How Much Protein Should You Be Eating Protein is one of the most important nutrients that your body needs. If you’re not getting enough, then your health can suffer. But it’s nothing to worry about - it’s more than easy to ensure you do get your daily dose. Generally speaking, animal protein e.g. meats, fish, eggs, and dairy, will be able to provide you with enough protein if you’re eating them on a regular basis. However, if you’re a vegetarian, this might be a bit more challenging.
What does protein do:
Essentially, protein helps build, repair and maintain muscle tissue by joining up amino acids that are made from filaments. While they are essential for building muscle, they also serve many other important functions regarding your hormones and skin. Not only is protein good for your health, but it can help aid weight loss and prevent any future weight gain. It is also essential in building and repairing tissues including skin and muscle – so you could say, it’s fairly important. In order to build your muscle, you have to eat protein, there’s no other way around it, so if you lack in the nutrient, it is likely to have an impact on your wellbeing.
How much protein should you be eating:
It’s important to make sure that your body is getting the nutrients it needs and while the specific amount does change depending on various factors e.g. your age and fitness, there are recommended guidelines for the average person. Unfortunately, this does require some maths. Ideally, you should be having 0.36 grams per pound that you weight so, to calculate your ideal protein intake, all you need to multiply your weight (in pounds) by 0.36.
As it happens, most of us already get enough protein as it is often found in a lot of popular foods e.g. nuts, wheat, meats, fish, eggs etc, but if you are lacking in protein, it’s easy to boost your intake. How do you know if you have a protein deficiency? It’s usually the cause of feeling tired throughout the day despite getting enough sleep or weak and faint during strenuous activity.
The amount of protein you should be trying to have daily does also depend on whether you’re looking to lose weight or build muscle. If you want to build more muscle, then you need to eat more protein – simple as.
Getting more protein in your diet:
If you’re looking to up your protein intake, you can start by eating foods which are highest in this nutrient – this can be in the form of snacks or full-blown meals:
1. Use alternative ingredients
Companies, such as Eatlean, offer a range of cheeses, from grated to snacking bars to spreadable, which are extremely low in fat and high in protein. This means that you can still enjoy all those cheesy meals while boosting your protein intake!
2. Eat protein snacks
There’s never been a better reason to eat snacks throughout the day than when you’re trying to increase your protein levels! But, make sure that they contain high amounts of protein, otherwise, you’re not doing yourself any favours. Switch up your snacks for mixed nuts, apples, and peanut butter, or Greek yogurt. All of these are easy snacks to make and will satisfy any of your sweet cravings!
3. Protein shakes
If you go to the gym a lot or are constantly on the run and your protein levels are low, boost them up with a protein shake. They’re so easy to make and even easier to carry around. Better yet, they come in a range of flavours, so it’s great for anyone.
4. Eat lots of meats
Meats and fish are one of the highest foods in protein. Make sure, when eating lunch and dinner, that you eat these foods first and regularly. If you’re already doing that, your protein levels are probably good as it is.
