Protein Intake - How much protein should you eat daily?
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the question of how much protein is enough protein and there are many factors that play a role in the answer. The dietary reference index (DRI) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day. DRI’s are nutrient reference values set by the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies and they serve as guidelines for nutrition throughout the United States and Canada. For example, if someone weighed 150 lbs or 68 kg multiplied by 0.8 g they would need 54 g of protein a day to meet the DRI. This number is generalized though and there are other factors to take into consideration; like if a disease or illness is present, if the person is an athlete, or if they consume a vegan or vegetarian diet. This number is a good starting point but isn’t very accurate for everyone.
Protein intake based on activity level:
The more you work out, the more protein you will need. This is because during exercise you are actively breaking down the protein in your muscles to build new muscle. But if you don’t provide your muscles with protein after this happens, the new muscle won’t be made. Therefore that 0.8 g/kg reference value doesn’t make sense for athletes, if just wouldn’t be enough protein to support their muscles. The more you workout the higher this number will be but shooting for around 1 g/kg on the days that you exercise is a good starting place. It’s also a number that you can play around with. For example, if on Monday you are busy with work and don’t workout maybe you get in 0.8 g/kg. But then Tuesday you do a hard exercise class and go for a run, so you bump it up to 1.1 g/kg. Wednesday maybe you start to feel a little sick, so your body needs more protein to help your immune system, so you keep it at 1-1.1 g/kg. Of course, these numbers don’t have to be exact, and unless you want to there is no need to really keep track of it. A good way to tell if you are getting enough is to just check if you have a protein source at every meal and snack you have, that can be your baseline, and you add more protein on days you need it.
Protein is made up of amino acids that play an important role in metabolism and bodily functions. There are 20 amino acids; 10 non-essential ones that your body produces on its own, and 10 essential ones that you need to get from diet. These can come from animal-based protein or plant-based protein.
The amount of protein that you are consuming may surprise you. Some examples of plant based high protein foods include quinoa, chia seeds, peanut butter, beans, lentils, peanuts, chickpeas, almonds, peas, pistachios, asparagus, lima beans, and potatoes. High protein meat-based foods include chicken, milk, yogurt, cheese, red meat, pork, eggs, turkey, salmon, tuna fish, and shrimp.
Plant-Based Protein intake is an option
Plant based protein has been largely thought of as being “incomplete protein” because not all plant sources include all 10 Animo acids that you need, whereas all animal protein does. This means that if you are only getting your protein from plant sources you need to combine sources with each other to make sure you’re meeting your needs, and you must eat a lot more of it then with animal sources. For these reasons animal protein is usually considered the better choice for athletes.
When should you eat protein and what forms of protein intake
Let’s talk about when you should be getting in your protein. Like I mentioned before we want to make sure our protein is spread evenly throughout the day to ensure we are getting enough. But protein intake should still be the heaviest after a workout to help your muscles recover. Make sure you are combining your protein intake with a carb source, like eggs and toast, peanut butter and crackers, or cheese and an apple. Here is a list of high protein snacks that you can use between meals to make sure you’re getting your protein in each day:
Beef jerky or beef sticks
Trail mix
Cheese
Turkey roll ups- tortillas or wheat bread with turkey, cheese, mayo, tomato/lettuce rolled up
Greek yogurt parfait
Vegetable’s w/ yogurt dip
Tuna salad sandwich
Hard boiled eggs
Peanut butter with carrots, celery, apples, bananas
Hummus with veggies
Cottage cheese with fruit or veggies
If you need more ideas or help with your protein intake or nutrition strategy based on your goals, please contact us via email so we can help you with your questions!
