How to decide daily nutrient percentage?

rebloonin

Hi! Other than 1 gram of protein per pound of goal weight, and a standard 25g of fiber, how should one determine the goal percentage for carbs and fats?

nossmf

From a purely biological perspective, the body can survive with zero carbs. Due to its use in hormone control, you do need at least a bare minimum of fat each day.

What this means for you is there is no one right answer for how much/little of carbs and fat. Some people feel more energized and able to move around if they include higher carbs; others feel more satisfied with less hunger pangs if they include more fat.

Only you can decide where on the spectrum you fall. I recommend giving yourself a week for doing higher carbs/lower fat, taking notes how you feel during the day, level of hunger, any grouchiness or mood swings, etc. Then a week of the reverse, with lower carbs and higher fat, again taking notes. Now you can make a call of where you want to be: higher one or the other, or a balance.

AnnPT77

I agree with @nossmf above, in general.

If you want a rough rule of thumb for fat goal, a common one to consider is something in the range of 0.3-0.45g daily per pound. Women may need a bit more than men, hormonally.

Note that fat intake can affect digestive throughput. Because of that, high fiber + low fat may not be the best combination.

Many people get enough fat without paying it much attention. I don't.

Just in case: Note, also, that alcohol has calories, about 7 per gram, but isn't a carb, fat or protein. Basically, it's a poison. Sometimes I drink some anyway. 😉

sarataylor3216

It depends on your activity level and how your body feels best — after setting protein and fiber, you can adjust carbs and fats based on energy, performance, and satiety.