A nutritional requirement varies greatly on the basis of age, sex, body weight, and the level of physical activity. Recommended daily nutritional allowances for a male or a female having normal body weight is given in Table 7.6.
It will be clear from the table that the recommended daily nutritional requirements of adults have been divided into three categories according to the level of activity, i.e., sedentary, moderate and heavy work.
Some factors affect the requirement of nutrients in this age are as below:
Energy
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In adults the daily requirement of calories depends on the type of work. An adult doing heavy work requires additional calories than a person doing moderate or sedentary work. Generally women require less calories than men because men have more active muscular tissues due to which they have higher basal-metabolic rate. Hence, the requirement of energy is increased. Physical activities and amount of work is reduced with the increase in age, so less energy is required.
Protein
Sufficient amount of proteins are required for the continuous wear and tear of the body. But in this period as compared to adolescents fewer amounts of proteins is required because there is no growth of body at all.
Recommended daily requirement of protein is linked with body weight. An adult requires one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. Body weight of a man is more than of a woman in the same age group hence more proteins are required for him.
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Calcium
With the growing age, deficiency of calcium and phosphorus makes bones weak. In some persons, it leads to a serious problem called osteoporosis. Bones become weak and fragile in this case. But these changes in bones do not occur in all adults.
Iron
Iron is essential for both males and females. But its requirement in women is more than men. This is due to loss of iron during menstruation and special states like pregnancy (reproductive age) in which iron is stored in the foetus.
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Vitamins
Sufficient amount of vitamins are required for smooth functioning of the body. Recommended daily allowances of vitamins except that of Group are same in adulthood as in adolescent Requirement of thiamine, riboflavin niacin increases with the increase in requirement of energy because they in the metabolism of carbohydrates, and proteins in the body.
Diet planning
Diet planning should be done in van: forms to fulfill the nutritional require me of adults. Before planning, it is essential know whether the adult is a male or a fern- his age group, his level of activity-sedentary moderate or heavy, and his income grow: low, middle or high.
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To make the meal nutritionally sufficient and balanced, one food each from all t five food groups should be included in the diet. Daily diet of an adult must have th following foods in it:
• Cereals like wheat, rice, bar, rowan the staple cereal of that particular i f goon. i
• One or more pulses (particularly with cereals).
• Some amount of milk and milk prod cuts.