I have been a vegetarian for almost three years. I am also a runner and am preparing for a few races coming up soon and three half marathons between now and November 2013.

With all of this being said, how can a 50 year old, vegetarian female, like myself be sure that I’m getting enough protein/carbohydrates in my diet. What is the required amount for my age/weight and I weigh about 126-128 pounds? Lastly, I don’t do soy products. Any advice is greatly appreciated. -Rhonda

It sounds like your body needs about 70 to 80 grams of protein per day. You can   reach that range by eating 6 t o8 grain servings, 5 vegetable servings, 3 bean servings, 3 nuts/seed servings, plus 2 milk substitutes. All of these will provide your body with about 250 grams of carbohydrates daily.  Additional carbs from fruit and endurance products, plus more starches can bring your total carbohydrates to about 400 grams daily reach the recommended 6 to 8 grams/kg per day. – Debbie J., MS, RD

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Debbie James is a registered dietitian. Any views or opinions presented in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or recommendations of Fitness International, LLC.