Remember when protein was the obsession of athletes and bodybuilders? But now, everybody seems to be looking for more protein with just about every food product adding it to everything from pancakes to popcorn. But how much do we really need?
Joining us now is Molly Barnes, a Registered Dietician to explain.
Q: What are the benefits to having protein in your diet?
A: “Protein is the basic foundation and structure for literally every cell in our body, so it’s really an important piece to make sure you’re getting throughout the day,” Barnes said. “Our bodies can only absorb so much at one time, so that’s the importance of spacing it out and making sure you’re getting enough with each of your meals.”
Q: How much protein do we need in our meals to sustain a healthy weight and nutrition?
A: “Everyone is obviously going to vary a little bit based on how much they weigh and what their needs are, but specifically to just meeting general, basic needs, everybody needs 20-25 grams in each meal,” Barnes said.
Q: How can someone get 20-25 grams of protein in their breakfast?
A: Option 1: Two pieces of whole grain toast topped with smashed avocado and two scrambled eggs.
“It’s a good size breakfast I hope for everyone,” Barnes said. “The biggest barrier I find for a lot of people is they don’t eat enough. Most people don’t realize how much food they need to meet their needs. So this is a good size breakfast that gives you fiber, fat and protein.”
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“There’s fiber here in the whole grain toast. There’s also good fiber and fat in the avocado here so that helps to satisfy hunger, keeps you feeling full. The protein is also really essential for that as well and stabilizing blood sugar,” she continued. “All of those things are going to help keep people feel satisfied enough to carry them through to the next meal. And that also helps with regulating hunger, fullness, satiety so that people that don’t overeat. So even though it does look like maybe more than people maybe might have in a typical meal, it does help weight management by prolonging hunger over a longer period of time.”
Option 2: Blend together rolled oats, chia seeds, flaxseeds, PB2 (powdered peanut butter) and hemp seeds, and use the mixture like instant oatmeal. 1/3 cup of the dry mixture is about 20-25 grams of protein. If you prefer your oatmeal sweet, you can optionally add maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar.
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“As a dietitian, I try to pull people back to whole foods,” Barnes said. “So the eggs and the oats and all of these nuts and seeds, they have other benefits to them beyond just the protein. But protein is really hyped up right now. And as we get older, we need more protein. We start to lose muscle mass, so I think there’s just a big momentum around that right now with regard to menopause and people getting older and how that supports immune health. So there’s lots of good reasons why protein is super popular right now, all beneficial.”
Q: How can people easily measure their protein intake?
A: “What we need basically to reach the 20 grams of protein is about 3 ounces. … It’s about the size of your palm. So that could be chicken, beef, turkey any animal protein,” Barnes said. “Each egg is about 1 ounce, so three eggs is going to be about 20 grams of protein.”
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