Question

One of the first diets to limit the intake of carbohydrates was prescribed by Dr. William Harvey in 1862. This diet consisted of three meals a day containing equal amounts of protein per meal. If protein contains 4 dietary calories per gram, and the diet consisted of 672 dietary calories of protein per meal, how much protein, to the nearest ounce, was in each meal? (1 ounce is approximately 28 grams.)

Short answer

Each meal contained 6 ounces of protein, to the nearest ounce.

Step-by-step solution

Determine the relationship between protein, dietary calories and grams

We are given that 4 dietary calories per gram is the conversion rate for protein. This means that every gram of protein contains 4 dietary calories.

Calculate the protein in grams per meal

To figure out how many grams of protein each meal contained, we will use the conversion rate given, which is 4 dietary calories per gram of protein. We are also given that there are 672 dietary calories of protein in each meal. To find the protein in grams, divide the total dietary calories of protein per meal by the conversion rate: grams of protein = total dietary calories / calories per gram \( grams\_of\_protein = \frac{672}{4} \)

Calculate the protein in grams

Now, calculate the grams of protein by performing the division from the previous step: \( grams\_of\_protein = \frac{672}{4} = 168 \) So, there are 168 grams of protein in each meal.

Convert the protein from grams to ounces

We are given that there are approximately 28 grams in 1 ounce. To convert the protein amount from grams to ounces, we will use this conversion rate: ounces of protein = grams of protein / grams per ounce \( ounces\_of\_protein = \frac{168}{28} \)

Calculate the protein in ounces

Now, calculate the protein in ounces by performing the division from the previous step: \( ounces\_of\_protein = \frac{168}{28} = 6 \) So, there are 6 ounces of protein in each meal, to the nearest ounce.