What Is Protein?

Great question.  You hear it referenced all the time and for the most part probably understand it but we will cover some of the basics and how it should be properly incorporated into your nutrition.

 Protein is one of the three macronutrients.  Carbohydrates and fats are the other two.  You likely hear 2 of those referenced as “macros” and “carbs”.

 This leads us to our next question, what is a macronutrient?  A macronutrient is simply a chemical compound that humans consume large amounts of.  And it is broken down into 3 main energy sources; protein, carbs, and fats.

 Protein is the muscle building macro.  The reason all the gym bros are sucking down those powdery shakes all day.  Without getting too scientific, proteins are made of amino acids, which are the building blocks of cells.

They are vital in repair and recovery of muscle.  Without adequate amounts of protein in your diet it can be difficult to build muscle.

 So how much protein is adequate?  Well that really depends on your weight and your muscle building goals.  For our purposes we will keep things simple and focus on body weight.

In general an adequate amount of protein to intake is at least half of your body weight in grams of protein.  So if you weigh 150lbs consuming 75 grams of protein daily would suffice.  If you weigh 200lbs consuming 100 grams of protein would do the trick, and so on and so forth.

 Next question, what foods contain protein?

 Protein can be found in many food sources.  The most obvious of course is meat.  Any and all meat:

Chicken

Turkey

Beef

Fish (salmon, tuna, whitefish, etc.)

Seafood (crab, shrimp, lobster, etc.)

 But protein can also be found in many other sources of food, such as:

 Beans

Lentils

Nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.)

Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc)

Dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.)

 And of course we have protein supplements such as whey protein powders or vegan protein powders, protein bars, snacks, etc.

 Now how do you get those 100 grams of protein into your daily meals?

 Balance and variation are a good way to go.  Variation is important because if you consume the same meal repeatedly you are bound to get burnt out and sick of said meal.  To this day I still have a hard time with canned tuna because I ate it close to daily for years in college.

And balance of course is the best way to approach your meals.  Balance meaning a balanced amount of protein, veggies, and healthy carbs. 

 Here is a simple example of 3 balanced meals that get your 100 grams of protein in:

 Breakfast

2 eggs, bacon, potatoes

Protein = 30 grams

 Lunch

Chicken salad

Protein = 30 grams

 Dinner

Salmon, broccoli, rice

Protein = 40 grams

And here is an example for vegans:

 Breakfast

1 cup of yogurt, oats

Protein = 25 grams

 Lunch

Tofu salad, nuts

Protein = 25 grams

 Dinner

Beans, broccoli, rice

Protein = 25 grams

 Vegan Protein Shake

Protein = 25 grams

So there you have it, a simple intro to protein and some ideas on getting an adequate amount of it into your diet.  For more nutrition guidance and ideas check out www.beginnerbody.com.