Do I Have to Get All of My Required Nutrients in One Day?
Do you have to get all of your required nutrients in one day? Sharon Palmer provides her best tips for how to meet your nutrient requirements.
Do I Have to Get All of My Required Nutrients in One Day?
Question: If I were to miss my recommended amounts of dairy or proteins, would I be able to make up for it by eating more than the recommended amount the next day if I kept within my calorie requirements?
Sharon’s Answer: The RDAs mean “Recommended Dietary Allowances”—not “Daily” allowances. Even though these guidelines for essential nutrient intake are designed as a goal for your daily intake, they are meant to be used as an average intake recommendation over several days. If you’re short on a nutrient one day but over on the next day, it averages out.
In order to meet your nutrient needs, I recommend that you aim for the appropriate number of servings of foods recommended each day, and that will help you meet your nutrient goals. After all, we eat foods, not nutrients! This information is available in my book (The Plant-Powered Diet) in the meal planning section, where I outline how many servings of each major food group, such as protein, grains, fruits, and vegetables you should include in your day. You can also find some helpful portion guides on MyPlate. It’s important that you include the appropriate number of servings of these foods in your diet, as well as focus on variety—lots of various foods each day so that you broaden your scope of nutrients—so that you meet your needs for nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
When it comes to macronutrients, such as protein, fat and carbohydrates, it’s important to have a proper intake of them during the day, as your body is in the constant process of building up and breaking down tissues, so you need a baseline amount of protein for those functions, and you also need carbohydrates for energy intake and to spare the protein for its proper use. If you don’t get enough of these macronutrients, you will go into your stores.
Sharon
Image: Famers Market, Sharon Palmer, RDN
Check out the other nutrition questions I’m answering at The Plant-Powered Dietitian:
Does Soy Lead to Gynecological Issues?
How do I Get Vitamin D on a Plant-Based Diet?
How Do I Eat for Better Digestion?