Eat Your Way Right Habit 2: Eat Your Protein

This week we are going to focus on my favorite food subject - protein! Habit 2: Did I eat protein every time I ate today? Did I eat a "FULL PROTEIN" at least 2 out of every 3 times I ate? Adequate protein is crucial to giving your body what it needs to manufacture enzymes, hormones and antibodies. Protein is needed to replace worn out cells and build new cells. You can't be your best without enough protein. The most efficient way to get our protein is to eat it from animal sources. They have the most protein per calorie and contain all the essential and non-essential amino acids that your body needs. We call these FULL proteins, because they are well, FULL of protein. PARTIAL proteins have less protein and either more carbohydrates and/or fat, and usually don't have the essential and non-essential amino acids. There is a handy chart based off your shopping lists with servings sizes and amounts of protein at the bottom of this page. I mentioned animal sources as having "The most protein per calorie".  Here's what I mean. If you look at the listed protein below you will see both FULL and PARTIAL protein sources. Let's break down what it would take to get ~ 24 grams of protein from each one of those, as well as the rest of the calorie breakdown. Let's start with an animal (FULL) protein - Chicken breast with the skin not eaten.

• Calories: 128

• Fat: 2.76g (25 calories)

• Carbs: 0g

• Protein: 23.99g (96 calories)

As most of the calories come from protein we would classify this as a FULL protein. How about if I want to get that same 24 grams of protein from a PARTIAL protein, like almonds?

• Calories: 653

• Fat: 57.15g (518 calories)

• Carbs: 22.29g (89 calories)

• Protein: 24g (96 calories)

Do you see the challenge? You are eating nearly 4.5 times the calories to get the same amount of protein. (Almost a cup of almonds). Almonds are primarily fat, with some protein, thus a PARTIAL protein. Let's take a look at another popular PARTIAL protein - Hummus.

• Calories: 873

• Fat: 42.40 (382 calories)

• Carbs: 99.33 (397 calories)

• Protein: 24 (96 calories)

By the way, that is a whopping 2 cups of Hummus to get that 24 grams of protein. The combination of carbohydrate in garbanzo beans and the oil used to make hummus put this squarely in the PARTIAL protein arena, at a very high calorie cost. One more example, using the "holy grail" of grains/seeds - Quinoa. This psuedocereal is rightly valued as being one of a very few non-animal food that is a complete protein, in that it has all the essential amino acids. That being said you still need to consume large quantities to get enough protein from Quinoa alone; it is better thought of as a carbohydrate. Here's what I mean.

• Calories (1 cup): 625

• Fat: 10g (90 calories)

• Carbohydrate: 109g (436 calories)

• Protein: 24g (96 calories)

So the take home here is that while PARTIAL PROTEINS can be PART of your plan, they should not be used to make up most of your protein needs. For challenge purposes you want to stick with FULL protein sources most of the time (2 out of every 3 times we eat). For most of us that will mean we eat PARTIAL proteins as a main source no more than once per day.

How Much Protein?

Great question. Ladies are going to want to get a minimum of between 20 and 30 grams every time they eat, and men 30-45. If you eat more frequent meals a day (say 5) choose the lower end per meal, if you eat less frequently (3) eat the higher end of the spectrum. So on the low end that is between 90 and 100 grams for women and 120 to 150 for men, per day. I can hear the screams and wails already? THAT much protein? :) Well is it really that much? Let's look at what a women eating 3 times per day would have to consume to get between 90 and 100 grams per day.

• Breakfast: 6 oz. greek yogurt with 1 oz of walnuts stirred in - 22 grams

• Lunch: 4 oz. of chicken breast (over a nice spinach salad with some strawberries maybe?) with an ounce of almonds - 38 grams

• Dinner: 4 oz. of sirloin steak - 35 grams

That's 94 grams of protein without hardly trying. You are also getting some healthy fats at the same time and the calories are very efficient (~817) You can do this! Don't forget to visit the Private Facebook Group if you have questions.

Protein Sources

Here are example of both full and partial proteins, with sources taken directly from your shopping lists, which can be found on the EYWR Resource Page

Full Proteins

Lean Beef, Bison: 3 oz cooked = 22-27 grams protein

Extra Lean Ground Flank Steak Lean Tenderloin Top Sirloin

Low Fat Cheese: 1 ounce = 4-7 grams protein

American Cottage Feta Goat cheese Mozarella Swiss

Whole Eggs: 2 Large = 12 grams protein

Fish: 3 ounces cooked = 21-26 grams protein

Cod Halibut Salmon, canned and fresh Mackerel Tilapia Tuna

Lamb: 3 ounces cooked = 22-27 grams protein

Milk & Yogurt: 1 cup = 8-24 grams protein

Goat's Milk Yogurt, plain Greek Yogurt, plain

Pork: 3 Ounces cooked = 22-27 grams protein

Pork Loin Pork Chops Low Sodium Ham

Poultry: 3 ounces cooked = 21-26 grams protein

Chicken Breast, ground, tenderloins Turkey Breast, ground, tenderloins

Shellfish: 3 ounces cooked = 21-26 grams protein

Clams Crab Lobster Scallops Shrimp

Whey protein powder: 1 scoop = 21-24 grams protein

Partial Proteins

Beans & Legumes. Most beans have about 7-10 grams of protein in 1/2 cup cooked

Black Beans Garbanzo Beans Kidney Lentils Lima Beans Miso Pinto Beans White Beans

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds: 1/4 cup = 6 grams protein Brazil Nuts: 1/4 cup = 5 grams protein Flax Seeds: 2 tablespoons = 3 grams protein Hazelnuts: 1/4 cup = 4 grams protein Macadamia Nuts: 1/4 cup = 3 grams protein Pecans: 1/4 cup = 3 grams protein Pumpkin Seeds: 1/4 cup = 8 grams protein Sesame Seeds: 1/4 cup = 6 grams of protein Sunflower Seeds: 1/4 cup = 6 grams of protein Walnuts: 1/4 cup = 4 grams protein

Dean Carlson is a Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach with Precision Nutrition. To read more about the health benefits of adequate protein, please read "All About Protein" on the PN Site.