We all agree that proteins are extremely important, and there are a variety of reasons why you should consume more protein than you probably do today. Whether we exercise regularly or not, or even don’t exercise at all, daily consumption of protein is very important to our health and body.
However, most of us aren’t sure of the amount of protein we need daily, and what products we should be consuming to provide our body with the necessary dosage. In addition, many people are wrong about protein consumption and make certain mistakes that can in some cases harm our health. To avoid these mistakes, we’ve compiled 6 very useful tips to teach you how to consume protein throughout the day, so that so that it makes a positive impact on your health and eating habits.
Like with everything we eat, excessive consumption of protein isn’t necessarily a good thing, and after a certain point, our body isn’t actually able to digest it. A 2007 study at McMaster University in Canada found that it was enough to consume 25-30 grams of protein during a meal to encourage optimal body composition. In other words, the average person doesn’t need to consume foods rich in more than 30 grams of protein per meal, because any protein beyond that won’t be digested and will become fat instead, something we want to prevent. If you want to distribute your protein intake throughout the day, then you should consume between 25-30 grams of protein every meal and 5 to 10 grams of protein in your snacks.
Trying to lose weight doesn’t mean reducing the amount of protein along with the number of calories we consume – this is a mistake which many make. Protein is what keeps blood sugar levels balanced throughout the day, increases the sense of satiety and helps to prevent afternoon fatigue. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain between 20% and 30% of our daily caloric intake (men: 25-35 calories per 2 lbs. of body weight, women: 20-30 calories per 2 lbs. of body weight) - enough to prevent protein deficiency in the body.
It's important to combine a variety of protein-rich foods in our meals and not to eat the same foods over and over again like chicken, eggs, or protein-rich snacks. If you lean on a single source of protein, you aren’t consuming a whole protein, which provides us with all nine amino acids we need a day - so it's important that you get plenty of protein-rich foods, some of which are suitable for vegetarians or vegans as well, and incorporate them into your daily meals. For more information about protein-rich foods, click here.
Most of us know that it is important to eat regularly throughout the day, including snacks, in order to enable rapid metabolism, but it is important to make sure that each meal contains proteins. Don’t wait for after your workout or for dinner to consume your daily protein ration. Split the recommended intake throughout the day, ensuring that your body absorbs it optimally and doesn’t turn it into fat. In addition, studies conducted in 2015 in the United States found that those who ate protein-rich breakfasts were able to lose weight over time while reporting feelings of satiety throughout the day.
While protein-rich snacks and shakes are easy to consume because they can just be bought and require no preparation on your part, it is important to know that they are high in sugar and don’t have all the required protein, some of which are even equivalent to junk food in terms of their nutritional value. It is therefore important to eat as much food as possible; Grains, almonds, lentils, yogurts, and eggs are just some of the protein-rich foods that can be a healthier substitute for store-bought snacks and shakes.
Protein powders are many and varied in different tastes and types. It is very important to note that if you consume protein powder, it is best to buy one that is pea, bean, soy or rice-based - good powders for those who want to lose weight - and it is advisable to buy a powder that combines as many different types as possible. Protein powder consisting of one vegetable source is good but not enough because it doesn’t contain all nine amino acids we need. Combined consumption of different types of protein powders ensures that we receive the number of amino acids we need throughout the day.