Protein Tips

Are you struggling with getting enough protein in your diet every day? Find out why protein is important and some tips to help you get enough protein.

What is Protein?

Protein is one of the three main macronutrients (macros) that make up the food that we eat. In terms of calories, 1 gram of protein is 4 kcals (calories). Protein is made up of amino acids and are the building blocks of body tissue including bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Protein can build and repair tissues, make enzymes and hormones, and protein can also be used as a fuel source by your body.

How much Protein should you be eating?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a MINIMUM of 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight. To calculate this take your weight in pounds and multiply this by 0.45 to get your weight in kg. Then take your weight in kg and multiply this by 0.8. This calculation is the minimum,. the more active you are, the more protein your body needs.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine suggest that athletes (those who participate in running, cycling, or swimming on a regular basis) should consume 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kg per day. In addition, if a person is weight training regularly, the recommendation is 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day. There are other ways to calculate protein needs like taking into account your Lean Body Mass.

Eating too much protein can cause you gain weight from excess calories and not eating enough will cause your body to break down muscle.

The body’s protein needs should also be adjusted for children, pregnant or lactating women, older adults, and people with liver or kidney disease. Bottom line, each person has different needs and there is not one perfect answer. There is a large gray area in regards to calculating a person’s protein needs. One recommendation is not appropriate for all people. A trained individual such as a physician, nutritionist, or dietitian would be the best source to guide you in your protein needs.

Why is Protein important?

Since protein is the building block in all tissues in our body, getting enough protein is very important in the function and health of your muscles, organs (including skin), and hair.

Eating enough protein can help manage your weight. Protein helps you feel fuller because it takes longer to digest and affects your hunger hormone to help you feel full.

Kinds of Protein

Protein can come from plant and animal sources.

Plant Sources of Protein

Legumes, nuts, seeds, spinach, kale, quinoa, edamame, steel cut oats, yams, brown rice, chickpeas, chickpea pasta, plant based protein powder or bars, tofu, and nut butters.

Animal Sources

Lean meats, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, poultry.

Tips on Getting More Protein in your Diet

Add meats or egg to your salad
Add spinach to the greens for your salad, your eggs in the am, or your smoothies
Add nuts or seed on top of salads, stir-fry, or a veggie side dish, overnight oats, or yogurt
Have some nuts, nut butter, cheese, or seeds for a snack
Add nut butter to fruits or veggies as a dip
Eat Lean Jerky for snacks
Munch on flavored, dried edamame, or chickpeas for a snack
Each main meal should contain a good source of protein
Eat your protein first when eating your meal
Eat Greek Yogurt instead of traditional yogurt
Have a protein bar or shake for a snack- Click here to visit my article on how to choose the best protein powder.

Protein is important for your body’s health as well as your body composition. Most people struggle to eat enough protein because the Standard American Diet contains mostly processed food (low in protein and nutrition value). If you are are struggling to lose weight or eat healthy focus on introducing smaller habits into your routine instead of a drastic 180 degree sudden change that you will be less likely to stick to. At first, make it a habit of eating a good source of protein with some vegetables for every single dinner for 1-2 weeks. Then make it a habit of doing this for lunches, and so on and so forth.

If you need guidance on learning how to incorporate these tips and more into your diet to help you reach your goals The Refine YOU Program can help. The Refine YOU Program will provide you with a CUSTOMIZED nutrition plans with workouts to help you lose weight, get stronger, and help you learn how to eat so you can live a healthy lifestyle.

Click here for more information, answers to your FAQ’s, or to hear from other clients that have reached their goals with The Refine YOU Program.