Are you getting too much or too little protein?

Do you know how much protein you need each day?  I have heard many people say, “I am watching my carbs.”  Have you ever heard anyone say, “I am watching my protein?” Probably not.  The students in my classes are often confused as to what foods provide high quality protein and how much protein they need each day.  Do you need that protein shake, those protein bars?  Did you know most Americans get much more protein than they need each day?  This is true for those ages 19-59.  You may not know that people over 59 may need to focus on adding more protein to their day.

 

How much of your diet should be protein?

The Mayo Clinic notes:  About 10-35% of the calories you eat should come from protein.  If you eat about 2000 calories a day, this equates to 200-700 calories from protein.  Or, if you count grams, this would be 50-175 grams of protein a day.  Most of the young adults in my nutrition class ate over 90 grams of protein a day which was over what they needed each day.  Some like to use the formula of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram body weight.  So, a guy weighing 180 pounds or 81 kg would need about 65 grams of protein a day.

Over 40?  Did you know that between 40-50 your body starts losing muscle?  It is called “sarcopenia”.  You can help prevent this muscle loss by exercising, especially doing some weight lifting, and eating more protein.  They are now saying that older adults need to focus on their protein intake to prevent muscle loss. 

Exercise – no, going to the gym once a week for a 20-minute workout does not increase your protein needs. But athletes do need more protein.  The weight lifters who go to the gym or lift weights at home regularly, they need more protein.  Those in training for cycling, running events need more protein.  They should focus on getting 1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight.  A 180-pound athlete would need about 80- 98 grams of protein a day. 

 What are some high-quality proteins and what foods provide protein?

As noted in my blog last week, animal foods provide the highest quality protein, with the egg being the gold standard. Dairy made from cow’s milk, like milk, yogurt and cheese provide high quality protein.  Meat, fish, and poultry are next.  NIH has given a protein score to various proteins.  Note a 1.00 is the best score and not surprisingly eggs and cow’s milk rate a 1.00.  Meat, like beef, is highly rated at .92 but cow’s milk and the egg are even higher in protein quality.  Plant proteins are recommended as they not only provide protein but other good nutrients like fiber in beans and peanuts.  But the protein in plants is not as high in quality as the protein in animal foods.  (Except for some plant proteins like soy protein.)  That is one reason to drink real cow’s milk and not alternative milks like almond milk, oat milk.  Previously, I noted some research that showed kids given alternative milks do not grow as tall as kids given cow’s milk.  (See:  Non-Cow’s Milk and Children’s Height .)  Researchers think it is because alternative milks are so low in protein.  

Protein Quality Rankings (adapted from NIH) 

Protein Type	Protein Quality Ranking, 1.0 is the highest and best protein
Egg	1.00
Cow’s milk	1.00
Casein	1.00
Whey protein	1.00
Beef	.92
Soy protein	1.00
Peanuts	.52
Wheat gluten	.25

 When should you eat protein foods?

A good goal is to eat some high-quality protein at every meal.  Do not save all your protein for dinner. The Mayo Clinic recommends:  Spread out protein consumption evenly throughout the day. 

Kids given cow’s milk to drink at every meal get a good serving of high-quality protein at every meal. 

• Breakfast – try to include a high-quality protein food in your breakfast meal.  I use a cup of cow’s milk to make up my morning oatmeal.  My husband focuses on having a serving of Greek yogurt with blueberries at breakfast.  A smoothy is a great way to add some protein to your morning.  But you need to make it with real cow’s milk or cow’s milk yogurt to get enough protein and a high-quality protein.  “Some newer studies show moving some protein from supper to breakfast can help with weight management by decreasing hunger and cravings throughout the day.”
• Lunch:  Enjoy a cheese stick, some cow’s milk yogurt, some cheese and crackers, or some hard-boiled eggs.  A peanut butter sandwich is good but enjoy it with a glass of real cow’s milk to add some high-quality protein.  School lunch programs still serve real cow’s milk.  Encourage your kid to drink milk at school to add protein, calcium, and vitamin D to their lunch.
• Dinner:  Great to have protein at dinner as most Americans do.  Easy to get high-quality protein at dinner as that is when most Americans enjoy some chicken, fish, beef, or pork. And enjoy a glass of cow’s milk at dinner. 

Aim for 15-30 grams of protein per meal.

• Breakfast:  “a banana, Greek yogurt and a hard-boiled egg” = 19 grams protein.
• Lunch/Dinner:  “3-ounce chicken breast, half-cup rice, half-cup vegetables” = 25 grams protein

                                “egg and bean burrito with a glass of [cow’s] milk = 28 grams of protein

Post-exercise – looking for a way to refuel after exercise?  Enjoy some chocolate milk (made from real cow’s milk).  Yes, some sugar but good quality protein and the carbs needed for refueling.  (See” What is best post-exercise, white or chocolate milk? )

Just drinking a glass of cow’s milk or eating cow’s milk yogurt at each meal adds 8 grams of high-quality protein to the meal.  Some people think low-fat milk has less protein. Not true.  They take out the fat, but not the protein.  Kids are growing and need protein.  Kids should always have a glass of real cow’s milk with meals.

Are you getting some high-quality protein at every meal?  If you drink cream with your coffee, switch to some real cow’s milk in your coffee for a protein boost.  (Cream is mostly fat and low in protein.)  Pack a cheese stick in your lunch and in your kids’ lunch for a protein boost.  Enjoy some cow’s milk yogurt. My daughter always packs some yogurt in her lunch.  She is a vegetarian so she focuses on yogurt, cheese, and eggs for her protein needs.  She also drinks a glass of chocolate milk every day for extra calcium, vitamin D and protein.  Kids can enjoy a glass of chocolate milk after school (not Yoohoo Chocolate drink which is mostly sugar).  If you are over 59, you want to be sure to preserve that muscle mass and have some high-quality protein foods at every meal.

 

Sources:  notes , blog , Non-Cow’s Milk and Children’s Height , NIH ,  recommends , protein , per meal , What is best post-exercise, white or chocolate milk?   Image sources:  Protein , High quality protein , enough protein