Just how much fat, protein, carbohydrates, and fiber do you need on a 1200 calorie diet? I’ve been asked this question a number of times and I’ve given responses for individual nutrients. Today I’d like to share with you how to assess what you need for each of the macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates) and fiber all in one place.

The National Academy of Sciences is the government group that has had the responsibility for determining nutrient needs for the American public since 1941. As you might imagine the recommendations of the Academy have changed over time as new information becomes available with ongoing research.

Until the 1990s the recommendations of the Academy were called Recommended Dietary Allowances or RDAs. More recently, the recommendations were updated to be more comprehensive in nature. The new recommendations are now called Dietary Reference Intakes or DRIs.

The DRIs reflect a number of different measures. Of these, the easiest one to work with is the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range. How’s that for a mouthful?

What you will want to remember are the general guidelines for each of the macronutrients:

Protein: 10-35% of total calories
Fat: 20-35% of total calories
Carbohydrates: 45-65% of total calories

The reasons for this breakdown or range of values are complicated. However, no distribution will ensure you are getting enough of each of the various nutrients if you aren’t getting enough total calories in the first place. Please read my article on how to determine a safe and adequate minimum number of calories for you on a low calorie diet. Most women need more than 1200 calories as a minimum! (1200 Calorie Diet: Getting Started!)

O.K., if you have determined that 1200 calories are enough for you while on a low calorie weight loss plan then the values you are looking at equal:

Protein: 10-35% of total calories
120 - 420 calories
30 - 105 grams

Fat: 20-35% of total calories
240 - 420 calories
approximately 27 - 47 grams

Carbohydrates 45- 65% of total calories
540 - 780 calories
135 - 195 grams

(To calculate the grams of protein, fat, and carbohydrates you need to know the potential energy or calories that each gram might provide. In general, each gram of protein and carbohydrate will yield 4 calories. Each gram of fat will yield 9 calories. So just divide (protein or carbohydrate) calories by 4 to determine protein and carbohydrate grams. Divide (fat) calories by 9 to determine the fat grams.)

Your need for fiber is influenced by the number of calories you consume. However to keep things simple I suggest you keep in mind the general guidelines for fiber needs by age and sex. Adult women less than 50 years of age have a recommended fiber intake of 25 grams a day. Women over the age of 50 have a recommended fiber intake of 21 grams a day. If your dietary fiber intake approaches or exceeds the recommended level make sure you are getting plenty of water in your diet.

Please note that these recommendations are for the average person. If you have diabetes or other health challenges you need to follow the advice given to you by your medical doctor or dietician.

I believe the best healthy diet plans of 2008 will be the same plans that were available in 2007. All of these are variations on what most health professionals recommend for a nutritious, well-balanced diet. Some of these diet plans will be familiar to you and some won’t.

The plans you may hear about most often in the news and online may have more to do with marketing than health. Diets with successful consumer outreach and marketing are not necessarily the best for you, many are anything but!

Have you read that the best diet plan is one you can stick with? There is merit to that statement but it needs to have an added word of caution. Losing weight on a diet is not the only goal. If tackling the challenge of weight loss, I would imagine you’d like to not only lose weight but keep it off as well. That requires adopting a healthy diet you can stick with for life, period.

There is plenty of research to document the importance of reducing your calorie intake (within reason) and for including all food groups in a healthy diet. If the diet you choose provides you with not only balance and variety with respect to nutrients and fiber as well as a healthy dose of antioxidants from foods such fruits and vegetables, you’ve likely made a good choice.

Here are my top recommendations in no particular order. I will cover each briefly. I will also add to the list as I become aware of new choices. Remember if you are looking for a basic 1200 calorie diet or 1500 calorie diet you can find healthy plans right here on this site. I will continue to add free sample menus for each diet as time permits.

1.The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan: Feel Full on Fewer Calories by Dr. Barbara J. Rolls and Robert A. Barnett

The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan developed by Dr. Barbara J. Rolls, a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, is based on many years of food research. What Dr. Rolls looked for in her research are patterns of healthy eating that are not only satisfying with respect to meeting hunger and other needs but are also enjoyable. The diet is based on consuming low energy-dense foods (low calorie) that are high in water and/or fiber. This diet includes fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, cooked grains, lean meats, poultry, fish, and beans.

2. You on a Diet by Dr. Michael Rozen and Dr. Mehmet Oz

The idea behind You on a Diet is that by having a better understanding of how your body works, you will be more well prepared to make healthy choices for eating and exercise. With that in mind, the authors wrote a book to teach you how food affects your chemistry and metabolism thereby giving you the knowledge to achieve healthy weight loss more easily.

3 Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less: A Flexible and Delicious Way to Shrink Your Waist Without Going Hungry by Mollie Katzen and Dr. Walter Willet

The core concept of this diet is to make gradual changes in your diet over time to healthier choices. Eating healthy can be both delicious and slimming. Walter Willet chairs the Nutrition Department at the Harvard School of Public Health. He and Mollie Katzen have packed this diet book with sound nutrition concepts to help you not only lose weight but also achieve better health. (You may recognize Mollie’s name from her work co-authoring some of the Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks.)

4. The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss by Dr. Arthur Agatston

This diet book is basically a healthy version of the Atkins diet that’s backed by science with respect to fats and heart disease. The concept behind this diet is that choosing “good” carbs helps to stop insulin resistance, curbs cravings, and in turn makes it easier to reduce calorie intake and lose weight.

5. The Sonoma Diet: Trimmer Waist, Better Health in Just 10 Days! by Dr. Connie Guttersen

The Sonoma Diet is a variation of the Mediterranean way of eating. The diet is centered around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean poultry, small amounts of meat, wine, olive oil, and nuts. This type of diet is better known for the link with reducing risk for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes than weight loss. However, the secret to weight loss is simple. Just watch your calorie intake. The basic concept behind this diet is that choosing the “right” kind of carbs and fats along with wine, and certain “power foods” you will achieve weight loss along with better health and energy.

(UPDATE: I have now written a more in depth review of Mediterranean diets in general and The Sonoma Diet in particular. See: A Mediterranean Diet Plan for Weight Loss)

Be looking for more in depth reviews coming soon. Till then, remember to eat healthy, watch your calorie intake, and stay healthy!