How many of us know how much protein we need on a daily basis? Very few of us have this knowledge at our fingertips but it’s worth discovering the recommended daily intake of protein to ensure a healthy diet. The amount your body needs will depend on a number of factors such as your age, gender, and how much exercise you do.
Let’s look at the recommended daily intake of protein, and how this can be achieved by diet and supplements.
What is protein and why is it important?
Before we even get to the figures around intake, it’s useful to know why protein is essential in our diets. Amino acids help to make protein, which in turn is used in every cell in the body. It helps create bones, muscle, blood, skin, cartilage, hair, and nails. It can also help to repair tissue and create enzymes and hormones. In addition, it’s important to understand that our bodies can’t store protein, so we don’t have an unlimited supply. Now you can see why it’s such a vital part of our diets.
So, what’s the right amount of protein?
The current recommended daily intake of protein is 19 to 34 grams per day for school-age children, 56 grams per day for adult men, and 46 grams a day for adult women, increased to 71 grams per day if they are pregnant or breastfeeding.
What do these figures mean?
These figures alone are hard to visualise in terms of what you need to eat, so let’s look at how they translate into what you should include in a balanced diet. You can get protein from a wide range of foods divided into two principal groups.
Group one:
Consists of eggs, fish, lean meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, tofu, legumes, and beans.
Group two includes dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yoghurt. As mentioned, your body doesn’t have protein reserves so it’s a good idea to eat a small quantity of protein at every meal.
Men aged 19 to 50 should have three servings from group one, and two and a half from group two every day.
Women aged 19 to 50 require two and a half servings from each group on a daily basis.
Of course, the recommended daily servings can vary according to an individual’s special requirements.
If you’re vegan, for example, you will be relying on plant protein for your recommended daily intake, so you will only be getting it from the items listed in group one. Some plant proteins don’t contain all the essential amino acids you need, so you’ll have to eat a combination of plants to get the complete range. Or, you can make sure you include complete plant proteins such as soy, quinoa, hemp, and chia to get the full complement of essential amino acids.
What about protein supplements?
Taking a protein shake every day is great for those on a rigorous training programme, or indeed anyone who is concerned about getting the right amount of protein in their diet. A supplement with 20 grams of protein powder per scoop and less than 5 grams of carbohydrates is ideal. It’s also a good idea to opt for a neutral flavour — that way you can add in your own ingredients and enjoy more variety. If you’re working out, it doesn’t matter too much if you have your shake before or after exercise. The important thing is to take a sufficient amount of protein every day.
Versatile and essential
We’ve learnt that protein is an essential and versatile ingredient to help the human body function in many ways. Fortunately, it’s available in many different types of food. You can also get extra protein from shakes, which come in a range of delicious flavours so you can enjoy your daily dose!
