If you follow me on social media, you know I’m always saying that women are not eating enough protein. This statement comes from seeing my clients’ food journals when we start working together. Protein doesn’t seem to be a focus yet; it’s one of the essential macronutrients of the three— carbohydrates and fat being the other two.
So, why is protein so important, and how much should you have? If you’ve been confused about these questions for a while, you’ve come to the right place!
Why is protein so important?
Protein is a macronutrient made of amino acids, the building blocks for many critical molecules in our bodies. After we eat some beans or a juicy steak, our bodies break down the protein from these foods into amino acids. Then, our bodies use these amino acids to form new proteins such as enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, antibodies, transport proteins, and repair and build muscle fibres.
What are the best sources of protein?
Protein can be found in animal meats, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, beans, and vegetables.
Some of the best sources of protein are:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Eggs
- Beef
- Lamb
- Fish
- Organic tempeh and sprouted organic tofu
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Buckwheat
- Hemp seeds
- Peas
How much protein should you eat?
The amount of protein you should eat depends on many variables, including age, weight, fitness level, workout frequency, body composition goals and health status.
The minimum protein recommendation for an average adult is 0.8g/kg (0.36g/lb) of body weight, but this is to avoid a protein deficiency.
Suppose you regularly exercise, want to maintain a robust immune system and optimal health, and build or maintain muscle mass. In that case, I recommend eating closer to 2.2 g/kg or 1g/lb of body weight.
For example, if you weigh 150 lbs, you would require at least 150g of protein daily. That’s almost 3x the amount of the minimum recommendation listed above (0.8/kg).
If you have goals of building muscle mass and are actively in a hypertrophy or strength phase of your weight training, you would benefit from eating more protein. In this training phase, you aim for the weight you want to achieve. So, if you are 150lbs but want to put on 10lbs of muscle mass, you would measure your protein intake based on 160lbs instead of 150lbs.
How Do You Eat This Much Protein?
The easiest way to eat more significant amounts of protein daily is to have protein at every meal and snack. It may sound like a lot at first, but over time, you will notice that you feel more satiated and have more energy from eating high amounts of protein. Take your total protein intake for the day and divide it by the number of meals and snacks you will have. For example, if you want to eat 150g of protein and plan to eat three meals and two snacks, each meal and snack would have at least 25g of protein.
To help you add more protein into your diet in delicious and easy ways, I’ve created a FREE 7-day HIGH-PROTEIN MEAL PLAN for you to try out!
Download the FREE 7-day HIGH-PROTEIN MEAL PLAN HERE!
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