Protein: Where Do I Start?

You’ve heard you need to eat more protein.

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Something about muscle, or weight loss, or health. Protein is meat, right? What else is it? How much should you eat? 

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You’re probably eating exactly the same as you were when you first heard you should eat more protein. Because protein can be confusing. Nothing changes, especially in your eating habits, when something is confusing. 

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Quite simply, protein is a basic nutrient, like carbohydrates and fat, that is in a lot of foods. Some protein sources are much better than others. They might have more protein in total, or just a good ratio of protein vs. the other two macronutrients. 

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Protein isn’t scary. It’s just food. Let’s learn more about it and make it so easy, you won’t even have to think about it! 

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Why Should I Eat More Protein?

What isn’t protein great for?

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Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, it keeps you full longer to help manage your appetite and weight, improves your energy, boosts your metabolism, and helps with immune system and hormone function. It supports maintaining muscle mass and promotes healthy bones.

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Basically, people who eat an appropriate amount of protein can live a longer, more quality life. 

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It sounds like a miracle food, doesn’t it? The great thing is that protein is so available, and in so many everyday foods, that it doesn’t even take much planning to consume. Ultimately, anyone looking to gain muscle, lose weight, or simply stay healthy should eat protein. 

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How much protein should I eat?

Protein consumption varies a bit depending on your level of activity. However, the best advice I can give is to have a complete protein source at every meal (More on that later.)

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Active adults looking to get stronger, lose weight, or maintain or gain muscle should aim for 0.8-1g of protein per lb of bodyweight.

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At the very minimum, adults should aim for 0.5g of protein per lb of bodyweight. However, eating more protein from healthy sources typically leads to less overeating and a healthier overall weight. 

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How To Measure It

Measuring food is always tricky. You could buy a food scale, but when you’re first starting out, it might just be easier to measure meat specifically with the palm-of-your-hand way of measuring. Basically, the palm of your hand is equal to roughly 3-4oz of protein, depending on hand size. 3 oz. is roughly 25-30g of protein, and 4oz is roughly 35-40g. 

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For some of the other protein sources, you can also just use the food labels: eggs, dairy, nuts, and beans make it as simple as reading the label. 

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List of Protein Sources

Best sources:

Fish

Beef

Chicken

Turkey

Pork

Eggs

Milk

Yogurt

Protein powder (More on that later)

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Good sources: 

Rice & beans

Nuts

Quinoa

Cheese

Lentils

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Complete vs. Incomplete Protein

Complete proteins are simply the foods that contain all 9 essential amino acids. These give you everything you need for building and repairing muscle tissue.

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An incomplete protein is still very healthy, but it doesn’t count all the same when measuring your daily protein intake. Some incomplete proteins: grains, beans (without rice), some nuts and seeds, vegetables, and a popular one: collagen. 

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Aim to eat more complete proteins than incomplete, but incomplete are still part of a healthy, nutritious diet!

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Protein Supplements

Protein supplements can make life so much easier when you’re trying to eat more protein. My best advice is to use a protein shake as a replacement for a less healthy meal you might be eating. If you eat cereal for breakfast every morning, for example, adding a protein shake with 20+ grams of protein would be a total game changer. It would keep you less hungry and more full throughout the day and keep you from stressing about finding more protein meals to eat. 

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If you have kidney or liver issues you should not take a protein supplement. If you have dairy intolerances, look into an alternative protein supplement. And young children should probably avoid protein supplements unless prescribed by a doctor.

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When choosing a protein supplement, be sure to choose one that has less than 5g of fat and 5g of carbohydrates. Protein should typically be around 20g. Calories may range from 100-150 per scoop, so avoid anything that has more than that listed on the nutrition label.  

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For More Help

Read more about our training programs and learn more about how healthy eating habits can change your life on our website at this link.  For deeper conversation with a certified nutritionist, contact Matt Ryan: MRNutrition1@Verizon.net

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