Eating protein is super important, and it’s not just for body builders or men who spend a lot of time in the gym. Read on to see why you need to eat more protein every single day.
What is protein and how much do I need?
Protein is made up of chemical “building blocks” called amino acids. For a protein to be said complete, it needs to contain twenty specific building blocks. Animal protein is what we call complete because it contains the twenty amino acids.
On the contrary, plant-protein rarely contains the twenty building blocks. However you can combine multiple plant-proteins together to obtain the full string of amino acid and get the full benefits of the protein.
This is what some of the debate around animal- and plant-protein is about, saying there is one that is better than the other. I think eating plant-protein is a great reminder that you need to eat a variety of foods (protein and others) to get a maximum of nutrients.
Typically, a human needs ideally at least 1.5 to 2g of protein per kilo of body weight. So if you weigh 60kg, you need at least 90g of protein during the day. A good estimate is to try and incorporate about 100g of protein a day, in two or three meals.
I don’t count the macros for my recipes, so I don’t know how many calories are in my dishes or fats and carbs. But it helps to know roughly how much protein is in each food so you can have an idea about what to make or add to your plate each day.
What do we need protein for?
Eating protein is crucial to our health. We need it for a number of reasons :
- Growth and maintenance. Protein is used by the body to grow, for children or during pregnancy for example. It also builds and repairs tissues, hence having increased needs when you exercise;
- Essential chemical reactions: digestion, production of energy, blood clotting, muscle contraction, hormonal optimal functions like sleep and metabolism;
- Boosting your immune system by forming antibodies to fight infections and invasion by bacteria and viruses;
- Transporting and storing nutrients like oxygen to the blood, glucose to the cells, etc.
- Feeling full for longer and speeding up metabolism (fat burning mechanism)
It’s great to eat protein first thing in the morning because it turns on the muscle synthesis, helps you feel satiated and satisfied (it shuts down cravings).
Every protein has a specific role, which is why it is essential to eat a variety of protein. Overall, we need to eat protein sources from animals but also plant proteins and it’s not just tofu. Carry on to read about where you can find a lot of protein.
Sources of protein
Animal protein: we all know that produce from animals contain protein like:
- Red meat
- White meat from poultry
- Fish and shellfish
- Eggs
- Cheese and milk
But the way we raise our cattle and poultry has changed in the past 60 years. Productivity and quantity have taken over quality so we need to be careful when choosing this source of protein.
Make sure to choose your animal protein (if you choose to eat it) grass-fed, pasture-raised, no pesticide or antibiotics, organic if you can.
It means that this will be more expensive, but you don’t need to eat meat or fish every day. A few times a week should be enough, as long as you’re combining it with plant-protein as well.
My favourite include eggs, cheese, fish, and a good-quality steak from time to time.
Plant protein sources:
- Tofu and tempeh, made from soy
- Seitan and jack fruit
- Legumes like chickpeas and lentils
- Nuts & seeds
- Vegetables contain protein as well (!), and broccoli is quite high in protein for example.
My favourites sources are tofu, nuts & seeds (I eat some every day), and chickpeas. I also use a vegan protein powder to help after my morning gym sessions, and I make sure it’s not full of sugar or additives.
You will find recipes high in protein here:
