keith92833

I have a small kidney problem, so I am supposed to eat less protein. It was suggested that I eat about 60 grams of protein or less per day. If I eat that amount of protein per day, how should I break up the carbs and fat? If my weight is 170 lbs then 60 grams of protein would be about 15% of the 1700 calorie per day diet that I am on now. How should the rest be divided up?

volleyballgranny

You'll have to make up the difference in the 1700 calories somehow. The easiest way is to add fats, but you NEED veggies (carbs), too. The one thing you can't do is be healthy on a high fat, high carb diet.

You should eat enough veggies to be satisfied (especially if the lower protein intake is making you hungry). Healthy fats--avocado, olive oil drizzled over vegetables, coconut oil--will also help you feel sated. I don't worry about percentages...I find that, if I watch the net carbs (nC), my other percentages are in line--but, I am not limiting protein.

It sounds like you are at maintenance. If you are, then you need to eat as many veggies (with healthy fats) as it takes to feel full (sated). If you start to gain weight, try eating vegetables with lower amounts of carbs. For example, 1 cup of cooked (cubed) rutabages is 11.8 nC, but 1 cup of cooked (cubed) turnips is only 4.8 nC. You don't have to give up eating, you just have to make better choices. Taking your 'normal' carb intake down by just 10 nC can keep you on a maintenance level--or help you lose weight.

keith92833

Thanks for the input. Actually 70 grams of protein per day is not considered a low protein diet. At least I don't think it is. It's just that whenever I read about balanced nutrition most articles say that a normal breakdown is about 30% fat, 30% protein, and 40% carbs. But then they say that you don't need more that .8 gm of protein per Kg of weight. With that in mind I find it impossible to eat 70gms of protein per day and then get anywhere near their recommendation for the carbs and fat. I have about 85% of my daily calories left so maybe 50% carbs and 35% fat is where that leaves me. That seems to be a weird mix to stay in decent physical shape. So I was trying to get opinions as to a good way to break that down and I guess I still am.

I agree with you that after protein I should concentrate on more healthy carbs first and then fill in with healthy fats next.