Today I’m going to discuss why consuming enough protein is important.
What is Protein?
Protein is one of the macronutrients (along with carbohydrates and fat) that provides calories and energy for the body. Protein is NOT a primary energy source for the muscles or for exercise. The main role of protein is to repair and build muscle mass.
It is important that we are consuming enough protein daily but also that we are spreading our protein intake out throughout the day. Consuming 100g of protein in one sitting is not as beneficial for the body as consuming 20-30g every 3-4 hours.
On a typical day, I get roughly 90-100g of protein spread out like so:
- Breakfast: ~30g
- Snack: 10-15g
- Lunch: At least 20g
- Snack: 6-10g
- Dinner: At least 20g
Some days I probably get more and some days less but, on average, I would say this is pretty typical. I used to be a cereal and milk for breakfast every morning kind of girl but an hour later I would be hungry again. Now I make sure to start my days off with a quality breakfast that includes protein, carbs, and fat such as a fruit smoothie and peanut butter toast.
When I was in Europe, I was on the verge of hangry (so hungry you’re angry) a LOT because of the lack of protein. In Europe, especially in Italy, the meals are very carbohydrate heavy and I missed having protein. Protein helps you feel full longer and stabilizes the blood sugar levels, so you don’t have mood swings and get hangry as often.
A typical breakfast in Italy was comprised of croissants, rolls, and juice. Carbs, carbs, and more carbs! Any chance I had, I would make sure to at least get a glass of milk to try and get some protein. Once we got to Greece, the meals were much more balanced including protein and fat.
How Much Protein Do I Need?
Protein needs are based on body weight and goals. The RDA or general recommendation for the MINIMUM amount of protein needed is 0.8g/kg body weight. For example, if someone weights 150 pounds, you divide 150 by 2.2 to get 68kg of body weight. Take 68kg X 0.8g = 54.5g protein needed per day.
For athletes, the needs are a little higher. Endurance athletes need 1.2-1.4g/kg body weight and strength training athletes need 1.4-1.7g/kg body weight with the MAXIMUM being 2.0g/kg body weight. Again, a 150 pound endurance athlete would need 82g-95g and a 150 pound strength athlete would need 95g-116g, with the maximum need of 136g of protein per day.
Food Sources of Protein
Animal sources of protein include:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Fish
- Eggs
- Dairy
Plant sources protein include:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Nuts and nut butters
- Seeds
- Soy milk
- Tofu
- Grains
Protein Needs After Exercise
It is important to consume a combination of carbs and protein post-workout in order to repair your muscles and to build muscle mass. The general rule of thumb is to consume 10-30g of protein within 30 minutes after a workout.
Chocolate milk is a great recovery option. Other ideas include making a smoothie including fruit, Greek yogurt or protein powder, and water; or consuming a balanced snack such as cottage cheese and pineapple.
Looking for More?
Worried You Are Under Fueling? Download my Free Guide on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S).
Individual Nutrition Coaching – if you’re looking for more individualized support, check out my options for working together one on one.
Intuitive Eating Support Group for Women – if you’re interested in learning more about Intuitive Eating and healing your relationship with food and exercise, this is the group for you!
Oh I’ve definitely been hangry! Haha! I’ve also noticed when I have a good amount of protein with dinner, my milk production goes up. Win!
I never realized just how important protein was until I started to work out more and try to eat healthier. I desperately need a lot of it at every meal so I’m not snacking on junk throughout the day! I’m sharing one of my favorite protein shakes on my blog on Wednesday!
Tori
mooretori.blogspot.com
Thank you for such an informative post! It made me realize how important protein intake is. I really should swap out my Nutella to PB in the morning….. So long Nutella!
I also want to increase my beans recipe so I’ll be doing a lot more research on that today 🙂
I do cook a lot of tofu, fish, chicken, and occasional beef. I’m not a huge meat eater but I try to get some variety in especially for our obento lunches.
Thanks again!
I’ve been thinking about investing in some type of protein powder or snack that I have after a workout. I know those powders are so expensive though…
Hi Alexandria, definitely have a mix of carbs and protein after a workout is a good idea to maximize your workout. You don’t need to get a protein powder if you are able to have a protein snack. Protein powder is mostly just for convenience. If you can, bring beef or turkey jerky, a sandwich, Greek yogurt, chocolate milk, etc.!
Protein is so important!! I’m not sure how much protein I get through out the day, but I do know I get a good bit. We have dairy sensitivities at our house so we eat lots of eggs, meats, meats, and protein powder in smoothies to get our needed protein.
Thanks for this! I’ve been renewing my health and fitness goals and trying to focus on nutrition. Your post made me get up and get some yogurt!
Glad to hear it!
I’ve been working on adding more protein to my diet. It’s so hard for me because I’m not a big meat eater. Protein shakes have been helping!
When I went vegan, I started paying more attn to my intake, and for sure protein is one of those things that coincidentally I get TONS of. Which is great! Except I find if you get too much protein to close to bed….sleep doesn’t happen LOL.
It’s definitely important to consciously think about getting enough protein when going vegetarian or vegan. There is actually research that supports eating a protein snack before bed is beneficial but probably not eating a large quantity of beans or any large meal, which can definitely impact sleep.
Great post! I have definitely been hangry before and this usually happens when I fill myself up with carbs and not enough protein. It is super important for me to get enough spread throughout the day. Thanks for the info!
Thanks Carly! I thought I would be in carb heaven in Italy but I really missed protein!
Never heard of the word hangry before but I have been there. I have noticed that the older I get I need more protein, but definitely through out the day. Protein drinks do not agree with my system. And you need things to break it down to be useful.
I’ve been eating a lot more protein and I feel like I’ve actually lost weight from eating it more consistently! I usually eat greek yogurt to help with it.
liz @ j for joiner
Yes, eating more protein can help control appetite because it fills you up more than carbs. It also helps to maintain and build (in conjunction with exercise) lean mass, which increases metabolism as well. Keep it up!