Nutritional facts are essential in calculating how much protein, fat, carbs, vitamins and minerals you consume. For instance, a low-carb diet is more effective in reducing your body-fat composition compared to a low-fat diet, according to a 2010 article by Jeff Volek, Ph.D., RD, and colleagues, published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal." When you make a homemade dish, you can determine the nutritional values by using the food labels of your ingredients and a simple spreadsheet. Use this data to create a meal specific to the requirements of your diet.
Step 1
Create a spreadsheet including columns for the name of each food item, the serving size, calories, and grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat. Add two more columns for milligrams of cholesterol and sodium. Print multiple sheets to use at your kitchen counter, designating one sheet as your main recipe sheet.
Step 2
Calculate the total amount of nutrients per food item; for example, if a recipe calls for one can of whole kernel, sweet corn, multiply each nutrient by the number of servings per container. Multiply 3.5 servings of corn in one can by 60 calories per serving to get the total number of calories in one can of corn. Multiply 3.5 servings by 1.5 g of fat to get 5.25 total grams of fat in one can of corn. Do this calculation for the remaining nutrient columns.
Step 3
Transfer the nutritional information for one can of corn to your main sheet. Perform the calculations for all the components of your recipes using the nutritional label. If you do not have a label, use a nutritional book or an online source to find nutrient information.
Step 4
Add the totals for each column to get a grand total of the number of calories, protein, carbs, fat, cholesterol and sodium in your entire batch of the recipe. Divide each total by the number of servings.
Step 5
Multiply the grams of protein per serving by four then divide the product by the number of calories per serving; multiply this number by 100 to get the percentage of calories from protein in a serving. Perform this same calculation using the grams of carbohydrates to get the percentage of carbs in a serving. Multiply the grams of fat per serving by 9, then divide the product by the number of calories per serving; multiply this number by 100 for the percentage of calories from fat in a serving.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep a binder of all your spreadsheets so you do not have to repeat this process again for the same recipe.
Things You'll Need
- Spreadsheets
- Calculator
- Pencil
References
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Low-Carbohydrate Diets Promote a More Favorable Body Composition Than Low-Fat Diets; Jeff Volek, Ph.D., RD, et al; February 2010
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
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