How much protein do you really need?

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After a few weeks of forcing herself to eat chicken breast and cottage cheese late in the evening despite not being the least bit hungry, Michelle Wilkes, 59, realized that counting protein grams was problematic for her. She started keeping track because she saw many wellness influencers on social media saying women her age needed to eat more protein. But when she found herself heading to the refrigerator solely to hit the “right” number, she knew that tracking grams was hurting her more than it was helping. “Anything that makes me overly focused on every single piece of food I put in my mouth makes me a little nuts,” she said.

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Wilkes is hardly alone in being consumed with protein. A trip around the grocery store shows the word “protein” slapped on practically everything – protein potato chips, protein waffles, protein cookies and protein snack bars galore. Apparently, a sprinkling of protein powder can give just about any food a health halo.

But while the protein marketing push may be getting out of hand, there is solid evidence that we may benefit from getting more than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). When we eat protein in the course of the day can make a difference, too.

What is protein?

Protein is an essential macronutrient that is critical to the health of every cell in our bodies. It is necessary to build and maintain muscle and other tissues, create red blood cells, and keep hair, skin and fingernails healthy. It helps produce antibodies and keeps our immune systems running strong. Protein is satiating, helping us stay fuller longer after a meal, and it helps temper spikes in blood sugar when eaten with carbohydrate-rich foods.

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Protein is made up of chains of amino acids. There are 20 amino acids we need for survival, but our bodies can make 11 of them, which means we need to get the remaining nine from what we eat.

If a food is plentiful in all nine essential amino acids, it is considered a complete protein. This includes meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese and soy-based foods, such as tofu and edamame. Beans, nuts, seeds and grains, on the other hand, are incomplete proteins on their own, but they complement one another to provide all the essential amino acids. (They do not have to be eaten at the same meal to add up to a complete protein.)

How much protein do you really need?

Our daily protein needs depend on our activity level, weight, age and other factors. The RDA, which covers the amount needed to prevent deficiency for most Americans, is 0.8 grams per kilogram body weight per day – about 54 grams of protein for a person weighing 150 pounds. But many experts consider the RDA to be the minimum – not the ideal – amount.

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The amount needed for optimal health – to maximize muscle maintenance and growth as we age – is about double the RDA, ranging from 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram body weight – 81 to 135 grams per day for a 150-pound person. Most Americans don’t have to try too hard to get that much – it is in the range of what we are already consuming.

When is the best time to eat protein?

Where we could improve is by shifting when we eat protein. We tend to get the bulk of it at dinner, but distributing it more evenly throughout the day could be a game changer as we get older.

As we age, our bodies become less efficient at building and maintaining muscle. “We begin to lose muscle starting at about age 30 to 40, about 1% per year, so by the time you are in your eighth decade of life, you’ve lost 50%  of your muscle. That’s really significant functionally. That’s the difference between being independent or not,” says Heidi Skolnik, nutritionist at the Women’s Sport Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and co-author of “The Whole Body Reset.”

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Distributing protein more evenly throughout the day can help stem that tide. Research shows that eating a minimum of 25 to 30 grams of protein at every meal can help stimulate muscle building in older people. So does exercise. “We can better sensitize our muscle and maintain more if we strength train and do this protein timing. The two together can help delay the loss of muscle that is a natural, but not inevitable, part of aging,” Skolnik says.

Getting 25 to 30 grams of protein at lunch or dinner is generally not a push. A palm-size piece of chicken or fish, or a bowl of lentil soup and a hunk of bread will get you there. It’s breakfast that can be more challenging because it means starting your day with a more substantial meal than you are likely used to.

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Is eating more protein better for you?

Eating more protein daily than the higher end of the optimal range (2 grams per kilogram body weight per day), as many online diets will have you do, isn’t necessarily better for you, and could be detrimental. So please don’t be that guy at the cafe in my gym who ordered three chicken breasts for lunch. That’s it – just a pile of chicken. Going to such an extreme with protein edges out other nutritionally important foods, such vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Excess protein over time can also lead to digestive issues, and can stress the kidneys, which is not an issue for healthy people but can be for those with compromised kidney function.

What are the best protein-rich foods to eat?

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Just because a food is protein-rich doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Instead of judging a food solely in terms of how much protein it contains, consider the whole package and what it delivers in terms of nutrition and flavor, opting mostly for food that’s minimally processed and lower in saturated fat. “For health and environmental reasons, when people think of protein, I’d like them to think of legumes and nuts, followed by eggs and fish, and the last thing red meat and processed meats,” says registered dietitian Teresa Fung, professor at Simmons University and adjunct professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Protein powder could help you meet your protein needs, but it’s best to lean on more naturally nutrient-dense, whole foods. And keep in mind that chips and cookies with added protein are still chips and cookies – so ignore the marketing and just go for the kind you truly prefer.

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Should you be counting grams of protein?

It may be helpful to measure, read labels and count protein grams until you learn how optimal protein translates on the plate, but doing it long-term and trying to meet exact daily targets can become dangerously all-consuming, and unnecessary. Instead, take a broader view. A lower-protein meal or day now and then isn’t a problem when you are layering protein-rich foods into your meals most of the time. Michelle Wilkes’s usual equilibrium was restored once she stopped the obsessive tracking. She is no longer compelled to force-feed herself a specific amount of protein, but she is more aware about including it in general and she, wisely, makes a point of getting more of it at breakfast.

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How can you get more protein into your diet?

-Boost breakfast: Have a cup of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with your usual toast; add a few ounces of salmon or tuna to a bagel and cream cheese; prepare oatmeal with milk or soy milk and add a generous helping of nuts to the bowl. Or make a high-protein porridge with quinoa and top it with a scoop of Greek yogurt.

-Blend it in: Make smoothies with milk or soy milk and blend in nuts and nut butter; puree a can of white beans or chickpeas into vegetable soups; blend silken tofu to make creamy dressings.

-Stack it: Layer vegetarian proteins for a cumulative effect. Rather than just sprinkling some beans on a salad or grain bowl, add nuts, seeds, or dressings with tahini, nut butter or tofu bases, and perhaps some cheese and egg, too.

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-Pair snacks: Add peanuts to your usual bowl of popcorn, have chips with bean dip, eat fruit with yogurt or peanut butter.

Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian nutritionist and cookbook author who hosts public television’s “Ellie’s Real Good Food.” Learn more at www.elliekrieger.com.

Salmon and Egg Scramble

1 serving

Total time: 15 mins

This speedy, protein-rich breakfast features salmon, onion and dill folded into a scrambled egg and served atop a bagel. It’s a prime way to use leftover cooked salmon, but is also excellent – and extra-convenient – with canned.

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon olive oil or unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon water

2 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion

1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) flaked, cooked salmon (see Substitutions)

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1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving

1/2 bagel, any savory variety, toasted if desired

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

STEPS

In a small (8-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering or melt the butter. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until well combined.

Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown around the edges, about 1 minute. Add the salmon and dill, and cook, stirring, until the fish is warmed through, about 30 seconds. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan, pour the egg mixture over it, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, pushing and folding frequently with a flexible spatula, until the egg is set, about 1 minute.

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Pile the scramble onto the bagel half, garnish with more dill and serve.

Substitutions: Cooked salmon >> one 3-ounce can or pouch salmon, drained, or smoked salmon. Fresh dill >> chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill. Gluten-free? >> Use a gluten-free bagel, or serve the scramble over cooked whole grains, such as brown rice or quinoa. Yellow onion >> any type of onion.

Nutrition per serving, using olive oil: 390 calories, 21g carbohydrates, 214mg cholesterol, 22g fat, 1g fibre, 27g protein, 4g saturated fat, 560mg sodium, 4g sugar

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger.

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