How to Eat More Protein
“Classic work by Lemon et al. showed that protein consumed at double the RDA (1.6 g/kg) repeatedly outperformed the RDA (0.8 g/kg) for preserving [lean mass] and reducing [fat mass].”
Background
The most difficult barrier my coaching clients face? Eating enough protein! It’s the same story, every single time.
Client: How much protein should I eat?
Me: Around 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. A little more if you’re trying to lose fat, or a little less if you’re trying to gain muscle.
Client: What do those words mean?
Me: For example, if you weigh 200lbs, you will shoot for 200 grams of protein/day.
Client: WOAH that seems like a lot. *flood of nausea, thinking about choking down 10 dry chicken breasts a day.
Me: It’s not too bad, once you get the hang of it.
Let me teach you exactly how to get the hang of it.
How Much Protein Do You Need?
The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for protein is an abysmally low .36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (.8g/kg) (2).
For reference, that amounts to:
72 grams/day for a 200lb man
50 grams/day for a 140lb woman
My big toe needs more protein than that! The RDA is set at a level to prevent disease, not to optimize health or body composition.
How Much Protein is Optimal?
The general protein recommendation to optimize lean muscle mass and improve body composition is one gram of protein per pound of lean body weight (i.e. 160 grams of protein for a 200lb man with 20% body fat). But to keep it simple, unless you’re significantly overweight (it would be tough for a 400lb person to eat 400 grams of protein), .8-1 g of protein/lb of bodyweight is a suitable target (3, 4, 5).
What are High Quality Sources of Protein?
A wise man once said that protein is “anything that has eyes - cow, chicken, turkey, fish, pig, etc” (6). In addition to animal sources (including dairy and eggs), many plants also contain a substantial amount of protein. Legumes, nuts + seeds, grains such as oats and brown rice, and even vegetables can contain considerable amounts of protein. Finally, protein powder can make it much easier to hit your daily target. I typically consume 1-2 scoops of protein powder/day to hit my goal and to sweeten greek yogurt, oats, and even basmati rice (sounds crazy, but think of it as rice pudding) (7).
What Exactly Does “High Quality Protein” Mean?
There are two categories of protein: complete and incomplete.
Complete protein - contains all 9 essential amino acids that our bodies do not produce. Includes all animal sources and a few plant sources, such as quinoa and soy.
Incomplete protein - do not contain all essential amino acids. Includes most plant sources.
Methods of evaluating protein quality include:
Biological Value (BV) - BV is a measure of how efficiently the human body uses a protein and of the amount of essential amino acids that the protein source provides. To measure BV, researchers analyze the ratio of nitrogen (protein is the primary source of nitrogen in the body) used by the body compared to nitrogen absorbed. Almost always, animal protein sources score higher than plant protein sources (8).
Net Protein Utilization (NPU) - Similar to BV in the fact that it measures the efficiency of how the body utilizes a source of protein, NPU differs in the exact measurement. NPU is indirectly measured through the analysis of protein intake vs. excretion and is the ratio of amino acids converted to proteins and used in the body compared to the amount of amino acids that entered the body (8).
Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) - PDCAAS involves the analysis of protein quality based on digestibility and the essential amino acids requirements of 2-5 year old children (the most nutritionally demanding age group) (9, 10). To test the quality of a protein, it is compared to an amino acid standard and assigned a score from 0-1, with “1” signifying max digestibility. It is the preferred evaluation method of the protein quality in human nutrition and is used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to establish % daily protein intake on food labels (11, 12).
Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) - The PER measures the effectiveness of a protein through the measurement of growth in rats. However, this calculation is outdated and, as growth in rats does correlate strongly growth in humans, is rarely utilized (13).
Sound confusing or overwhelming? That’s because it is! Luckily for us, there are a few simple takeaways when it comes to protein quality:
Total daily protein + calorie intake matter much more than protein content of an individual meal.
If you consume enough protein from a variety of sources, protein quality will likely be a nonissue (14, 15, 16).
That being said, animal foods score highest on measures of protein quality.
If you’re a vegetarian/vegan, you may need to take care to consume foods in certain combinations throughout the day to maximize the anabolic response (i.e. rice + beans = complete protein) (17, 18, 19).
(20).
When Should You Consume Protein?
Consumption of adequate protein throughout the course of a day is priority #1, but recent research has shown that frequent protein consumption, 3-5x/day, increases muscle building compared to less frequent intake (1-2x/day). If you’re an athlete or looking to pack on muscle (or, for older adults, looking to impede muscle loss), the best course of action is to aim for 3-5 protein feedings each day (21).
What Do I Do?
At the start, eating enough protein was a daunting task. Bottomless cans of tuna and 3 protein shakes was the norm. After figuring out the foods I enjoy and the portion sizes that work for me, the process is now effortless. My typical day of protein consumption looks like:
9am: Oatmeal mixed with ½ scoop casein protein powder, 80 g fat free greek yogurt, and 15g powdered peanut butter (PB Fit), blueberries, and ½ a banana on top, 140g egg white omelette with mushrooms and cauliflower, ½ avocado = 55g protein
1pm: 2oz turkey breast, mixed vegetables. 200g basmati rice, 20g oats, 120g fat free greek yogurt, ⅓ scoop whey protein powder, 200g basmati rice, 60g pumpkin, 15g PB Fit, 16g almond butter, 80g apple, 70g blueberries, 6g sugar free dark chocolate chips = 55g protein
5:00pm: 4oz ground turkey with 100g Brussel sprouts, 100g sweet potatoes, and 16g almond butter = 30g protein
7:30pm: 20g oats, 150g basmati rice, 170g fat free greek yogurt, ½ scoop casein protein powder, 32g peanut butter, 6g sugar free chocolate chips, 70g blueberries, 60g pumpkin, 15g low sugar breakfast cereal= 50g protein
That’s a total of 190g protein, with 0g dry chicken breast and 0 nausea or discomfort.
What Should YOU Do?
If you’re accustomed to consuming 50 grams of protein per day, it may not be the best move to jump right up to 1g/lb of bodyweight right out of the gate. Actionable steps you can take:
Figure out how much protein you typically eat
The best way to track your daily intake is to enter your food each day into an app such as MyFitnessPal or Cronometer. If you have never weighed your food before, it may be a good idea to do so for a few weeks or months to give you a better idea of portion sizes. You could also eyeball it or use measuring cup/spoons, but these techniques will leave a much wider margin of error. Remember, getting down to the .1 gram accuracy is not important. As long as you’re in the ballpark, you’re golden.
Find high protein foods you enjoy
Check out the above infographic and incorporate high protein foods into your daily routine that you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy the foods you choose, you won’t stay the course over the long haul.
Slowly increase the amount of protein you consume each day
Now that you have figured out how much protein you typically consume and know about high quality sources of protein, it is time to start eating more of them! For instance:
Throw 5oz of chicken on your salad instead of 2oz
Replace your normal yogurt with greek yogurt
Speaking of greek yogurt - it is your friend! Use it as sour cream, mix it with your oatmeal, bake it into high protein recipes
Protein powder is also your friend! (Protein is a very cordial macronutrient). Have trouble hitting your target? Drink a protein shake or two throughout the day. One shake with 2 scoops can provide up to 60g of protein!
Eat an egg + egg white omelette alongside your morning cereal
Don’t forget the little guys - small amounts of protein from vegetables, grains, and other “low protein” foods can add up throughout the day
Reap the benefits of high protein consumption- more muscle, less fat, boosted metabolism, and staying fuller for longer!
In addition to improving recovery from workouts, you will experience more muscle, less fat, less hunger, and a boosted metabolism! Nearly everyone...
Older adults trying to prevent muscle and bone density loss
Athletes aiming to improve performance and gain strength
Bodybuilders looking to improve body composition
Dieters trying to stave off hunger
...will appreciate the countless benefits of high protein consumption.
Now, Start!
You’re armed with the information, all you have to do is start! And for all the New Years Resolutioners out there - DON’T wait until January 1st. I am not suggesting you swap out your Christmas cookies for canned tuna, but to simply start taking the small steps. Download a food tracking app, pick up some of your favorite protein packed foods, and get familiar with the process. Establishing sustainable habits sooner rather than later will allow you build momentum that will carry you into the new year. Good luck and, as always, please reach out with any questions that you have.
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_Digestibility_Corrected_Amino_Acid_Score
https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12986-016-0124-8
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1
