Hope Harrell: Personal Trainer + Nutrition Coach

Protein. This buzzword is all over the health and nutrition industry. Everyone, everywhere says to eat more protein: put protein in your smoothies, be sure you get protein at every meal, snack on protein… the list goes on. In this article, I will be discussing the what protein is, the importance of it, and how you can know you are getting enough of it everyday!

Before we dive deep into protein, we need to define what a macronutrient is. Macronutrients are the compounds found in the largest amount in our food and are used for fuel and energy in the body. In essence, macronutrients are in all of the things we eat everyday. The three categories of macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Protein is the building block of our muscles, tissues, organs, and essentially everything else that our bodies are made of. They play a big role in the structure, function, and regulation of our bodies systems. This includes our brain, which means that it directly affects our energy levels. Getting proper protein is also one of the key factors to either gaining, losing, or maintaining our weight in a healthy way. They can be broken down into amino acids, a group of different chains that are categorized as the building blocks of the body.

Protein can come in many different sources. For the most part, protein is found in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. There is protein in non-animal sources as well, which we will discuss later. Animal protein sources offer a “complete” protein. What this means is it gives our bodies all of the essential amino acids that we need (essential amino acids are the kinds that we have to get from food sources: they are essential for us to eat in order for our bodies to function properly). Chicken, turkey, lean beef and pork, fish, any seafood, eggs/egg whites, greek yogurt, and protein powder supplements are all examples of complete protein sources.

For those of you who do not eat animal products, do not fear! You can get protein from a variety of plant-based sources as well. Beans and peanut butter are two examples of foods that offer protein. However, on their own, these two foods are not complete protein sources: they do not have all of the essential amino acids that we need. When paired with other foods, though, beans and peanut butter can become a complete source of protein. Add beans to rice, and now you have a complete protein source. If you put your serving of peanut butter on whole grain toast, you now have another plant based complete protein source.

How do you know whether you are getting enough? The amount of protein that you need each day depends on your gender, age, current weight, and activity level. For the most part, the easiest rule of thumb is to include protein at every meal. This could be a greek yogurt parfait or omelette in morning, chicken or turkey on a salad or sandwich for lunch, apple and cheese as a snack, and any plethora of dinner ideas that can include chicken, fish, seafood, beef, pork, or turkey.

If you want to learn more about how protein is important for your body to function properly, my 1 on 1 nutrition coaching directly individualizes your nutrition to what fits your body and your life the best way. In a session, we will talk about how much protein you are currently eating and how you can either add in more or maintain your current habits. We will also discuss how to get a variety of sources by including different types of protein in meals that you enjoy. I will hold you accountable and support you in your goals to become a healthier version of yourself as you begin to make small habit changes that will last you a lifetime.

If you found this post helpful, like and comment what you learned! If you are interested in 1 on 1 coaching, sign up for a free consultation today on my home page!