Protein gets a bad rap these days. Some experts say we are generally eating too much protein and others will say that we are not eating enough. Considering how satiating protein is, I think it is pretty hard to overdo it. Have you ever tried to eat a couple of pounds of meat in one sitting? It is pretty challenging! When it comes to my clients, many are generally not eating enough of this crucial macronutrient when I first see them. I think this is partially due to the number of processed foods we consume in our diets today which are typically light on the protein and heavy on the more palatable macronutrients - carbohydrates (sugar!) and fat. Unless you are really paying attention to building a balanced plate (which I teach my clients in our work together) it is definitely possible that you are undereating protein too. Additionally, meat continually gets a bad wrap in the mainstream media causing a lot of fear and resistance.
While I am all for reducing our consumption of poor-quality, conventional meat products I do believe that higher quality pastured and grass-fed meats not only belong in our diet but are the least processed and highest quality protein sources out there. We are omnivores by nature and have been eating meat (as well as bone marrow and organs) for approximately 2.5 million years. Meat is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet providing us with the most bio-available sources of many vitamins and minerals including iron, vitamin a, b vitamins (especially b12!), zinc, and iodine. The choice of whether to eat it or not is definitely up to you.
I am not going to go too far into the rabbit hole that is the case for eating meat in this post since the topic is about protein, but I will say two additional things about eating meat. One is that I encourage you to pay attention to what you eat and in what amounts. Do what makes YOU feel good as part of mostly whole foods, nutrient-dense diet. Your intuition will serve you well if you listen to it. Pay attention to your energy throughout the day, your overall mood, your digestion, what your body is craving for snacks and meals, and how well you are sleeping when you are evaluating whether or not to eat meat and in what amounts.
I will also say that with regard to the studies out there regarding vegan and vegetarian diets being “better” for our health — like all studies, they are often flawed and not without bias (and this happens on all sides of an issue for sure). Some of the biggest flaws with these studies are that people are self-reporting what they are eating (which may not be entirely accurate), they tend to have confounding or “healthy user bias” where higher meat consumption groups tend to have metabolic dysfunction, drink more alcohol, smoke and are less active. Additionally, correlation doesn’t always mean causation.
I encourage you to think critically and dive into the research if you are interested. Here is a great article on how to read a research paper for non-scientists. At the end of the day, there really isn’t one diet that is best for ALL of us. What is best for you is based on genetics, where your ancestors lived and how they ate, where you are at with your health currently, your culture and/or belief system, and your lifestyle today.
Now, let’s get to protein!
What is protein?
Protein is one of the three macronutrients we eat along with fat and carbohydrates. It is a part of every cell in our body and assists in building and repairing cells and tissues. Protein is a major component of the skin, muscle, bone, organs, hair, and nails.
Protein is made up of long-chain amino acids. Twenty amino acids exist in nature and their order of them determines the structure and function of each protein. Nine of these amino acids are not synthesized by the body and therefore we need to get them from food. We call these essential amino acids.
Proteins are considered complete proteins when they contain all the essential amino acids. Animal products, soy, and quinoa are all complete proteins while most plant foods are incomplete proteins, including beans, nuts, and grains. If you don’t eat meat (or eat animal products minimally) but you are eating a wide variety of plant-based proteins in your diet, you are likely still able to get all of the essential amino acids you need. It isn’t as easy as it is when you are eating meat, but it is possible.
Why is protein important in our diet?
In addition to being an important building block for bones and muscles, cartilage, hair, nails, and skin, our bodies use it to build and repair tissue. It plays a large role in our digestion as about half of the protein we consume goes into making enzymes that aid in digesting food, and making new cells and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters). Protein also plays an important role in hormone regulation - especially around puberty, pregnancy, and menopause as our hormonal needs are elevated.
Eating enough protein for our bodies needs has many benefits, including speeding up recovery times after surgery, injury, or exercise and reducing and reversing muscle loss (building muscle). Protein is the most satiating of the macronutrients as well and can help keep us full longer and stabilize our blood sugar leading to better energy and mood throughout the day and more consistent sleep at night.
As we age, our need for protein actually increases as a function of our total macronutrient needs. This is because we are not able to assimilate protein as well as we get older so our needs go up to offset that we are not able to use it as efficiently as we once were. Increasing your consumption of protein over time can really help to keep you strong and vital as you age.
Unfortunately, our ability to digest protein goes down as we age too due to our digestive organs not being as efficient at producing stomach acid bile, digestive enzymes, and potentially other unchecked digestive dysfunction. Supporting the digestive process with slower eating, chewing well, eating more cooked and easier-to-digest foods, and supplementing as needed can all be helpful as you keep your protein consumption up into your later years.
What are the best sources of protein?
The best sources of protein are single-ingredient, whole foods. Animal products such as eggs, dairy, seafood, beef, chicken, lamb, pork, and even game provide all essential amino acids and most conditionally essential amino acids. I also like greek yogurt and cottage cheese for protein if you tolerate dairy. Plant protein sources like legumes /beans, lentils, raw nuts, tofu, and tempeh are also high-quality sources though these plant-based proteins do not provide all nine essential amino acids as mentioned earlier. This just means you need to be sure to eat a wide variety of plant proteins regularly if you are only eating these sources.
How much protein should you eat at each meal?
The USDA dietary guidelines recommend 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for adults. Just like most of the USDA guidelines, this is the minimum amount of protein your body needs each day to function. While this recommendation is often used to set dietary guidelines, many experts agree that most Americans are not hitting this minimum boundary. This is likely due to several reasons including that fat and carbohydrates are much tastier and we tend to crave them more, many of us aren’t digesting well and therefore not able to digest protein all that well, and we don’t feel good eating it. Get your digestion in check and you may see that you crave more protein and can feel a difference when you are eating the right amount for you.
I usually recommend that 20-30% or a quarter of your plate should be protein. A serving of about the size of your palm is a good visual or a range of 0.8-1 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. As I mentioned before though, we are all different and will have different protein needs.
If you want to play around with figuring out what amount is best for you, start by tracking your meals in a macro tracking app for a few days to see how many grams you are currently consuming. If you have a lot of energy throughout the day without snacking constantly, sleep well, and recover well from exercise, maybe you are in a good place already! If you are under-eating protein, start small. Try the strategy of starting savory for breakfast or paring your carby snack with some protein to see how your body responds. After some experimenting, you’ll be sure to land where your body wants to be with protein.
Is it possible to eat too much protein?
At some point? Yes. For most of us, the answer to this is no. It is pretty hard to eat too much protein at every meal because it is so satiating and your body will tell you that it wants more carbohydrates and fat (so long as you are comfortable with listening to it). You may have heard that high-protein diets can be damaging to your kidneys. This is not true for those of us with normally functioning kidneys. For the percentage of the population that struggles with kidney disease, a high protein diet of upwards of 30-35% of your calories may be problematic and is worth discussing with your doctor if you want to go that high.
I also think that if you are struggling with gut dysfunction, you may not be able to tolerate moderate protein intake. Low stomach acid poor pancreatic enzyme output and gallbladder dysfunction all have different root causes — stress, parasites, nutritional deficiencies, toxins, and emotional trauma to name a few. These are all issues that I work with my clients on in my 1:1 practice. If you need some support in determining the optimal dietary template for you and how protein fits into that or need help troubleshooting your digestive dysfunction, let’s chat!
Sources:
https://chriskresser.com/animal-protein-and-a-whole-foods-diet-what-the-science-says/
https://chriskresser.com/should-you-eat-more-protein-in-your-diet/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196279#daily-needs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15640517/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/functions-of-protein
https://wellnessmama.com/1015/healthy-protein-sources/