I hear and read a lot about eating protein foods, but I often end up confused. Am I not eating enough protein? Am I eating too much? This week and next week on the blog, Jody and I are digging deeper into protein needs to help us all better understand this topic.
To start off, nearly everything the human body does needs protein. The protein we eat from food makes new proteins, hormones, and enzymes that help our bodies function. Protein also builds and repairs our skin, muscles, bones, and organs. Protein is important! But eating too much protein does not add to its benefits.
The amount of protein we need to eat depends on the person. MyPlate gives our protein needs in a range based on age, sex, and physical activity level. Most adults fall somewhere in the range of needing 5-7 ounce equivalents of protein foods per day. To find your range, go to MyPlate Plan at https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan. The Nutrition Facts Labels on foods show how much protein they contain in grams. To figure out how much protein you need in grams, you can use the Recommended Daily Allowance, or RDA. To do this, you multiply how much you weigh in pounds by 0.36 grams. So, for example, a person who weighs 150 pounds would need:
150 x 0.36 grams = 54 grams of protein per day
To put this number in terms of food, about 1 serving (3 ounces) of cooked meat has 21 grams, 1 cup (8 ounces) of milk has 8 grams, ½ cup of cooked beans has 8 grams, and 1 serving of nuts or nut butter has 7 grams of protein. Keeping track of the grams of protein you eat in a day is a lot of work, and not really necessary. I learned that it is most helpful to spread the amount of protein throughout the day. So, if I plan to eat a protein food at three to four meals or snacks a day, I will get enough protein and I will get the most benefits from it since I spread it out.
There are times in our lives when our protein needs go up. These are times when we are growing such as infancy, adolescence, and pregnancy. Or when we are healing from a burn, blood loss, injury, or surgery. Athletes also have higher protein needs. If you are in one of these times, try to get your protein from the food you eat instead of a supplement. If you think you may need a supplement, talk to a health care provider before starting one. As we age, we experience sarcopenia, which is the natural loss of muscle and its function, quality, and strength. For older adults, a moderate increase in protein along with resistance or strength training physical activity can help us keep our muscle mass and strength. This is because this type of physical activity can improve the use of protein in muscle building and repair.
Check back in with us next week to see some sample meal plans, which show how to spread protein throughout the day.
