Men need more on their plate when it comes to a healthy diet. Read on to know what is missing
Reams of paper are devoted to how a plump Jane can get an hourglass figure or how a middle-aged woman can get a diet suitable to menopause. But men don’t have much diet information to chew on. It’s a well-known fact that for a certain height, men weigh more than women and thus need around 400 calories more than women per day. They also have different hormones. Accordingly,a man’s diet would be different and would also need to work towards preventing medical conditions such as heart disease that mostly plague men, say dieticians.

Here’s a lowdown on nutrients that men need in their diet:
Calcium and Vitamin D: Jyoti Arora, nutritionist with Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon, says men have more bone weight and should take foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, which are critical for bone health. For calcium, take milk and dairy products. For vitamin D, a 10-minute exposure to the sun would do—sunlight is a great source of this nutrient.

Protein: Men have more muscle mass than women. It’s important that they add extra proteins by eating eggs, soya, fish and chicken.
Vitamin B1/thiamine, Vitamin C and Vitamin B3/Niacin:
Alcohol consumption and smoking—habits more common among men—interfere with the absorption of water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin B1, C and B3, says Reema Mehra, dietician with P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai. Deficiency of thiamine (Vitamin B1) causes nervous system ailments. So if men can’t give up their glass of wine, they must at least up the intake of whole grains, cereals, pulses, legumes and chicken—all rich sources of thiamine. The nutritionist attests that vitamin C deficiency is “common” among men too. She suggests eating amla, guavas, capsicum and cabbage. Similarly, for niacin (useful for the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and nervous system), have more of pulses and ground nuts, advises Mehra. Calcium absorption is also hampered by smoking and consumption of alcohol and caffeine, she says.  

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