MACRONUTRIENTS
Healthy from the Start Resources for Shiftworkers
The food you put into your body is the fuel that powers it. There are three main nutrients involved - protein, carbohydrates, and fat, which are vital in providing enough energy for your body, particularly when managing the challenges of shiftwork. It’s important that you aim to eat the right foods each day to meet your macronutrient requirements.
The body requires energy to function, and this energy comes in the form of macronutrients. The three main macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. In simple terms, carbohydrates provide immediate energy, fats provide long-term energy, and proteins help to support and build tissues (4). In addition, these macronutrients also form major building blocks for many different parts of your body, including your cell structures and hormones (4). For these reasons, it’s important that you eat a balanced diet containing appropriate amounts of each macronutrient (4).
There are many factors that contribute to how much of each macronutrient you need per day, including your age, gender, and activity level. As a general rule, healthy adults should aim to consume the following amounts of each (5):
CARBOHYDRATES
About 50% of your daily intake should be carbohydrates, with no more than 10% coming from added sugars.
FATS
About 30% of your daily intake should come from fats, with no more than 10% coming from saturated and trans fatty acids.
PROTEIN
About 25% of your daily intake should come from proteins, or around 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight.
While it’s not a macronutrient, fibre deserves a special mention. Fibre is important for your digestive health, can help you to feel fuller for longer, and can also regulate your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Getting enough fibre in your diet has been linked with lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, and bowel cancer (6). For healthy adult females, you should aim for 28g of fibre per day, while males should aim for 38g (5).
To understand what you can eat to get the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fibre, click here.