habits that take lots of self-discipline to incorporate into your living habits.

The challenges of healthy nutrition is a bone of contention in an era of sedentary lifestyles and processed foods where people are physically passive and feed more than what they require to maintain normal body functions.

People adding extra weight and developing heart conditions must understand the importance of CPR for adults in preserving lives.

In this three-day log, we will analyze the food intake for breakfast and lunch, and use the Super Tracker software to monitor calorie value and macronutrients values of the foods consumed. Below are day-one to day-three data log tables showing the meals consumed and their nutrition values. 

Day one: Breakfast

Food item Calories Carbs Total Fat Protein fiber
1 cup of coffee 0 0g 0g 0g 0g
Pancakes, whole wheat 92 28g 5g 0g 0g
1 Chocolate bar, milk with crisped rice 225 0g 44g 0g 0g

Day one: Lunch

Food item Calories carbs Total fat protein fiber
1 can Coca-Cola 180 10.6g 0g 0g 0g
Rice beans, cooked with veg. oil 411 43g 15g 90g 0g

Day two: Breakfast 

Food item Calories carbs Total fat Protein fiber
2 white bread, added fiber 67 170g 30g 3.8g 1.8g
1 Chocolate milk, whole 208 11g 8g 8g 0g
1 mango raw 124 28.5g 0.8g 1.9g 0.6g

Day two: Lunch

Food item Calories carbs Total fat protein fiber
1 medium slice beef 121 12g 18g 42g 0g
2 cups coleslaw 698 768g 30g 8.1g 4g
1 cup rice white wild blend 188 12g 9g 4g 2g

Day three: Breakfast

Food item Calories carbs Total fat protein fiber
3 pieces of bacon 120 0g 6g 10g 0g
1 chocolate milk, whole 208 11g 8g 8g 0g

Day three: Lunch

Food item calories Carbs Total fat Proteins fiber
1 can Coca-Cola 170g 10g 0g 0g 0g
Chocolate milkshake 700g 120g 16g 12g 0g

The above data logs show the types of food consumed to meet breakfast and lunch nutrition requirements in adulthood for three consecutive days.

It is a summary of a 3-day diet that you can analyze further to determine whether to increase or decrease the consumption of certain foods.

Analysis of three-day diet log data

The three-day data obtained is sufficient to draw a line of judgment on whether the diet is a healthy practice or not. This plan was based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommends regular intake of vegetable, whole grain, proteins, and fruits.

The intake of less fatty foods and minimal usage of junk foods such as fries and sausages. Enough water intake should help keep one hydrated all the time. Foods high in sodium and processed foods can compromise the health of an individual in many ways. Those adding extra weight and developing heart conditions must understand the importance of CPR for adults in preserving lives.

The amount of food consumed in the three-day analysis should give an average of the calorie count. This figure should be compared to the standard calories count for healthy individuals which is 2000 calories to confirm a diet’s effectiveness.

Other macronutrient values may also be collected and compared to see if you met the targeted values.

Final Words 

Meeting nutrition requirements in adulthood requires discipline with the types and amounts of foods you eat. Follow this comprehensive guide to maintain a healthy meal.

Lastly, learn more about CPR for adults to help save lives during cardiac-related emergencies.