News & Info

Most people are aware that protein has 4 calories per gram – the same number as carbohydrate and less than fat (9).  Therefore, you can eat more protein than fat for the same number of calories. 

People are confused about protein and how much to actually eat.  If you can eat more protein than fat for the same number of calories, shouldn’t you just do that?  In fact, a lot of “diets” out there maximize intake of protein for that reason.  And although protein has the same number of calories as a carbohydrates, the chemical structure of protein requires more breakdown by the body – thus, digestion of protein is slower than with carbohydrate and takes more energy (thus more calories burned) than digestion of carbohydrates.  This is the simple explanation for why protein keeps you fuller for longer.  (There are a few more hormones and regulators involved but that is beyond the scope of this discussion).

When people think of protein, they think meat.  And they are correct – animal protein is a good source of protein.  But there are alternatives for vegetarians or those trying to reduce their carbon footprint (animal protein is not very environmentally friendly).

Here are a couple of high quality sources of non-animal protein:

Soybeans – edamame is an example of this but you can also buy soybeans in a can or dried soybeans.  These are generally low calorie.

Legumes – most beans contain protein – pinto, turtle, navy, black beans for example

Eggs and cheese – these are products from animals but contain high quality protein.  Egg whites contain the most protein for the least number of calories but the fat in the yolk helps the digestion of the protein so it is actually better to consume the entire egg rather than just the egg white.

Nuts and seeds – both contain high quality protein

Green vegetables – things like broccoli and spinach both contain protein

Keep in mind that some non-animal sources of protein are known as incomplete proteins.  This means the protein source is deficient in one or more amino acids necessary to be a complete protein.  The deficiency is not a big deal as long as one consumes a variety of foods (the deficiency will be made up through another food).  This is a good reason not to choose a diet where your food choices are limited (including a low fat or a low carbohydrate diet).

How much protein should you consume in a day?  That question is not easily answered because it depends largely on your activity level.  In general, the average is 40-70 grams (with the lower end being for a female) but this can vary widely depending on exercise, pregnancy and/or chronic illness.

 Until next time,

 Warmly,

Dr. Mudge-Riley