Happy Monday! I am confused about protein intake, how about you? I have read a zillion studies, analyses of said studies, listened to podcasts, and talked to nutritionists and dieticians. My gut has always told me that each individual has different needs and therefore I need to look within and listen to my body as well as follow my instinct a bit. After all that, I think I should trust myself LOL! But I know many of you are in the same boat as I am and would love to hear a sensible, educated voice, so I turned to my friend Anthea Levi, an RD based in New York. A Registered Dietician is much more than a nutritionist. Literally anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. However, an RD goes through rigorous training for several years and completes over 1,000 hours of supervised practice, including hundreds of hours of clinical experience.
Anthea is a trusted source for me and I wanted to share our conversation about women and protein needs here:
Why is protein so important especially in the context of women’s health? Do our protein needs change during different life stages (i.e.pregnancy and menopause)?
Eating enough protein not only helps us build and repair lean muscle mass but also supports hair and skin health, immune function, and the body’s production of key enzymes and hormones. Protein also helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps us feeling fuller for longer.
Women’s protein needs depend on their physical activity levels, body size, health status, and phase of life. For example, more protein is needed for proper growth and development when we’re growing little ones during pregnancy. Later on during the peri- and postmenopausal years, eating more protein (along with regular strength training) can help counteract some of the very natural but very annoying changes that accompany this stage of life, like the loss of lean muscle mass and a greater deposition of fat in the midsection.
What are amino acids and what do we need to know about them to make informed choices about the protein we consume?
Amino acids (AAs) are the single units that make up proteins. Think of a protein like a necklace and each bead as an AA. Some AAs are essential, meaning we must obtain them from food since our bodies can’t naturally produce them on their own.
There are nine essential AAs in total and animal-based foods (think: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy) contain all of them. The term ‘complete protein’ refers to any food that contains all nine of the essential AAs.
Some essential AAs – like the branched chain AAs leucine, isoleucine, and valine – may be particularly helpful for muscle growth, but I wouldn’t get too caught up on which AAs you’re consuming. What matters most is that you’re eating enough protein and from high-quality sources.
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about protein?
‘Americans already eat way too much protein.’ Blanket statements like these are tricky because it really depends on the person. I’ve worked with women whose personal trainers or health coaches told them to eat scary amounts of protein (like, I’m-surprised-their-kidneys-are-still-functioning scary) while others are consuming a mere fraction of what I’d recommend.
When it comes to protein (and calories in general), less is not necessarily more. In fact, eating too few calories and not enough protein is the fastest way to lose muscle mass. Thanks but no thanks.
How much protein do you think women should be getting each day? How do your recommendations compare to the RDA?
The RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowance and it refers to the average daily intake that’s sufficient to meet the needs of about 98% of healthy people. The only problem? Sufficient ≠ optimal. Just because your body can subsist on this amount of protein doesn’t mean it’s the best amount for your health.
The current RDA for protein is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight in adults. That shakes out to just 54 grams of protein per day for a 150-pound person, roughly the amount you’d get from a cooked 4-ounce chicken breast and ¾ cup of Greek yogurt.
I personally start my baseline protein recs at .55 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and then increase this number as needed depending on one’s activity levels and nutrition goals. Super active individuals may need as much as .9 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.
A second way to calculate daily protein needs is based on your total caloric intake. It’s recommended that 10 to 35% of all calories consumed come from protein. That’s a wide range, so I usually narrow it down and recommend that anywhere from 25 to 30% of one’s total calories come from protein. For context, that would come out to between 105 to 130 grams of protein per day on a 1,700 calorie diet.
Can you talk to the readers a bit about protein dosing? How much protein should we aim to consume at each meal?
Each person needs a different amount of protein per meal since our bodies are all different, but there are some best practices that hold true across the board.
First, make sure to evenly spread your protein intake out over the course of the day instead of eating a large quantity all at once. Doing this helps your body utilize protein’s AAs more efficiently.
Most of us should aim for between 20 and 40 grams of protein at each of our main meals, then fill in the rest of our needs with balanced snacks.
For our plant based readers, what are your tips for making sure people get enough plant protein/complete protein sources per day?
Hitting your protein goal on a vegetarian diet takes work. And let’s be honest, eating 100 grams’ worth of protein in beans is…not ideal.
Try to incorporate a variety of vegetarian proteins, including legumes, nuts, seeds, minimally processed soy products like organic edamame, tofu, and tempeh, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk, cow’s milk, eggs, and protein powder.
I’m also not opposed to the use of high-protein specialty foods every now and then. A couple I like are Field Roast’s vegan sausages (yes, they’re high in sodium and definitely a processed food, but they’re ok to include every now and then IMO) and Explore Cuisine’s organic edamame spaghetti, both of which deliver an impressive 25 grams of vegetarian/vegan protein per serving.
FYI: Most plant-based foods (except soy, quinoa, and hemp seeds) are not complete proteins but if you eat a well balanced vegetarian diet, you’ll likely get all of the AAs you need.
Should our protein requirements change if we engage in more physical activity?
Yep. Eating enough protein becomes increasingly important if we’re more physically active, since protein helps build and repair muscle fibers that break down during exercise. Plus, the more we exercise, the more calories we need to eat in order to properly refuel our bodies. If our overall calorie intake increases, so should our protein consumption.
What should we be looking for when buying a protein powder?
Look for a straightforward ingredients list with minimal additives. Try to avoid products made with artificial flavors, added sugars, gums, and oils. If you’re buying a whey protein powder, opt for one that’s organic and grass-fed if your budget allows.
What are your thoughts on collagen as a protein supplement?
I’m a fan! Collagen will not reverse wrinkles (sorry) but it’s a simple way to up your protein intake. I often use Thrive Market’s unflavored grass-fed collagen in my smoothies or coffee for an easy protein boost.
One note: Collagen technically isn’t a complete protein because it’s missing the essential AA tryptophan, but again, that’s NBD if your diet includes a variety of protein-rich foods.
When is it important to splurge vs save on protein quality (organic, wild, grass-fed/finished/ pasture raised)?
We’re probably better off buying organic, wild, grass fed/finished, and/or pasture raised for all of our proteins but groceries are ludicrously expensive and this just isn’t feasible for most people.
A happy medium is to buy less expensive versions of high-quality proteins. For example, buy canned wild fish instead of fresh fish. Plant-based proteins also tend to be cheaper, even if they’re organic. A block of organic tofu usually costs a lot less than a package of organic, grass fed/finished beef. Do the best you can and don’t sweat it if all organic everything is out of the question.
One thing I’d add:
Eating enough protein is important, but tracking every last gram of protein you eat gets stressful and exhausting over time. While it’s useful to have a sense of how much protein you may need to eat daily, don’t discount signals from your body if you find you’re still hungry or force feed yourself to get it all in. Textbook guidelines don’t know your body like you do.
If you learned something from my discussion with Anthea, check out her substack, “Alive+Well Nutrition.”
My newsletter is a sponsor-free zone and is fully supported by readers. Consider being a paid subscriber to get Even More Musings! Today I am sharing a plant-based, high-protein, high-fiber recipe that is quick & easy! Sheet pan Tofu and Mushrooms can be served in lettuce cups or as the base for a bowl. So delicious!
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