What You Need to Know About Your Protein Intake

Whether your goal is to lose weight or build muscle, your protein intake plays a mighty role. Most Americans fall into one of two categories — eating too little or too much protein. While protein has significant health benefits, optimizing your intake based on your personal goals will serve you best.

Keep reading to learn more about protein, including how much you need, if you’re consuming too much and how to optimize your consumption.

Protein Basics

Before learning how much protein you should eat daily, it’s important to understand what protein is and how it affects your body.

According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, proteins are large, complex molecules that carry out many important bodily roles. They serve as building blocks for cell structure, immune function, chemical reactions, hormone synthesis and much more. Proteins are made up of amino acids, nine of which are essential for our bodies. However, we can’t make amino acids on our own — we have to get them from the foods we eat. That’s why consuming protein is so important.

Macronutrients — protein, fat and carbohydrates — are needed in higher quantities daily than micronutrients like vitamins and minerals because they provide energy and support many bodily needs. Since protein makes up one-third of these essential nutrients, it's important to prioritize it daily.

Good Sources of Protein

Some may not realize that protein can be found in many more food sources than just meat. Even if you follow a vegetarian diet, you can consume your daily protein needs without worry. Clean sources of protein include:

• Chicken
• Chickpeas
• Cottage cheese
• Eggs
• Fish
• Greek yogurt
• Milk
• Nuts and seeds
• Quinoa
• Tofu

When eating meat, it’s best to stick with lean, low-fat options like chicken and lean beef. Red meat is OK in moderation, but it shouldn’t make up most of your weekly protein intake. Aim for 12 to 18 ounces of cooked red meat per week. If you’re looking for high-protein recipes, find your inspiration here.

What Protein Sources to Limit

For many, protein supplements like whey powder, off-the-shelf shakes and bars offer a boost of protein with convenience. While it’s OK to consume protein supplements, it’s ideal that most of your intake comes from whole foods. This is because whole food sources offer a variety of other nutrients, like essential amino acids, vitamins, fiber and minerals. Protein supplements, often quick and easy to consume, lack many of these components, making them a less ideal option. However, consuming protein supplements, in moderation, with whole foods is a great way to hit your daily protein goal.

Your Daily Protein Needs

How much protein you need each day depends on several factors, like your age, health goals and gender. In general, women need less protein a day than men to meet their needs. Common recommendations for women are 46 grams of protein a day, whereas for men, it’s 56 grams a day.

If you aim to build muscle mass or are highly active, your protein needs will be higher because your body will need more fuel. It’s important to remember that everyone is unique, and their protein intake is, too. We’re here to help you tailor your needs based on your personal goals.

According to the American Heart Association, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 0.8 grams per kilogram or 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. This means a 165-pound individual should consume around 60 grams of protein daily. If you want to gain muscle, your needs will be slightly higher, closer to 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight.

How Protein Can Help You Lose Weight

The main goal for losing weight is to be in a caloric deficit, meaning you’re burning more calories a day than you’re consuming. A good caloric deficit to aim for is 500 calories below your maintenance calories. “Maintenance calories” refers to the number of calories you need daily to maintain your current weight.

While it may seem counterintuitive at first, if you want to lose weight, you should consume high-protein whole foods. Protein gives you a feeling of satiety, decreasing snacking and the amount of food you eat. However, it’s important that you’re consuming whole foods, like chicken breasts. Because it offers large amounts of protein with fewer calories. For example, a 6-ounce chicken breast is around 31 grams of protein and only 210 calories.

How Much Protein Is Too Much?

While protein offers numerous health benefits, consuming too much can cause health issues, such as:

• Constipation
• Dehydration
• Diarrhea
• Increased risk of cancer
• Kidney damage
• Heart disease

While there isn’t an exact number that qualifies as “too much” protein, we recommend that you eat no more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. This means someone weighing 165 pounds should consume no more than 150 grams of protein per day.

Helping You Feel Whole

At AdventHealth, we seek to care for all of you in body, mind and spirit. No matter your health goals, we’ll be right here with you every step of the way.

Visit your primary care provider to learn more about protein and how to properly manage your consumption. If you don’t have a primary care provider, visit us here to learn more about our services or schedule an appointment.