Protein
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Next lesson: Macronutrients: Carbohydrate
Lesson 6: Protein
Role of protein
Proteins main role in the body is for growth and repair. It’s one of the main building blocks for all components of the body. The amino acids that make up protein account for your muscle tissue and also:
Skeletal and connective tissue
Neurotransmitters
Hormones
Enzymes
Protein also helps you manage appetite and regulate your hunger signals as they take longer to digest than carbohydrates and also slow down the release of Ghrelin (the 'hunger hormone’).
How much protein do you need?
The average person who is relatively sedentary needs about 0.8grams of protein per kilogram of body mass to cover basic daily requirements. This amount will be enough to fulfil the average body to cover all of the functions it needs protein for (list above).
However, if you are engaging in physical activity or even if you are injured or sick, your body will need more protein to meet those demands and help with recovery.
A general guide you can follow is that if you are an athlete, training hard, or looking to put on lean muscle mass then 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass is enough. This is where supplementing protein can be useful (though it should not replace whole foods).
Not all protein is the same
Protein can come from plants and it can come from animals. However you choose to eat, whether you are entirely plant based or partly, it’s important to note the differences of protein sources so that you can plan your nutrition appropriately and ensure you are meeting your bodies demands.
Plant proteins: Most plant proteins are far less bioavailable compared to animal proteins, meaning the body can’t use those proteins as efficiently. Plant proteins tend to be limited in various essential amino acids including Leucine, which is responsible for stimulating muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth).
While you can get enough total protein and enough essential amino acids from an entirely plant based diet, it does require more planning and education.
Tracking your protein
Depending on how organised you want to be (and how sustainable it is for you), you may find different techniques to tracking your intake that work better for you than others. Some can track macronutrients to the gram while others prefer a more general approach that takes less energy.
To the gram: By using apps or food logs to record and calculate macronutrient intake.
General: The size of a single serving of protein can be represented by the palm of your hand. 1-2 servings of protein per meal is what we recommend if you are engaging with physical activity or need more recovery.
Tips to meet your protein demands
Quality matters in food, so investing in better quality protein sources will not just provide you with more nutrients, but also improve satiety.
Stay organised: Planning your meals in advance helps you have consistency in your food quality while ensuring you are within your budget and also accounting for the food continuum. Make the time to plan and shop accordingly!
Consider all sources: Although some foods are easily identifiable as a protein source (like lean meat), it’s likely that many other elements on your plate also contain some protein that will add up to contribute to your total. While containing considerably less protein than meat, common vegetables still contain some eg peas, carrots, potatoes.
Plant base sources: Going for options high in protein such as lentils and beans as often as possible will help ensure you are meeting demands. It may be helpful to supplement in this case.