Essentials You Need to Know About Protein

A healthy diet can't happen without the needed amount of protein. This component is contained in multiple animal and plant-based products, as people consume both types to get vitamins, minerals, and other components essential for our bodies. For example, one of the most important components is amino acids. Our bodies produce 11 of 20 different acids, and we can get the rest from animal protein sources (milk, eggs, meat, etc.). Such products are considered complete proteins. At the same time, the tendency shows that people switch from animal protein sources to plant-based protein sources more and more often. With this, it may be a protein deficiency, as people quit animal protein for plant-based, taking fewer amino acids and vitamins. 

Understanding the essentials of a balanced protein intake will help you take all essential amino acids, have a high variability of protein foods, and understand your preferences better. When you try multiple sources of protein, you'll understand what works best for you. Keep reading, as we will uncover all the essentials about protein and how it affects your body.

What Do We Consider as Protein?

Protein is one of three essential macronutrients alongside carbohydrates and fats. Protein plays a crucial role for building muscles and keeping your immune system running. The human body, including hair, skin, and tissues, are made of protein. To keep To maintain skin condition, take care of tissues and muscles, and ensure the hair is strong and elastic, people need an appropriate amount of protein. For adults, the normal amount starts at 0.75 grams per kilogram of body weight. Depending on the overall workload, you can maintain the daily protein dose. For example, people who do regular workouts, including weight lifting and cardio, take around 1.5–2 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight. 

How to Eat Protein During the Day?

Once you know how much protein you need per day, it's essential to distribute it properly and measure all portions. Several studies confirmed that there should be around 25–30 grams of protein per meal. It's a normal amount for our bodies, as it takes less time to digest this protein with carbs and fats from other products. For example, if you follow a weight maintenance meal plan, consider including protein into each meal, excluding snacks.

To make the protein intake nice and simple, decide what protein sources you like the most. Everyone has different tastes, and people choose to get nutrients from the products they like the most. For example, if you enjoy dairy, consider taking it in the morning to cover protein needs. A mix of Greek yogurt, fruits, and seeds makes a good breakfast. For lunch, you can have chicken with pasta or chicken with rice. It doesn't have to be plain chicken meat; you can grill it, steam it, or cook it any other way to make it taste good. Finally, for dinner, it can be a steak with mashed potatoes, or tuna salad, or whatever you want it to be. Ensure you have enough protein in your portion and ensure you have enough fiber in your meal. Fiber matters a lot, as it helps your body digest protein better.

If you feel like you didn't get enough protein per day, add some to your snacks. Rice cakes with protein peanut butter and bananas are considered one of the best healthy snacks. You get around 10 grams of protein per serving (2 tablespoons of peanut butter) as well as fiber from bananas and rice cakes. Protein bars will also fit your diet, as there is around 20 grams of protein per bar. Again, it's important to get enough fiber, so consider getting your bar with an apple or a banana.

A high-protein diet requires variety and the ability to mix products every day and every week. You may get bored eating all the same food, so ensure you have enough options to create variety.

Protein Powder: Is It Worth It?

The problem of not having enough protein daily is common for athletes who do high-volume training and require building blocks to keep their muscles in shape. That problem is solved by adding extra sources of protein to your diet, and it's usually a protein powder. It's usually a whey protein and an isolate for slow release. It can be mixed with a liquid of choice (usually water or milk) to take the form of a protein shake or added to recipes as an extra ingredient. The most common case is cooking protein pancakes, cooked with oat flour instead of wheat flour and adding protein. One scoup per serving is usually enough, as it adds around 22 grams of protein to your meal (there's also protein in milk and eggs) and gives some extra flavor. 

The protein pancakes recipe from Chris Bumstead never gets old. If you were looking to diversify your diet and replace old recipes, this meal is an absolute 10. It's a high-volume meal that contains protein, carbs, fats, fiber, and vitamins. What else do you need for muscle growth?

Do You Have to Focus on Eating Meat to Get Enough Protein?

There's a very common stereotype that people should eat a lot of meat to get enough protein. In fact, this statement is not correct. Meat is truly one of the most valuable sources of protein, and animal sources of protein are the richest in vitamins and minerals. Beef, pork, turkey, and chicken, considered the most popular sources of protein, contain different groups of vitamins and other essential components. Still, there's no need to focus on this source of protein, and there are several reasons why. First, taking too much red meat may damage your stomach and may even lead to cancer. Second, eating the same products too often may not be appropriate for your personal taste, as you may want to diversify your diet. Build your diet based on a variety of products, including fish, eggs, cottage cheese, and plant protein sources like beans. Soy protein, which is also high in various nutrients, may replace animal sources of protein in your diet. Still, your meal plan shouldn't be meatless, and at least one meal per day should contain meat of choice.

If you lack ideas of how to mix different types of protein in your routine and regulate protein consumption, try meals from our restaurant. Our dishes always come with high-quality sources of protein, including multiple types of meat and fish, as well as plant sources of protein, including tofu.

Develop a Well-Balanced High-Protein Diet

Having enough protein in your diet is not enough. Besides knowing your daily norm, you should also diversify your diet by adding multiple products and mixing them with carbohydrates and fats. Everything depends on your tastes and preferences. Whether it's weight gain, weight loss, or weight maintenance, you have to make sure you enjoy your food. Also, if you don't have time to cook what you want, there's a nice alternative to get our purpose-focused meal plans. This is a complete meal plan lasting up to 1 month and includes both main meals and snacks. With them, you do not only get satisfaction from the food but also receive the needed nutrients to stay fit and healthy.

FAQ

Is it important to take protein in the morning?

Taking protein in the morning helps you saturate your body, while carbs and fats will give energy at the start of the day.

What happens if you eat too much protein?

If a person eats too much protein, the first symptoms will be dehydration, fatigue, and headaches. There will also be a pain in the stomach.

How much protein should be in one meal?

It's comfortable to get around 25-30 grams of protein per meal, as your body will easily digest this amount of food.