A client consumes 50 g of protein per day but reports fatigue, slow wound healing, and poor growth in their adolescent child. Which evaluation and next step best aligns with the lesson principles?

• A. Recommend immediate water-only fasting to reset metabolism, as fasting will increase nitrogen retention and speed wound healing regardless of prior protein intake.
• B. Conclude that 50 g of protein is always sufficient for all ages so the issues must be unrelated; recommend reducing protein to 30 g immediately to improve symptoms.
• C. Evaluate total energy and protein quality; 50 g may be insufficient for an adolescent or low-quality protein may limit essential amino acids and nitrogen availability—recommend increasing high-quality protein or overall calories and monitoring recovery.
• D. Assume that extra dietary carbohydrates will substitute for protein and advise switching to a high-sugar diet because carbohydrates increase nitrogen availability more efficiently than proteins.

Answer: (C)