All you need to know on the what, why and how of protein
Protein
An elevated protein intake is vital for an active individual, helping facilitate muscular recovery and adaptation to training. In general I would recommend consuming as much as 2 grams of protein per kg of body mass. In fact, even for those who aren’t really undergoing a training regime an elevated protein intake has a host of health benefits, and it provides a greater degree of satiety (fullness) than any other dieting approach. Even if you aren’t planning on undertaking resistance training (weights,kettlebells,trx etc) (though I would highly recommend that you do, regardless of your goal and age), an intake of 1.4kg per kilo of body weight is a good starting point. With all macronutrient intakes it is important to assess how you feel eating certain ratios of food, if you feel better eating more protein then of course feel free to do so, there is no issue with eating a high amount of protein if that’s what makes you feel and perform your best. Protein should be consumed around 3-5 times per day to optimise muscle protein synthesis (the action of adding protein to muscle tissue in order for it to grow) wherever possible. Protein, incidentally, contains roughly 4 calories per gram. With the above assessment of your needs in terms of a baseline starting point with your macronutrients, it will be highly likely you will eat enough protein if you are eating 30% plus of your diet as protein. But when you do start to track and understand your calories and macronutrients more, you can see what protein value you end up eating once you start tracking your food. But lets not do too much maths at this point in time, makes my head hurt too! Ideal
Protein Sources
Animal Meat & Eggs
I always recommend you source your animal protein from animals that come from high animal welfare standards, are free range, and local where possible. If you are consuming lower quality animal protein due to your budget, opt for leaner meats, toxins from animal feeding practices are stored in fat, so when choosing low quality animal protein opt for lower fat choices and cuts and add fats to your meals from other sources i.e. olive oil, nuts, avocado, dairy etc.
Dairy
Low fat is not necessarily a bad thing. Semi-skimmed milk and low fat Greek yoghurt are handy protein sources (just check the calorie load as some products add sugars which ramps calories back up) but whole dairy will have the greatest nutrient profiles, and the research shows the most benefit for recovery and performance when used in this manner so if calories allow, opt for full fat wherever possible.
Pulses
I tend to view as a carbohydrate source if not a vegetarian or vegan, but they can be a great source of protein in your daily diet too. Foods such as Chickpeas or kidney and black beans can provide fibre, carbohydrates and protein very effectively, and are a very cheap food to purchase in cans or dried for those on a budget.
Quinoa
One of the few vegetarian sources that contain all nine essential amino acids required for growth and repair in the proper amounts – quinoa can be used as a breakfast cereal, in a salad or added into hot dishes.
Hemp seeds
Now, seeds are usually seen as a great source of fibre and essential fatty acids (see below) which means that even a small amount can be quite high in calories. However, they are a great source of protein for vegans and hemp seeds have a complete amino acid profile.
Tofu
is a great vegan source of protein for those who are avoiding animal products for ethical reasons, as is quorn.
Protein Powder
While protein powder is not an ‘ideal’ protein source as its a refined powder, having a whey protein, or vegan protein at your disposal can be very handy. It is by no means an essential to have, but it can be convenient to have on hand when travelling, making smoothies, using after the gym when you want something quick and convenient, or adding to food or meals to boost your protein content.
Remember try eat protein at every main meal/ snack.
