DRVs of Macronutrients and Energy for the United Kingdom
Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) are an essential information for any nutrition professional, so that they can prepare meal plans and follow-ups adjusted to their client's needs. We have added the DRVs of Macronutrients and Energy for the United Kingdom to Nutrium.
Different life stages have different requirements for fats, carbohydrates, and especially protein and energy. As a nutrition professional, it is important to have these references on top of your mind when conducting the nutritional assessment of clients and creating their dietary recommendations.
This is essential not only when it comes to macronutrients, but also when it comes to vitamins and minerals since people have different needs for these throughout their life. If you would like to know the dietary reference values for vitamins and minerals by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), you can check this article.
Nutrium is the ultimate software solution for nutrition experts and we are always working towards helping them be more efficient. So we added the UK reference values for macronutrients (DRVs) adapted to different life stages, to make sure professionals are always up-to-date with recommendations.
Calculate Nutrition Clients DRVs according to diet
Our nutrition software can check if your nutrition clients' diets are according to their needs
What are Dietary Reference Values (DRVs)
According to the former Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) and now Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) are used to cover the population requirements and have included a range of nutrient values:
- EAR - Estimated Average Requirements of a group of people for energy or protein or vitamins or mineral. About half will usually need more than the EAR, and half less;
- LRNI - Lower Reference Nutrient Intake for protein or vitamin or mineral. An amount of the nutrient that is enough for only a few people in a group who have low needs;
- RNI - Reference Nutrient Intake for protein or a vitamin or mineral. An amount of the nutrient that is is enough, or more than enough, for about 97% of people in a group. If the average intake of a group is at RNI, then the risk of deficiency in the group is very small.
These values were developed to assess the populations' requirements, even though this information can be assumed to calculate individual requirements.
RNI for macronutrients available in SACN's Dietary Reference Values for Food, Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom have been integrated according to different groups:
- Age;
- Gender;
- Pregnancy;
- Lactation.
What are the Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) for macronutrients and energy?
DRVs for protein are represented in grams per day and the Reference Nutrient Intake was used. Up until the age of 10, recommendations are the same for males and females. As they enter puberty, a lot of physiological changes happen and so recommendations are separated for males and females. The RNI was also added for pregnancy and lactation life stages.
When it comes to carbs and fats, a reference percentage of each was added, remaining unchanged during the different stages of life.
For energy, the Estimated Average Requirements were added in kcal per day. These are different for males and females during the entire life course.
You can check the values in detail in this article.
| Age (y) | Gender | RNI g/day |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 months | 12.5 | |
| 4-6 months | 12.7 | |
| 7-9 months | 13.7 | |
| 10-12 months | 14.9 | |
| 1-3 years | 14.5 | |
| 4-6 years | 19.7 | |
| 7-10 years | 28.3 | |
| 11-14 years | Female | 41.2 |
| 11-14 years | Male | 42.1 |
| 15-18 years | Female | 45.4 |
| 15-18 years | Male | 55.2 |
| 19-50 years | Female | 45 |
| 19-50 years | Male | 55.5 |
| 50+ years | Female | 53.3 |
| 50+ years | Male | 46.5 |
| Pregnancy | 6+ | |
| Lactation | 6+ | |
| First Semester | 11+ | |
| Second Semester | 8+ |
| Age (y) | DRV % |
|---|---|
| ALL | 35% |
| Age (y) | DRV % |
|---|---|
| ALL | 50% |
| Age (y) | Gender | EAR (kcal/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 months | Female | 515 |
| 0-3 months | Male | 545 |
| 4-6 months | Female | 645 |
| 4-6 months | Male | 690 |
| 7-9 months | Female | 765 |
| 7-9 months | Male | 825 |
| 10-12 months | Female | 865 |
| 10-12 months | Male | 920 |
| 1-3 years | Female | 1165 |
| 1-3 years | Male | 1230 |
| 4-6 years | Female | 1545 |
| 4-6 years | Male | 1715 |
| 7-10 years | Female | 1740 |
| 7-10 years | Male | 1970 |
| 11-14 years | Female | 1845 |
| 11-14 years | Male | 2220 |
| 15-18 years | Female | 2110 |
| 15-18 years | Male | 2755 |
| 19-50 years | Female | 1940 |
| 19-50 years | Male | 2550 |
| 51-59 years | Female | 1900 |
| 51-59 years | Male | 2550 |
| 60-64 years | Female | 1900 |
| 60-64 years | Male | 2380 |
| 65-74 years | Female | 1900 |
| 65-74 years | Male | 2330 |
| 75+ years | Female | 1810 |
| 75+ years | Male | 2100 |
| Pregnancy | ||
| 3rd trimester | 200+ | |
| Lactation | ||
| 1 month | 450 | |
| 2 months | 530 | |
| 3 months | 570 | |
| 4-6 months | 570 | |
| >6 months | 240-550 |
Calculate Nutrition Clients DRVs according to diet
Check all of these values in an interactive platform by enjoying a free trial in Nutrium
Where can you see these new recommendations on Nutrium?
In the Planning section, you can see what is the reference in terms of grams or percentages of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats according to the different life cycles of your client.
This allows you to determine their specific needs according to this reference in order to create a more adapted meal plan for them.
Please note that these references should be used for healthy individuals.
It is also possible to change the source from SACN to Food and Nutrition Board/IOM, ANSES, 2016 or SINU, 2014 at any time. You can always choose which one adapts best to each client's requirements.
We want to continue improving and adapting the software so that nutrition professionals based in the UK can have the right tools to provide the proper nutritional counseling.
Feel free to let us know your feedback, suggestions, and questions so we can continue to improve.
If you want to try Nutrium, do it now and enjoy our 14-day free trial.
