New ratios for protein, carbohydrates and fat
Last Updated Sep 2007
Q: On your Zoneliving.com Web site I find that you now recommend eating fat/protein/carbohydrates in the ratio 1:2:3. This means that the relationship between proteins and carbs are now 0.67, whereas it used to be 0.75 (or if we turn the ratio around, it goes from 1.25:1 to 1.5:1). Have you made this change to make it more educationally sound -- easier to explain, understand and remember, or has the optimal ratio actually changed? For example, I eat 3 blocks in every meal. This used to be 9 grams of carbs, 7 grams of protein and 1.5 grams of fat per block. Now this has changed to 9 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fat. This means you have decreased the amount of protein, increased the amount of fat and changed the optimal ratio of protein to carbohydrate.
A: The 1:2:3 method is simply an attempt to make the Zone dietary requirements easier to remember, especially when in the supermarket looking at nutritional labels. The 9 grams of carbs and 7 grams of protein per block are still correct. The Food Block method uses 1.5 grams of fat per block to make up for hidden fat in the rest of your Zone meal.