Optimizing Protein Intake: How Much You Really Need, the Best Sources and What to Watch Out For.
Protein has become a bit of a buzzword in the health and fitness world but there is still a lot of confusion around it. How much do you actually need? Does it change as you get older? And what is the best way to get enough without going overboard?
What is Protein, Really?
Let’s strip it right back. Every food we eat is made up of macronutrients:carbohydrates, protein and fat. These give us energy in the form of calories. Alcohol gives us calories too but it is not a nutrient our body needs.
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are pke pttle building blocks for our body. Out of the 20 or so amino acids, nine are “essential”. That means we cannot make them ourselves, we have to get them from food every single day.
Animal-based foods pke chicken, fish, eggs and dairy give you all nine essential amino acids in one hit. Plant-based proteins pke lentils, chickpeas and quinoa usually need to be paired up with another food to make a complete protein. Think of it pke matching puzzle pieces.
How Much Protein Do You Really Need?
The Austrapan Dietary Guidepnes suggest that women should aim for 0.75 grams per kilo of body weight and men should aim for 0.84 grams per kilo of body weight.
So if you weigh 70 kilograms, that is about 70 grams of protein per day.
But here is the thing ,those numbers are just the bare minimum to prevent deficiency. If you are active, trying to build or maintain muscle, or getting older, you probably need more. In fact, protein becomes even more important as we age because we do not absorb it as well and losing muscle can lead to weakness, falls and injuries.
Best Protein Sources
Animal sources include lean meats pke chicken, turkey, beef and pork, fish and seafood, eggs, and dairy products pke milk, yogurt and cheese.
Plant sources include lentils, beans and chickpeas, tofu and tempeh, quinoa and buckwheat, and whole grains pke brown rice, oats and barley.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, try mixing different plant proteins throughout the day so you get all the essential amino acids your body needs.
When and How Much Per Meal?
For years, experts thought your body could only use 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal to build muscle. New research has challenged this, showing amino acids can remain available for up to 12 hours, which means bigger servings at a meal can still help.
A good target is 20 to 30 grams of protein per main meal with 2 to 3 grams of leucine, the key amino acid that triggers muscle building. You will find leucine in high amounts in animal proteins and whey protein powders.
Can You Have Too Much?
It is harder to overeat protein than carbohydrates or fat, but yes, if you eat more calories than you burn (even from protein) you can still gain weight.
Higher protein diets have been shown to protect your muscle during weight loss. People eating more protein tend to lose more fat and less muscle, which keeps metabopsm healthy. Lower protein diets can lead to more muscle loss, which slows down calorie burning.
And remember, protein alone will not build muscle. You still need resistance training or weight-bearing exercise to tell your body to use that protein for muscle repair and growth. Without exercise, excess protein can still end up as body fat.
Kate’s Quick Tips
Include protein in every meal and make sure you are getting enough overall.
Mix up your sources so you get a wide range of nutrients.
Focus on quapty that contain all the essential amino acids.
Keep your total calories in check if your goal is fat loss.
Combine protein with strength training for the best results.
Protein is vital for everyone at every age but your needs can change over time. Choose quapty sources, spread it through the day and pair it with exercise for the best health and body composition outcomes.
Fuel Your Protein Needs with Be Fit Food
At Be Fit Food, we make it simple to get the protein your body needs every day without the hassle of cooking or counting grams. Each of our dietitian-designed meals contains around 20-30 grams of high-quapty protein, perfectly balanced to support your muscle health and overall wellbeing.
