Possibly the only question more charged in fit-minded circles these days than steady state vs. interval cardio, is the classic and omnipresent Protein Question. The Protein Question, also known as the Great Protein Debate or the Protein Lecture depending on who is doing the speaking, is one of the most-asked, most-studied and least-satisfactorily-answered health questions of all time. In one corner you have PETA and the Skinny Bitches who’ve popularized their position with the erroneous but catchy “Have you ever seen anyone with a protein deficiency?!?” (Note to SBs: While it is not called a “protein deficiency,” there are many adverse health outcomes to not getting enough dietary protein.) In the other corner you have the other PETA, i.e. People Eating Tasty Animals who say that there is no such thing as too much dead flesh.
Being both a vegan and a low-carb meat-a-vore at differing times in my life, I have been subjected to hearing all the arguments on both sides, usually directed at me in an insulting and un-researched manner. Everyone has an opinion. Nobody seems to get it all right. So when I got the following e-mail from Reader N8 (U C D B 2??), I had to take a deep breath before answering.
N8 writes:
Charlotte,
I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to nutrition, but I’ve been trying to do a little better. I have been keeping a food journal, and tracking the amount of fat/carb/protein I’ve been eating. I’ve noticed that I don’t eat very much protein, and I’m wondering if you could offer some unbiased suggestions on increasing protein without increasing fat significantly (I know what the guy at GNC is going to tell me… I want to know what’s best, not what costs the most). I tried making a bean salad for lunch every day, and that lasted once. I’ve considered whey protein supplements, but does that provide all essential amino acids? Is there a downside to whey protein? Is there a better way to eat beans without gagging?[Charlotte’s note: after further e-mails with N8, I discovered that his protein consumption falls around 12%. He attributes this to a lack of refrigeration at his office.]
The Simple Answer
For those of you prone to skimming or Protein Debate-induced migraines, here’s my short and simple answer:
You need protein. Eat it from whole foods sources. Don’t eat crap.
I realize that is not quite as pithy as Michael Pollan but it follows the same general rule. I think the human body has shown a remarkable resiliency over the past few thousand years of recorded history in surviving and thriving on a wide range of diets. You have the Masai who eat nothing but animals products including raw meat, blood and over a liter of whole milk a day and are amazingly healthy. You also have 7th Day Adventists who eat a vegetarian (sometimes vegan) diet with not much fat and they are some of the longest-lived people in the world. Neither group eats a lot of crap. (If you know of a society that subsists on eating fecal matter and is quite healthy, do share.)
The Complex Answer
Usually the simple answer will suffice a newbie for a short while but once one is accustomed to paying attention to macronutrients then one becomes curious about what tweaking their ratios will do. Rather than the question of “How can I be healthy?” it shifts to “How can I be healthiest?” Enter the protein research.
There is a significant volume of research into protein and its effects on the human body. Some diets, like the Zone, are based around a specific proportion of protein (30% in the case of Zone) while other plans like Atkins offer limitless protein but rather limit carbs, another macronutrient, instead. I will now attempt to summarize the current research on protein (after which I will run in a zig-zag pattern, ducking and weaving, until I arrive at my fox hole as I anticipate taking a lot of fire over this one.)
1. You can have too little protein. While protein deficiency to a severe effect is rare in the civilized world, not getting enough protein will cause brittle hair and nails, fatigue, slow-to-heal wounds, edema and decreased muscle mass. As a random aside that I learned from one of my most erudite readers Dr. Jon, in severe cases protein deficiency can cause the hair to lose pigment and look reddish. Not to mention that eating protein with every meal has been shown to increase satiety and decrease caloric intake overall. The recommended daily allowance (a number, by the way, that almost every group from every diet mindset hates with a passion normally reserved for serial killers and people who write in “Mickey Mouse” on the presidential ballot) is 0.8 grams/kg of bodyweight per day. Personally, I shoot for about 30% of my calories to come from protein. And I’m a vegetarian people. If I can do it, so can you. If you don’t lift a lot of weights, even 20% is a reasonable number.
2. You can have too much protein. Atkins and Primal lovers, try not to pass out from ketogenic shock. It’s true. And you know what happens when you eat too much protein? Besides causing liver and kidney issues, the excess calories get stored as fat. The SB’s are right on one point: Americans have a costly – both in terms of health and money – obsession with protein. You probably don’t need as much as you think you do. (Although, N8 – 12% is too little, buddy. Amp it up.)
3. The source matters. Now here is where I expect a lot of argument from you guys. I’m not an expert. I’m wrong probably more times than I am right so feel free to correct me. But my theory is that the closer it is to its natural source the better it is for you. If you like meat and want to eat it, then fine. I’m not going to try to talk anyone into vegetarianism. But choose cuts of meat that if you can afford it are organic, grass fed and finished and spit-polished by angels. If you can’t afford the royal cow’s behind, then at least choose lean whole cuts (the nasty toxins that the animals eat are stored in their fat) and stay away from processed sausages, hot dogs, lunch meat and anything you must squeeze from a tube. However, you can get plenty of protein without butchering a sentient being. Eggs are so good for you that they are actually the standard of protein that everything else is compared against! Not only is the whole egg not bad for you (all you stuck-in-the-’90’s egg phobics) but they have lots of good things for you in the yolks and the whites. Greek yogurt, plain yogurt, fish, cottage cheese are other good vegetarian options. In fact, whey protein has been shown in studies to be superior to animal flesh protein.
4. Soy protein is dicey. A lot of vegetarians and most vegans rely on soy to meet their protein needs. Soy, from my research, is tricky. Its a natural estrogenic compound which means that it works on the body sort of how estrogen does. One one hand, many studies extol the benfits of soy. On the other hand, soy products, particularly soy infant formula have been shown to have detrimental side effects. My theory is to eat it as close to the natural source as possible. I regularly enjoy edamame, mukikame, tempeh, and miso. I don’t eat a ton of tofu. I never buy processed soy products like protein bars, soy protein powder, soy-enriched breakfast cereals or soy “meat” products of any kind.
5. Protein powder is processed. N8 asked a good question about using a protein powder. I think this is a matter of personal preference. I don’t like all the extra junk that gets thrown into it, like artificial sweeteners (often used to keep the carb count low) colors and flavorings. I don’t need my protein to taste like candy. But if you do like a nice protein smoothie or a scoop in your oatmeal in the morning or a post-workout protein shake, you’ll get no judgement from me. Although if you want my advice, stay away from the soy powders and stick to whey or pea or rice. Be sure to read the labels. Most offer a “complete set” of amino acids. To me, I’d rather get my complete sets in complete foods but a powder can be a nice compromise. Especially if you are refrigerator challenged like N8.
6. Beans, seeds and nuts are not really a protein source. I’m sorry but they’re not. Beans are primarily a carb, albeit more protein heavy than most carbs. Seeds and nuts are mostly fat. Don’t get me wrong, I love my beans and nuts and eat them every day but I count them as a carb and a fat, respectively.
So, how was that for more than you asked for? Any of you have suggestions for N8 on how to up his protein intake without the benefit of modern appliances? (Ergo, no fridge or microwave although I imagine we could talk him into using an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack.) How do you all feel about protein? Overrated? Can’t get enough of it? Hit me baby, one more time. (Oh yeah, I just quoted vintage Britney at you!)
I’m what my husband likes to call a “farm girly”. That has more implications than you know, but part of it is because I am a meat and potatoes kind of girl. I truly get cranky if I don’t eat meat at least once every day. I crave it like sweets…of course I still crave those too:( I’ve always been curious if it’s just an addiction that I have (like my diet Mt. Dew) or is it my body’s way of telling me I need it??? I wish someone would tell me!
This will sound silly, Charlotte, but you so just made my day! I absolutely love eggs! And here I thought I shouldn’t be eating the yolks.
Here’s a funny thing- every now and again I donate plasma, and my protein is frequently low! One nurse told me she sees that a lot in women. Not sure what the difference in gender might mean??
Timely post, since I just started attempting to lift weights and pay attention to my protein intake. A lot of fitness-y lifting types seem to advocate 1 gram/lb of body weight, but considering my appetite (or lack thereof) that’s pretty much impossible unless I give up everything other than meat/eggs/dairy. I.e., goodbye, fruits, veggies and whole grains. And I figure that can’t possibly be right, so, “You need protein. Eat it from whole foods sources. Don’t eat crap,” sounds pretty good to me.
Char–Do you have a nice little reference (or link) about the side effects of soy infant formula? S is on soy so now I’m curious!
no shock Im a big protein eater 🙂 yet when I look back at my day (as I did after reading this) Im more a LOW PROCESSED WHITE than I am a high protein person.
I do love my protein shakes (but limit to one a day) but I make em myself and throw in good ingredients (THANK YOU GFE as I won my Vitamix here!) from spinach to tofu.
and soy.
always so hotly debated huh? as a result I limit myself to two servings a day.
I am fully on board with your post. I esp. liked the part about not really counting beans/nuts as protein (though, like you said, they’re nutritious for other reasons). I always find it particularly amusing when people talk about the high protein content of peanut butter. Come on people, 7 grams in 210 calories!?! Heck, there’s 6.5 grams of protein in 210 calories worth of carrots! (granted…you may turn orange if you eat 210 calories with of carrots, but still). three questions if you don’t mind…
1)What are your favorite foods/things you eat everyday?
2)Do you count calories?
3)Do you suppose I could wear a backpack during plank positions to up the resistance?
Thanks!
I second everything you said! And N8 should look into a lunchbag he can put an ice pack in.
There are plenty of sources of protein that don’t require anyone to eat lots of processed supplements to hit the “required” amount. I personally get most of my protein from dairy (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheeses) and the rest comes from lean animal meats. I do sometimes throw some whey protein powder in my smoothies, and sometimes I enjoy a soy sausage patty.
By and large, though, I agree that eating as close to the source as possible is the best way to go. And one day, when I have a real income, I will do better.
Ah – vintage Britney! Was listening to that exact song on the drive to work this morning…ha!
Oddly, while I’ve been hovering around the vegetarian line for years out of taste preference (not ethics), these last few months I’ve been a massive carnivore!
Can’t get enough of the meat! So I’m listening to my body and feeding it more protein in all forms.
Now, for me, that probably puts me up to a more ‘average’ meat consumption…I think you hit it on the head with the eating whole foods comment.
I’m hardboiling eggs right now for a nice protein hit. MizFit helped me realize that the reason I was always famished after mounds of dry cereal was b/c I wasn’t protein-ed up. Also, love cottage cheese, almonds, PB, salmon, shrimp, chicken, greek yogurt, fake crab (I know – kinda gross!)
I was actually encouraged by my doctor to get more protein in my diet due to low albumin levels. So I upped my intake of eggs, pb, and cottage cheese. I’m not real big on meat, we probably eat chicken once a week, but that’s it. No surprise there that my protein was low. Good topic!
And I’m hoping there is no culture that eats feces and is outstandingly healthy – next thing you know that will be a new fad in Hollywood (LOW CALORIE AND ABC – already been chewed)! Okay, that was really gross, LOL!
Lisa – I’ll e-mail you the soy formula links. Thanks for the q!
Sarah – One of these days I’ll get around to doing a post on what I eat but some of my favorite (daily) foods are: eggs, oatmeal, nuts, fruit, salad, carrots, greek yogurt or cottage cheese, berries and fish. I do NOT count calories and here’s why. And I would absolutely not recommend wearing a backpack to make plank harder. That has back injury written all over it. there are tons of ways to increase the intensity of plank. My fave is use a power wheel under your hands or feet. Or put the weight plate under your feet and walk forward on your hands, dragging the weight with you. You can also do walking planks, plank pushups, spider planks, decline planks, planks on the bosu… you get the idea.
Thanks to a handy dandy iPhone app, Lose It, I have a record of my daily protein intake. Today, I took a (first) look at the numbers.
I seem to alternate days between 60-70 and 20-35 grams. If I have more than two days with lower protein, it’s followed by a very high day (70+). That high protein also seems to coincide with a low energy/crabby day and cravings for ice cream and cheeseburgers. Guess the body takes steps to get what it’s missing?
I haven’t paid much attention to that number since I started keeping tabs, but maybe I should. Keeping it closer to the 50g per day recommended might make for a less crazy me.
I’m going along with the suggestion for the insulated lunch bag with space for an icepack. It will make it much easier to carry around healthy proteins.
Thanks, Charlotte, for another great post!
Excellent post!!
I have increased my protein intake over the last year. eating “Vegan with seafood,” as a source. Yes I feel most in this country eat way too much meat protein, and their health shows it. Protein can be found in lots of things besides meat.
I love this post, but gotta tell you… those grinning animals are a tad worrisome…
Great post, although thanks to my ED, if I don’t get around 80-100 grams of protein a day, I spend the next day puking (involuntairly. That was never my ED).
I’ve never had any issues with being lectured on protein or anything, probably because it’s a pretty big trump card (and I never make recommendations for other people beyond the RDA).
Thanks for this post Charlotte as I am always so confused about what to do regarding my protein intake. I haven’t been eating much meat lately, and I worry that I’m eating too many carbs and not enough protein. Every new article I read regarding this topic seems to contradict the last one. So frustrating.
I’m eat more than 0.8g/kg of body weight, but it varies from day to day. I get my protein from eggs, whey protein powder, tempeh, and seafood. I eat turkey and chicken a few times a week, but I’m trying to cut back on dairy consumption.
Thanks again – this was encouraging. Looks like I’m doing just fine.
I seem to be hitting the .08g/kg of body weight mark, though part of that does come from beans & legumes, as that is usually what my lunch consists of (I make soups which I freeze in single serving containers – no need for refrigeration, but does require a microwave).
I usually eat meat once a day because Husband is a confirmed carnivore. However, if I'm having dinner on my own, that usually ends up being a vegetarian option as well.
Thanks for collecting all that research!
I think for a while there was so much “women need more protein” stuff floating out there, because of all the gals who were subsisting on “low fat” carbs all day, that the message got exaggerated. All these candy-like protein bars are a fairly silly way to approach balanced eating, especially for people who are not vegan and are getting lots of protein already from meat and dairy.
Rather than track how much protein I get, I just try to keep the processed junk to a minimum, and balance my meals and snacks so that I’m not just eating one thing. Since grains and fats are pretty easy to like, I have to think a bit more consciously about the produce and protein aspects of a meal.
But it’s amazing how much hogwash you read from both the pro and anti- protein crowds. Balance, it’s all about balance!
I always laugh when people ask how vegetarians can get enough protein. Put eggs in anything and you are getting good protein I tell them. And then they are like, “Aaaaaaahhhhh.”
Wow, I don’t think that I’m getting enough protein in my diet at ALL–no good.
Also, for N8, if he takes his lunch out of the fridge in the morning and brings it to work and eats it 3-4 hours later, even if it’s meat, this level of un-refridgeration doesn’t spoil meat, eggs, yogurt, etc. so he (I assume he)should be fine to bring a protein-ful lunch to work everyday even without an icepack.
This is why I adore you!!
"But my theory is that the closer it is to its natural source the better it is for you." –> hear hear. As long as we're eating real food and a balanced variety of it, then we should be getting the appropriate amounts of each macronutrient no problem.
I like what you said about the beans and nuts. Everyone always says they're a great source of protein but every time I look at the nutrition labels on those kinds of foods I think to myself, "there's a lot of carbs and/or fat in here… significantly more so than protein…" So I find that interesting. Wonder what a RD would say about that?
Yay whole foods! I completely agree that the closer we get to the actual food, the better the nutrition. I'm a vegetarian myself and while beans are not good sources of protein by themselves, you can get a complete protein by combining beans/legumes with a whole grain (beans & rice, peas and rice, beans and corn, etc.). Also, quinoa provides a complete protein by itself and you can sub if for rice most of the time. It's also great in cold salads like taboulleh.
Thanks for the protein post, Charlotte!
It’s problematic that I hate eggs more than just about any food ever. I eat meat, and try to keep it fairly simple, but I *do* love my low fat hotdogs and lunchmeat. I’d say I get more like .5 per lb of protien, but I have always run on more carbs and less protein than the average bear. The most miserable my mind and body ever has been was when doing the Atkins diet, and per the Eat for Your Blood Type diet (hello, flashback), my A homies are supposed to just need less protein/meat overall. I’m not sure if it would be beneficial for me to eat more protein, but I don’t see it happening anytime soon without a huge lifestyle change or calorie increase…
Dissent!
The official protein RDA is 10-15% of your calories from protein. As a weight training vegan, I happily get 10-20% of my calories from protein, mainly beans and nuts with some tofu and very occasional rice protein powder. (Must have chocolate smoothies!) Of course the beans also give me carbs and the nuts also give me fats, but that’s just part of the whole foods deal.
Amen to the whole foods bit. I actually have read in a few places now (no links – when do I ever remember something clearly enough to LINK to it?) that our bodies actually absorb more vitamins through food sources than through non-food sources. In other words, 30 grams of protein from salmon is more accessible to your body than 30 grams of protein from protein powder or a protein bar.
As for the ratios, that seems to be REALLY individual. My mom is a vegetarian, and makes an effort to eat cheese and eggs. When she first started eating that way, I was living at home, so I started eating that way too, and within a month or so I was ALWAYS TIRED. Seriously tired. I-slept-10-hours-and-still-can’t-get-out-of-bed tired. On the recommendation of a holistic doctor, we added meat back into my diet in fairly large quantities and ta-da! I felt fine.
Overall, I am pretty close to the Zone ratios, but I flip them. Instead of 40-30-30 (carbs, fat, protein), mine are 30-30-40. That is where I feel best. But if my mom eats that much protein she feels sick all the time. Even the Zone was too much protein for her.
Gotta love the uniqueness of the human body. 😉
Nice post! I like the pithy Pollan-esque advice, and I think that’s as far as people should go.
Delving into the details just causes paralysis by analysis. Having a scientific and curious mind, I love analysis as much as the next person, but in general it just leads to contradiction and confusion.
Take eggs, for example: It used to be “Eggs are good for you! Eat the whole thing! Eat them every day!” Then, it became “Egg yolk has a lot of cholesterol! Cholesterol is bad! Eat no more than 3 a week!”
Now, you have the nurses health study and doctors health study that says “Egg consumption and heart disease are not correlated if you eat no more than seven eggs a week!” And then, you can look at the nutrients involved… you get: “Lutein! Complete protein! Choline! Awesome!” and also: “Avidin! Cook the egg whites thoroughly! Cholesterol! Avoid the egg yolks!”
Confused yet? 😛 Every food pretty much has pros and cons, and treading through the various macro ratio recommendations will result in tons of contradictions. You’d have to thread a really fine line between “too much” and “too little” of any of the nutrients. So, what to do? Go back to the simple answer: Eat protein. Eat whole food sources. Don’t eat crap.
Although I’d add a fourth: Try to get as much variety as you can.
I’d love to know where you get recipes for beans. I just bought a lot of beans, split peas, and lentils, but I’m already tired of the couple of recipes I know.
To get back on topic, I don’t worry about my protein intake, but I do worry about my kids not getting enough. About the only meat they’ll eat is hotdogs. They’ll eat milk and cheese and they’re finally starting to eat eggs, but I still worry.
To N8–I agree with everyone about investing in an icepack and insulated lunch sack. To add to that, if you eat a well balanced breakfast and dinner, a more carbohydrate rich lunch should be ok–at least time to time. You’ll have to check your energy levels, but aim to have a veggie omelet or yogurt for breakfast, you can keep apples and peanut butter at your desk, and you can enjoy a warm meal at night with good proteins.
As for me, I am a vegetarian and I do try to get my protein. My office has a fridge, so it’s a little easier. I can keep low fat cheese, yogurt, whole grain crackers, carrots, hummus, Kashi cereals, and fruit and nuts on hand. I eat about 4-5 eggs a week and have a protein shake in the morning 5-6 days/wk. My protein shake is whey and does not have any sweeteners in it, so I mix it with frozen berries, oj, water, and yogurt.
I don’t think your post raised too many eyebrows Charlotte! It seems that most of your readers are on the same boat–probably why we read so loyally. 🙂
great post! oh protein, why do you plague us?
also- please never use those pictures again. yikes.
Kelly Turner
http://www.everygymsnightmare.com
Hi, I’ve been reading for a while and really like your blog, but as the 2nd type of PETA person who has lost at least 80 lbs and kept them off following a low carb life style I am disappointed to see you repeating the myth abojut high protein causing kidney problems. This has been totally debunked for people without kidney diease (I can send refs if necessary).
I also take issue with excess protein turning to fat. It is reapeated all over the internet without any research to back it up that I can find. In contrast, there are plenty of animal studies showing those fed higher protein were leaner with more muscle mass.
While amino acids can be used to make glucose, it is an inefficient process and (as I understand it)only happens when the body runs out of glucose. So, long story short, if you have references to any studies that show excess preotin is turned into fat in humans, I would be very intersted.
Michelle
I was a vegetarian for several years, but have recently reintroduced lean meats like chicken (ok only chicken) into my diet. I am a competitive runner and was lacking protein and was impacting my performance (I was getting virtually no real protein, only the miniscule amount in grains). I feel better and more full now that I eat chicken. If I have to choose a way to add calories I’d pick lean protein because it’s a high quality food, fills you up without adding pounds (unless thats all you eat)
this is such a great and informative post! i agree with you on the soy…studies on it are shaky and its usually sold in such a processed from that who knows if any health benefits remain in those soy bars. and hurray for eating the whole egg!
i actually only get about 15-20% of my calories from protein. I try to get over 50% of my calories from carbs since i do a lot of aerobic exercise. I love hummus, avocado, and cooking with olive oil, so usually my fat calories are around 30%. fyi- i’m not an obsessive calorie counter, but i use fitday every once in a while for fun, and i usually get these percentages.
just found your blog and i love it! i will be visiting again soon 🙂
Great info. I am going to work on getting more protein in my diet.
Like all things protein consumption is an entirely personal issue. Like someone mentioned although the same we are in fact all unique. I have a hereditary kidney disease which means a low animal protein diet is recommended, but that’s great cos I’m vegetarian anyway.
For me the source of protein is an ethical and health issue. I agree with you that IF you are eating meat, eat field raised, grass fed, organic.
Nothing wrong with beans/pulses at all, I cannot understand your comment about that. ALL protein sources have issues, whether it be excess fats or carbs. I don’t see runner beans as a major source of protein but chick peas sure! Those are loaded with it!
Anyone not sure how much they are consuming should maybe track their protein content. I track mine through livestrong.com and get around 50-70g a day (perfect for me). And that’s with no meat, and very little dairy! Protein is in a surprising amount of foods!
True, beans are high in carbs but they do have substantial protein. Especially considering that your body pools the amino acids you eat throughout a day, so that “quality” doesn’t really matter. So if I were counting protein grams, I would count beans towards it.
I get about 15-20% protein (at least half of which is from leafy greens and veggies; I eat many many servings a day) and am thin with good muscle tone. I am sure some people need more, but it doesn’t personally give me much satiety, so I don’t eat more than that. I am also very concerned after reading the The China Study–too much protein can effect bone health and cancer rates, it seems.
I think the bigger risk is people on all-carb or junkatarian diets. Eat fried carbs all day and you will not eat a health amount of protein.
I don’t usually comment although I am an avid reader but I thought I would share my lunch habits for N8 as a fellow no-fridge person.
Basically, every day for lunch I pack a salad with dark lettuce and/or spinach, tomatoes or bell peppers or some other raw veggie, a healthy fat (usually olive oil and balsalmic dressing, sometimes 1/4 avocado) and – for my protein – egg or chicken or imitation crab meat or grilled salmon or canned tuna (or a combination thereof). If I am craving carbs I add boiled and sliced potatoes or sweet potatoes. That and a piece of fruit usually get me through to my afternoon apple. 🙂
And as others have mentioned – I have never had a problem with not having my food in the fridge for the morning. Plus, having a salad means I also don’t need a microwave. 🙂
– Yasmin
Great information, great blog. Love the pic of the cow.