Posted by Table of Contents
Introduction
For practical purposes you can consider adulthood as the period of time beginning from 25 years up to 60 years or more. After 60 years of age, the ageing process quickens. People over 60 are still adults, but they are older adults. As adults, your main concern is to maintain your body in good health. As you know already, during early adulthood physical growth and development stops. Therefore you need to supply adults with sufficient nutrients only to maintain body functions. It is important to remember that as age increases, the metabolic rate slowly decreases, so that adults need less calories to meet the basal energy needs of the body. This is because, as your body grows older [Ages], it is renewing less cells and tissues and therefore needs less energy to keep it going.
However, nutrition is of great importance still:
-
- To maintain the body function.
- To prevent the development of diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes which may occur due to faulty eating/dietary habits.
Age, occupation and level of activity can determine the nutrient needs of an adult. We will discuss these aspects in this post.
Nutrient Requirement Of Adults
You are aware that nutritional needs of adults are determined by many factors which include body size, age, climate, extent of physical activity as well as altered physiological states such as pregnancy and lactation.
Since individuals differ in body size and age as well as in the amount of physical activity, experts recommend nutrient intakes based on a “Reference Man” and a “Reference Woman”. Their age, height and physical activity are specified. You then make adjustments for those individuals who differ or deviate from the standard reference.
Reference Man And Woman: The Indian reference man, is between 20 and 39 years of age, weight 55 kg and is free from diseases. He is physically fit for active work. Similarly the reference woman is 20 to 39 years of age, healthy and weight 45 kg.
You know that women require less energy and other nutrients than men because they are smaller in size and lighter. Men have more muscle mass which is metabolically active and so they need more energy. On the other hand, women need less energy because they have more amount of adipose tissue [Fatty]. Naturally vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin and niacin which are needed to metabolize the food to obtain energy, will be needed in lesser amounts by women. The more the amount of physical activity that you do, the higher is your energy requirement.
Women have higher iron requirements than men because they lose some amount of iron through menstruation. Requirements for calcium, vitamin A and folic acid are the same for an adult man and woman.
Sample Menu For An Adult Man And Adult Woman
-
- Breakfast: Poha/Bread 2 Slices And Butter/Chapati/Dhokla/Idlis-2, Chutney, Tea/Coffee/Guava/Orange/Mausambi.
- Lunch: Rice-2 Serving [2 Small Bowls], Chapati-3, Pulse-1 Bowl, Vegetable Palak-1 Bowl, Salad, Curd.
- Tea Time: Tea/Coffee, Biscuits 2-3.
- Dinner: Rice-2 Servings, Chapati 3-4, Pulse-1 Bowl, Raita [Tomato Or Cucumber], Potato Bhaji, Papad.
As you can see, Cereals and Pulse are always a part of the menu. Make sure you include sufficient vegetables and fruits, especially green leafy vegetables, yellow/orange vegetables like carrot or pumpkin three to four times a week. These vegetables and fruits like Papaya and Mango will provide you with the protective vitamins A and C. Fruits like Guava give you vitamin C.
Diet And Social Consideration
Adults need less energy than children. But they have a lot of social obligations to fulfil and perform. From your own experience, you know that in all families food is an important aspect of all these obligations. Suppose you invite your friend home in the afternoon hours, you also take some refreshments whether you need it or not. Very often when you have guests you will prepare a variety of foods and often there are a lot of calorie-rich foods. Thus, many adults consume more energy than their bodies require.
As adults most people have busy schedule. If you are working, you may have to eat away from home. Many people have lunch in restaurants where nourishing meals including fresh fruits and vegetables may not be available. Many restaurants offer menu items that have more fat/oil, sugar, etc. so that eating prudently may be difficult. This in turn, leads to consuming calorie-rich foods without really getting a balanced diet. All adults who are working must have lunch. Many people may take a packed lunch. Here are some tips for a filling nutritious lunch.
-
- Methidal Paratha, Potato Bhaji, Guava.
- Idli – Chutney, Carrot And Cucumber Pieces [Salad] And Chikki 1-2 Pieces.
From Nutrition Through Life Cycle – The School Age, you already know what points you should keep in mind while planning and preparing a packed lunch.
Fulfilling Nutrient Needs At Different Socio-Economic Levels
In “Sample Menu For An Adult Man And Adult Woman” above we have given you a general guideline about the amount of different foods-stuff that you can include in a day’s diet. This would depend upon which category of physical work you belong to.
However, what you can eat and what you must eat often differ according to what you can afford. How will you meet the nutritional needs of people with varying food budgets? The guideline for food selection will still be the daily food guide.
One of the aspects that makes it possible to meet nutritional needs at low cost is that cereals, milk [Toned] and oils and sugar are available through fair price shops at subsidized prices.
Cereals And Cereals Product: You can buy cereals from the fair price shop and also use more servings from this food group to limit food cost. If you belong to the middle income group, you may buy medium cost varieties, while those with higher income, may choose expensive varieties of cereals [Basmati Rice]. Please remember the nutrients you get from cereals, cheap or expensive ones, are the same.
Protein Foods: As you know there is a great variation of prices in this group. You can vary the number of servings of Pulse, the kind and amount of milk [Toned or Whole] and the variety of foods [Dry or Fresh Fish, Meat] depending on your food budget. However, even at low cost, you can include three servings of these foods.
Vegetables And Fruits: When you wish to restrict food expenses, you include only the minimum number of servings of seasonal vegetables and fruits. Your choices are restricted to those which have a high amount of edible portion. For example you mostly buy French Beans, which have 95 percent edible portion, not peas which have only 50 percent. The choice of foods and variety will increase as you move from middle to higher income level.
For example, your choice will vary from ordinary mangoes to alphonso mangoes, depending on your food budget. Please remember, the nutrients you get from any leafy vegetables are similar and do not relate to the cost.
Oils, Fats And Sugar: You find that there is great variation in the fats and oils used
according to income. If your budget is limited, you buy refined oil and sugar from a fair price shop. You use minimum amounts of these foods when your budget is low. As income increases you can include some ghee and butter instead of Vanaspati. Please remember to restrict the intake of foods from this group so that there is neither gain nor loss of weight.
When You Have Home Produced Foods: If you keep poultry, have dairy cattle, and/or grow fruits and vegetables in your compound, you can use these without incurring excessive costs.
Thus you know that normally you can meet the nutritional needs of people of all strata by a judicious selection of foods based on the daily food guide. The poverty group however is a class by itself which requires financial inputs to make the minimum choices of foods for a balanced diet.
Related Posts
Nutrition Through The Life Cycle – Pregnancy And Foetal Growth
Nutrition Through The Life Cycle – Infancy
Nutrition Through The Life Cycle – Preschool Age
Nutrition Through Life Cycle – The School Age
Nutrition Through Life Cycle – Adolescence
