So a few weeks back one of my favorite bloggers Annette tackled a question I have long been confused by. How much protein do I need.
With magazines and diets stating the importance of protein in today’s diets, it’s important to know this essential nutrient does a lot more than fill you up. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues, and it is an important building block of muscles and bones.
So how much protein do women need? According to studies some say most women need between 50 and 60 grams of protein a day, I have even read that active woman need up to 80 grams of protein a day. I used Annette’s method and found that I should be getting 63 Grams of protein per day. Well I wanted to see if I was close in my day-to-day meals so I randomly choose a day and calculated it.
Protein Challenge:
Breakfast: 22 Grams Total
- Chobani 6 Ounce Yogurt – 13 Grams
- 3/4 Cup Go Lean Cereal – 9 Grams
- Fuji Apple – 0 Grams
- Sabra Hummus Singles – 4 Grams
- Whole Wheat Pita Bread – 3 Grams
- Hard Boiled Egg – 17 Grams
- Serving of Pretzels – 3 Grams
- Mozzarella Cheese Stick – 6 Grams
- 3 Ounces Marinated Lime Roasted Tofu – 8 Grams
- Roasted Broccoli with 1 tbsp Oil – 3 Grams
- 1 Cup Nasoya Japanese Noodles – 8 Grams
- Archer Farms Dried Fruit Bar – 0 Grams
What are the best sources?
Most people with a well-rounded diet eat enough protein, but it’s important to include complete proteins, which contain all nine of the essential amino acids. Sources of complete protein include meat, fish, eggs, most dairy products, and soybeans. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are often missing certain amino acids, but they can be combined to make a complete protein meal.
And although meats contain high amounts of protein, be sure to consider how much saturated fat is in your cut. Here are a few good examples of low-fat, protein-packed foods:
Protein source | Amount of protein (grams) | Serving size |
---|---|---|
Tuna (yellow fish) | 33 | 4 oz. |
Roasted chicken | 32 | 3/4 cup, diced |
Lean flank steak | 31 | 4 oz. |
Soybeans | 21 | 3/4 cup |
Lentils | 17 | 1 cup |
Non-fat plain Greek yogurt | 15 | 6 oz. |
Some of my favorite foods scored really high on the protein list, here’s a few:
- Tofu has 8 to 11 Grams of Protein in 4 Ounces
- Quinoa has 9 Grams of Protein in 1 Cup
- Veggie Burger has 13 Grams of Protein per Patty