Where’s the beef?

Protein provides the building blocks of pretty much everything in the body. And chances are, especially if you train and are active you’re not getting enough. For the active population, protein should be an essential part of your diet.

What does protein do in the body?

  • The biggest role protein has is to build and repair areas such as:

    • muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments

    • hormones, neurotransmitters, and digestive enzymes

    • Immune system chemicals such as antibodies and cytokines

  • Protein can also help with body composition by:

    • Increasing hormones that help control body fat

    • Mobilitizing free fatty acids for fuel

  • Maintain muscle tissue when dieting

What are some good sources of protein?

Well meat is the obvious answer. Here are my top meat choices (quality matters!):

Great Options:

  • Eggs/egg whites

  • Chicken

  • Fish/shellfish

  • Duck

  • Turkey

  • Lean beef

  • Bison

  • Lamb 

  • Pork

  • Wild game

OK Options:

  • Medium lean meats

  • Meat jerky

  • Minimally processed lean deli meat

  • Canadian bacon

  • Poultry sausage

Could be Better Options:

  • Fried meats

  • High fat ground meat

  • High fat sausage

  • Processed deli meat

  • Pepperoni sticks

  • High mercury fish

While I choose to eat meat pretty much daily, I totally understand if you choose not to! If you feel good on a plant based diet, awesome! You do you. 

So for my vegetarian friends (or meat eaters looking for more options!), if you eat fish or eggs, those are excellent sources. But here is my complete meat free list:

Great options:

  • Eggs/egg whites

  • Fish/shellfish

  • Plain greek yogurt

  • Cottage cheese

  • Tempeh 

  • Beans and lentils

  • Insects (for real, crickets are packed in protein and comes in powdered form)

Good Options:

  • Tofu

  • Edamame

  • Protein Powder

Could be Better Options:

  • Processed Soy

  • Protein Bars

Quick comment on greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and protein bars, take a quick peek at added sugar. If it’s higher than 10g, try and find something with a little less. I’ve seen greek yogurts with 30+, and protein bars with 0 so just keep an eye out!

Why didn’t I know this before?

The standard American diet is very counterproductive towards protein intake. You wake up, have a bowl of cereal or a bagel. Lunch you have a sandwich that has 2 slices of bread, and maybe a couple slices of deli meat. A granola bar for a snack. Dinner is spaghetti. Notice a common theme here? The only protein you consumed was the couple slices of deli meat. Our culture doesn’t cater towards the athletic and active population, it cators towards taste. Think big picture. I’m all for bagels and spaghetti and great tasting food, but find the balance bewteen being delicious and being nutritious, instead of skewing one way or the other.

A better day might look like:

•Breakfast: 4 eggs,kale, mushroom

•Snack: Greek yogurt, fruit, granola

•Lunch: 8oz left over chicken with brussel sprouts from last nights dinner

•Post Training Snack: 1 scoop protein, frozen fruit, spinach, chia seed shake

•Dinner: 4 ground beef tacos with rice and beans, side salad

Note: this is for me, weighing 200 lbs, training 6 days per week. I shoot for the high end of the protein range, and I eat a lot. Four tacos is no problem for me (in fact usually its closer to 6 or 8). If you’re smaller, or a little less active, or are a female, or you’re even just not used to eating that much protein yet, start smaller, scale, and adjust as needed!

So how much is enough?

Option A)

This one gets a bit tricky because there are so many variables. If you're a numbers guy like me, the targets I like are .6-1.2 g per pound (g/lbs) body weight for maintaining, or .8-1.2g/lbs for muscle growth or fat loss. The RDA recommendations are very low compared to this, but especially if you are doing any form of training, I prefer using that range. There have even been studies using way higher ranges than that, which have seen benefits, with no detrimental effects, so going a little over, besides being a bit more full, isn’t really going to do anything. 

Option B)

The other method I really like is a little less accurate, but much more sustainable. When I am dieting, I get the food scale out, and track everything. It lasts about 4 weeks, then I get bored. For more sustainability, use your hand! Look at your palm. That is one serving size.

For men, I like 5-8 palms of protein per day. For women, 3-6. Similar to the numbers above, when maintaining, you can lean a little more towards the lower end, when losing weight or gaining muscle, lean towards the higher end. 

Some factors to consider

if you are sick, or recovering from an illness, injury, surgery, eat more protein. It’s how you repair. Also if you train hard, train frequently, or have an active/physical job, consider the higher end of the ranges. 

Conversely, some kidney, liver, and metabolic diseases could require a lower protein diet, but make sure you talk to a doctor or Registered Dietitian if that is the case.

Lastly I would much rather set a higher target, and miss a bit low, than setting a low target, and missing low. This, combined with the fact it is easy math, and the fact there is no down side is why I often use 1g/lbs. But remember this is a range. If you feel comfortable in, and can consistently hit the lower range, awesome! Experiment a little to see what works best for you, and where you feel best.

Wrapping Up

When setting up my diet, I like to start with total calories, then set my protein. I can fill in the rest form there. Protein is my top priority when it comes to macros.

Regardless of your dietary preferences, especially if you train and are active, make sure you get enough, if you want to look and feel your best. 


References

Andrews, Ryan. “All about Protein: What Is It and How Much Do You Need?” Precision Nutrition, 4 Apr. 2018, www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-protein.

Berardi, John. The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition: Certification Manual. Precision Nutrition, Inc., 2017

Justin Burl