Question

Kara is a 14-year-old, 125-pound, high school basketball player. She has been feeling fatigued and sore lately, and has been sick three separate times in the last 3–4 months. Kara typically eats the following on a daily basis:
7 AM: 10–12 oz orange juice (at home before school)
11:30 AM: 2 cups macaroni and cheese, and a small fruit cup (lunch in school cafeteria)
3 PM: granola bar (before basketball practice)
7 PM: 2–3 cups spaghetti with tomato sauce, 1 piece garlic bread, 10 oz skim milk (at home after practice)
10 PM: 2 cups ice cream (bedtime snack)
Why is Kara feeling fatigued, sore and sick? What dietary recommendations would you give to Kara? Please be specific with your recommendation, especially regarding protein intake

Answer 1

Looking through Kara’s diet, the lack of protein and high consumption of carbohydrates in her diet seems the root of her health problems. A person with a low consumption of protein could present the following symptoms:

• A sluggish metabolism
• Trouble losing weight
• Trouble building muscle mass
• Low energy levels and fatigue
• Poor concentration and trouble learning
• Moodiness and mood swings
• Muscle, bone and joint pain
• Blood sugar changes that can lead to diabetes
• Slow wound healing
• Low immunity

For that reason, I would recommend the following balanced plan diet for Kara, considering a protein intake daily. Also, is important to consider the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein which is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. According to Kara’s weight (125 pounds), her weight in kilograms is 56.6 kg, so she will need to consume approximately 45.36 grams of pure protein (the content of protein in meat is around 20 grams of protein per 100 grams in red meat).

An example of a balanced diet could be the following plan:

Breakfast

• One grapefruit
• Two poached eggs
• Two slices of whole grain toast
• One cup low-fat milk
• One cup of herbal tea

Snack

• One banana

• One cup plain yogurt with two tablespoons honey
• Glass of water

Lunch

• Chicken breast, baked or roasted (not breaded or fried)
• Large garden salad with tomato and onion with one cup croutons, topped with one tablespoon oil and vinegar (or salad dressing)
• Glass of water

Snack

• One cup carrot slices
• Three tablespoon hummus
• One-half piece of pita bread
• Glass of water or herbal tea

Dinner

• One cup steamed broccoli
• One cup brown rice
• Halibut (four-ounce portion)
• Small garden salad with one cup spinach leaves, tomato, and onion topped with two tablespoons oil and vinegar or salad dressing