Receta How Much Protein Do You Need?
Smoked trout from Gramercy Tavern
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Americans are obsessed with protein. We eat more fresh meat per capita than all other countries, except for China (#1) and Brazil (#2) and yet trendy diets encourage people to eat even more meat to lose weight or be cavemen. Though to be honest, there's only one way to lose weight - create a calorie deficit by eating less and/or exercising more, but that's another post. (For a nifty graphic on food consumption by country, check out this New York Times graphic.)
So how much protein do you need? You can't overdose on it (though there's a very slim possibility of getting kidney stones from eating too much). This handy article from Runner's World details protein requirements for a normal person and an endurance athlete. We broke it down in the below chart. Most people get more than enough protein without thinking, but if you are a vegetarian or an athlete, you may have to focus on it more.
To figure out how much protein you need, figure out how much you weigh, then decide if you have normal or athletic requirements. If you are wondering whether or not you are an endurance athlete, then use the requirements for a normal person. Look up your requirements, and choose the sample menu or add up protein grams in various foods to get to the right amount. We chose to think in grams since food labels provide protein in grams.
What to do - Mindful Protein
Figure out how much protein you need from the chart above. If you aren't vegetarian, you don't need to stress - you are probably getting more than enough protein.
Choose your protein sources from the foods in the "Sample Menus." Producing meat takes up the most environmental resources, so consider eating more nonmeat proteins. It's also more expensive then plant proteins. Try Meatless Monday to benefit your health, your wallet, and the environment.
If you choose animal proteins, think about choosing non-industrial meat. The animals are allowed to move, eat their natural foods, and are not injected with hormones or antibiotics.
If you are vegetarian, make a concerted effort to plan eating protein. No Meat Athlete chronicles an endurance athlete's meatless running.
What I ate: vegetable juice, 1 latte, 8 oz. drinkable yogurt, 1 coffee, Cherry Lane steamed asparagus + shiitake mushrooms, tofu, roasted beets, 3 green beans, quinoa, 3 squares dark chocolate, 1 small slice chocolate cake, stir-fried shiitake mushrooms + asparagus + spinach + tempeh, brown rice, dried mango slices, macadamia nuts, 1 mango, Mindful Mix, hot chocolate, 40 oz. water
Exercise: jogged 4 miles