The protein debate
Guess who grilled last night?!
Actually no, not me. It was fun to pretend for a sec and “check on things” 😉
We did the usual routine: I prep, he grills. The Pilot is just so good at it, and you shouldn’t mess with perfection, really.
The star of the show was the veggies: salty zucchini and bursting, garlicky tomatoes.
For the main course, I’m pretty sure Bell can tell you what it was…
The C-word <—we can’t say “chicken” around Bella, or she goes bananas
The grilled avocado was an idea I saw on Pinterest. You get some lovely char marks on the ‘cado and fill the little boat with salsa and top with cheese. It looks as awesome as it sounds.
Well, we kind of forgot about the avocado and ended up with a charbroiled, but still tasty version. We’ll get it next time 🙂
So, we’ve been eating a lot of chicken over here lately.
I haven’t had time to make separate meals and we both like chicken, non-salmon fish doesn’t sound great lately, chicken is very versatile and an easy way to get in a hefty amount of protein at once. Since I’ve been able to get back into strength training on a semi-regular basis, I’m trying to get in high-quality protein at every meal. It’s easy to do with animal proteins, like chicken and eggs (which I looooooove), and through the usual culprits, like beans, nuts, quinoa, etc. Veggies also have surprising amounts of protein (like the 2g in 6 Brussels sprouts!), but it can take more calories to get the protein you need by only relying on these sources.
The interesting thing is that I’ve read quite a few contradicting articles stating that society in general consumes too much protein (stored as fat and the precursor for potential health complications), and then others stating that diets low in protein hinder lean body mass (increasing fat as well)- thanks to Sara for posting that link.
I’m of the belief that by consuming whole foods, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and proteins of choice, you’ll get enough of what you need. Anything in excess isn’t a good idea, whether it’s protein, or ice cream. Moderation is the way to go.
Are you mindful of your protein intake, or trust that by eating whole foods, you’re getting enough?
I’m mindful of my protein intake, because otherwise I’ll take a nice daylong ride on the carb wagon 😉
Any words you can’t say in front of your pets?
We can’t say: walk, chicken, park or PetSmart.
Going to head out on a w-a-l-k….
Hope you have a wonderful day <3
xoxo
Gina
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I’m with you on this one – while I definitely track what I am eating overall, I don’t necessarily think too much ‘real-food’ protein can ever do harm (from fish, chicken, dairy etc)…at least for me. If I don’t have a lot of protein in my meals, I NOTICE and am hungry very quickly and like you say, would be riding the carb train all afternoon afterwards. Protein in lean meats and fish are such bang for your buck calorie-wise too and are so tasty, so why not, right? yummy recipe for avocados!!
I have to remember to look at protein intake and try and include it in every meal, i’m a bit of a carb fiend so it’s easy to forget protein, though in the last month or so i’ve been doing really well. I tend to consume less then i need actually, so i’m surprised that a lot of people eat more! Very interesting.
I tend to lean toward the pescatarian type of diet, but I notice a profound difference in my body (bloating, overall feeling) when I focus my meals and on protein heavy foods and good fats. And oddly enough quinoa is the best at ridding me of bloat.
We don’t have any words we can’t say around our puppy yet, but every time she hears a crinkly bag open she thinks that it is her chicken jerky treat bag and she runs over to check it out.
Grilling avocado?!?!? Yes m’am I’ll be trying that soon! Do you fill it with goat cheese?
yes and salsa!
I like to get some protein in every meal because I’ve read it keeps you full longer. I find if I have a carb heavy meal I’m a ravenous beast not long after!
I have a plant-based diet, so I am always looking to add protein to my diet. When I started being mindful of getting in at least 20g post-workout I noticed that I’mm less hungry throughout the day and gained more lean muscle.
ooh I just bought an avocado but I didn’t know how I was going to use it. Thanks to you, it’s fate is our grill!!
I’m very mindful of my protein balance because I too would be on that carb train all day long. I just feel better when I’m eating less carbs and more protein, but not in excessive amounts. I try to get to that 40/30/30 balance whenever I can.
I am mindful of protein, but don’t obsess over it. Any time I suggest one of my new favorite snacks to my best friend, he asks, “Well how much protein is in it? Because if there isn’t a lot of protein than I’m not eating it.” And he adds protein powder to this prepacked protein drink that already has 15g of protein in it. Even if he isn’t working out that day. There’s more to nutrition to protein. I asked him the other day if he ate a fiber filled breakfast, and he had no idea what fiber was other than the fact that it makes you go poop.
Since I strength train on a regular basis and burn a ton of calories in body attack, I am very mindful of my protein intake. I actually notice that I get quite sluggish if I don’t get enough. Having a degree in nutrition, I have calculated all of my needs based on my own numbers and shoot for certain level of protein/ carbs/ fats per day based on my activity level/ calories burned. I also don’t consume dairy (lactose intolerant) and dislike meat ( chicken, beef, pork, etc.) I LOVE seafood but other than that my protein sources are always vegetarian based. 🙂
LOL! Get used to spelling words out – in about 2 years you’ll start doing that ALL. THE. TIME. when you’re in front of Miss Olivia ;o) OR, you’ll make “code words” for everything.
“Want to have some i-c-e c-r-e-a-m tonight?” (said to your husband) – in our house, we just say “I.C. tonight?”
Ah, that carb wagon. I might be the driver of said wagon.
Love my protein! I think a lot of women don’t get enough protein because we don’t eat as much meat in general as men. My husband can eat 2 kinds of meat and call that a meal. I am much more excited about the veggies, but consume the meat (well really only chicken) bc I need it.
I used to be all about the protein, but when I switched to veganism, the counting of protein grams fell by the wayside. I do think I need to add more. I’ve lost weight, but I think some of it is muscle mass, even though I’ve retained my strength. Make sense? It’s smoothie weather so I’m going to get some Sun Warrior and start sneaking in extra protein that way.
(Also, our dog figured out “w-a-l-k” and god forbid she sees you put your hair up and grab socks. I feel like I break her little heart when she realizes I’m just going to the store.)
Last year I tried switching to a vegetarian diet and I was so consumed about getting protein and always feeling tired that I switched back. My protein did always seem to be low according to health ranges, but I tended to gauge more by how I felt. Did the diet changes make me feel better? worse? more energy? less energy?
I think I do get enough protein now. Sometimes I’ll take a few days of eats and enter them on a website to determine where I stand for nutrients. I typically eat some kind of meat for dinner but breakfast is more often than not Greek yogurt and fruit.
Grilled veggies sound amazing. I am so not good at eating veggies so I’ll need to try this out and see if it works for me.
If I say “bed” in front of the cats, 2 of them will jump down from wherever they are, and run and jump in bed and wait for me. However, I can’t open ANYTHING with a pull tab because they think it’s cat food. Also, every time I open the lunch meat drawer in the fridge, the one cat comes running because she wants cheese.
Americans get too many calories in general – typically its more than too much protein.
exactly
My stance is that every body is different and it really depends on your needs/ workout/ etc.
I read Eating Animals, The Food Revolution, China Study, etc and tried going vegan for a while…or just mostly plant based {occasional fish}. When my body was in the best shape I WAS still eating chicken, some red meat {maybe once a month}, and fish and eggs. Then I went plant based, then I got pregnant. I couldn’t really see if I was losing muscle because I was eating less protein or because of pregnancy.
I was actually a vegetarian on and off since I was 12 years old! When I met my husband and we started dating he talked me into trying filet at Capital Grille {he’s in sales for a living 😉 } and I started eating everything but pork again {I’ll never eat the poor piggies!}
I don’t do well with a ton of soy, and I don’t think we should eat so much processed soy {I stick to tempeh}, and eating all the beans and grains to up my protein just ups calories and has me doing heavy carbs which my body doesn’t thrive on. I decided to focus on more fish and eggs {I still can’t stomach chicken and don’t do turkey or pork}, so I guess I’m an ovo pescetarian? Anyway…for the amount I exercise and with nursing, etc, I am seeing the best results on a higher fat and higher protein diet. I am not “low carb” but everything is coming from whole foods, minimal grains, and I feel the best I feel and my body is seeing the best results this way 🙂 Everyone is different though! I have vegan friends who look amazing and do very well combining grains and veggies and beans (with minimal soy) to get the proper amount of protein for them!
I’m mindful of my protein b/c in the past a nutritionist told me that I wasn’t eating enough of it. And honestly, I’ve noticed that if I don’t get enough protein (or fiber) in a meal, I’m hungry again in like an hour. But I don’t count grams of protein or anything like that- I just make sure that I have a source of it in my meals. Obviously the easiest way to do that is eat meat, but since I don’t eat meat at every meal, I have to pay attention to the levels of protein in my vegetarian meals. For example, while I would love a big plate of whole wheat spaghetti with Kale and Parmesan for dinner, I need to either throw some beans into the mix or serve it with an egg on top or I’ll wake up starving!
I am picky about my protein options. I like the taste of red meat on occasion, but it often upsets my stomach, so I try to stick to eggs, chicken, fish, and beans or nuts. I like tofu at restaurants but I stink at cooking it myself!
I have to add that I personally feel best when I’m getting a lot of my protein from non-meat (and definitely non red-meat) sources.
My dog knows “treat” and will always come running when she hears it!!!
I try to get as much protein as I can because I feel like I don’t get enough, especially when I’m doing weight training! I could eat just veggies and rice or quinoa for lunch and dinner because I love them so much, so I have to make a point to eat some eggs or meat with every meal!
“Park”, “eat”, “cheese” and “hungry” make my dog’s ears perk up and run to whoever says it! It’s so funny.
When I had dogs I couldn’t say the “walk” word either. We would have to spell it out and even then sometimes they got the point. Bella is such a cutie!
I love protein and rarely eat a meal without out. I just get hungrier when I don’t have it, plus my husband absolutely will not eat something without protein. However, I’ve recently started cutting out protein powders/bars etc. I use to use those a lot as my breakfast but now I’m doing greek yogurt, almond/PB, and peanut flour instead. I feel much better about getting my protein from actual food.
We can’t say breakfast, dinner, and walk in front of our dog and totally spell it out every time. Guess it gets us ready for having kids one day hahah.
I have a very similar attitude about whole foods as you do. There is always going to be a new study or article coming out saying that this or that is optimal…but in reality no one is ever going to have a perfect diet. And if you’re choosing whole foods from the earth you are already eating TEN times better than the majority of people in the world! Your body will thank you for that one! 🙂
I try to have some protein at every meal, otherwise I’m starving!!! Especially on days when I work out or run-if I don’t have protein with breakfast (I work out first), I can’t make it an hour. I don’t keep track or anything, I just listen to my body and go from there.
As for the dog…we can’t say: walk, play, outside, or treat, but the worst thing is when we tell the kids “it’s time for bed” or “go brush your teeth.” He’s a mutt with some sort of herder in there somewhere, so he goes nuts barking and running around until they get their heineys up the steps. It’s funny…but sometimes really annoying, especially if they’re dawdling.
As a vegetarian I try to make sure I’m eating either eggs, almond butter, Greek yogurt, soy, or quinoa/lentils at every meal. I really try to find ways to incorporate protein into every mean because I realize as a vegetarian its very easy for me to not get enough protein.
Gina,
What’s you suggestion on amount of protein per body weight one should strive to consume in a day?
I read that 1.5g per lb of body weight is a good amount, that sounds like a lot though!
i think that’s kind of high. if you exercise, 1.2g per pound is sufficient
http://exercise.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=exercise&cdn=health&tm=60&f=10&su=p1026.33.342.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19278045
I hadn’t seen your answer when I posted, and your numbers are probably better than mine. I just always feel like my diet is more protein heavy than carb heavy (I eat eggs every morning, chicken or fish every night for dinner, snack on greek yogurt, Larabars, cheese etc), and my daily protein intake never seems to exceed 80-90g. And I only even eat that much, because I am a distance runner!
I know you weren’t asking me, but I think it’s actually 1.5g per kilogram (not lb) of bodyweight and even that much is only recommended for athletes! Most people need somewhere in the range of 40-80g of protein per day, depending on age, weight and activity level.
Thanks Gina and JennP, that sounds more reasonable!
I usually trust that I am getting enough . I do eat protein bars sometimes after a big workout if it’s not close to meal time, but I think I get enough protein during the week. I was saying last night (while switching things up with a turkey sandwich) that chicken is so easy and versatile, that’s why it’s my favorite meat.
As for words I can’t say around my dogs .. Walk (we say W), leash, ride, and thats about all. (:
Yes, we always have to spell out W-A-L-K just in case we aren’t really going to go on one. Don’t want to get the dog’s hopes up. 🙂
Ohh those veggies and grilled chicken look fabulous!! What a perfect, easy dinner! And interesting thoughts about protein. For years my mom always would tell me that I should “have some protein with that” but I always kind of ignored it. Now I realize how crucial protein is for my body and make a conscious effort to consume enough protein at every meal. Without it I get hungry quickly and just don’t feel right!
Ha, we can’t say OR spell “walk” around our dog – he figured out what W-A-L-K meant after we switched to that! Now we have to say “stroll” so he doesn’t go bananas. 😉 I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he figures that out too. (German shepherds: almost TOO smart.)
I could easily eat nothing but carbs/veggies/fruits/cheese if I don’t think about what I’m eating – protein of any sort is generally the last thing I crave. But over the past year or so I’ve started paying more attention to protein intake and boy, I now know I feel much healthier when I do.
Only recently have I been mindful of my protein intake. I was recently informed by my kidney dr. that I need to follow a low protein diet– about 40g/day. It has been a struggle, especially since I received this info in the middle of the Insanity program and was focusing on ADDING protein to fuel my workouts! I’m having a hard time adjusting and finding meals appropriate for my trainging regimen. It’s definitely a work in progress and I’m hoping to find a new balance soon 🙂
Like you, I’m of the mind that whole food sources are the way to go. I do have protein powders on tap regularly in my kitchen, but I only use them in post-workout smoothies, and occasionally in baking. I think it’s interesting that, as the article you mentioned states, pros think we’re getting too much protein. I’ve also seen a lot of recent reports saying women in particular don’t get enough, so obviously it’s clear why people are confused! I think that in the case of people getting too much, it might have to do with getting too much of the wrong (ie non-lean) types. But I doubt protein is the only cause – too much of any macronutrient can make you fat!
Looks delicious!
I tend to stick with animal protein for dinner and get protein in during the day through beans/legumes, nut butters, etc… I have to really be mindful of it because if I don’t get enough protein I start craving sugary stuff and it just all goes downhill from there.
That is hysterical you can’t say ‘chicken’ around Bella! Around our Pom, Aslan, we can’t say: jerky, treat, walk, bye-bye and some other random things that have to do with people/animals he loves (like, if we’re driving near my parent’s house, no one better say “Ready to see Tony?” because he’ll go ballistic at the thought of seeing my parent’s Westie, Tony). Sometimes even words that remotely sound like those key words, or rhyme with them, will set him off too. Dogs are so funny!
I’ve been much more mindful of my protein intake lately. I used to think that fiber was the only thing that kept me full, but I find that protein keeps me full for WAY longer. I also find that animal protein (Greek yogurt, chicken, fish) keep me full for much longer than non-animal protein (veggies, beans, tofu). I try to get at least one quality source of protein in at each meal, and it makes a huge difference in how I feel the rest of the day!
I definitely try to eat a high protein diet as it keeps me full for so much longer. I also do have protein powders that I use from time to time as standalone drinks (post workout) or that I use when cooking (with porridge, in cakes, in pancakes etc). Also eat tonns of chicken –>hello 5 kg packs of Macro chicken lol and bottles after bottles of egg whites lol.
P.S. I now totally get what you meant by feeling like you have all new exercise DVDs with redoing some of mine after back injury. They are so much more difficult now!!!
Ann
We, too, can’t say the W word unless we are for sure going. Also squirrel. Both of our dogs will start searching all the trees if we say that one. Not sure how they learned it though..
I am basically pescetarian. I was pretty vegan for a while, which worked for me as a couch potato, but I found that as I became more active, I felt weak and also had less time to cook things like lentils. So I added eggs and fish back in, along with the occasional cottage cheese, and I feel stronger. I generally get around 70g on a good day when I’m really trying to incorporate protein, more like 30g on a less protein-y day. I do have Sunwarrior protein (love the Tone It Up strawberry shortcake pancakes with Sunwarrior!), but I don’t use it super often.
Building muscle and strength is very important to me, so I’m definitely mindful of my protein intake. Protein definitely helps me feel full longer, too.
I have had to be very mindful of my protein intake these past 6 months! First before dialysis when I was just having kidney issues, I needed to be careful not to eat too much protein; then once on dialysis, I needed to start to make sure I was getting lots of protein! My favorite way is by stopping at chick-fil-a on the way to dialysis for a chicken sandwich! A whopping 30 grams!
I have tracked my calories and nutrients from time to time on a “My Fitness pal app” and I do notice that I’m often lacking in Protein and the days I amp up my protein I feel way better and my workouts are stronger. I think you are dead on.. when you get protein from whole, non processed foods, it seems to be a safe bet. But I also love me some carbs!
I think that the dangers of excess protein, especially animal protein out weigh any benefit it may have. Every cell in your body runs on SUGAR!! Healthy whole food carbohydrates are the way to go. Most of the time, if you are eating a high protein diet that is rich in animal protein, you are really eating mostly fat. A lean chicken breast has 20 grams of fat. And that is not the good for you healthy fat.
Well, whenever one of us uses the mechanical can opener, the cats come a runnin’ from wherever they may be. I tend to make tuna and give the excess water to the cats 🙂 They have learned to associate can opener with tuna water which drives Eric batty when they come running when he opens his chili bean cans.
My MILs basset hound Addie goes nuts over the word cookie. And she can hear the opening of a mozarella cheese stick from a mile away. She lurves cheese. 😉
I can’t use the can opener around my cat or she’ll run in the kitchen thinking it’s tuna. 😀 I can never resist giving her a little.
I think we should listen to our body for cues on what we need. Not everyone needs as much protein, just like not everyone needs to eat 3500 calories.
I think what you have done in the past has been spot on (when you went without meat, then reintroduced it because you felt off).
The problem lies in the fact that it is easy to miss your body’s signals. Some people would see bloat and weight gain and think they need to eat fewer calories or do more cardio, whereas others would mess with the macro-nutrient ratios, others still would totally miss the changes.
As for me: I went on a 3 day juice fast, 2 days in I had to stop. I could barely fit into my jeans (jeans that are normally super loose). I can’t handle that many carbs, I retain too much water. Others experience awesomeness.
Have you done anything that your body absolutely hated in the name of health, then had to “fix” the consequences slowly over time?
im not really that mindful of my protein intake…ive tried to be before but kinda just forget about it. i definitely lean towards carbs so i do need to remember proteins and fats!
I’ve been a vegan for two years and people attack (I use that word intentionally – people reeeeally care about this) me all the time about protein. I’m of the school of thought of The China Study and the subsequent documentary Forks Over Knives – if you’re eating 100% whole foods, the only way you could be protein deficient would be if you were calorie deficient. Whole plant foods deliver what we need. I do agree that the “too much protein” problem is just a “too many calories” problem. I’ve never felt better in my life or had more lean muscle mass. I’m here to stay!
I’m doing the protein debate. I really don’t think I get enough of it and I may have to start testing out different protein powders for the amount of exercise I do.
But when it comes to food, I couldn’t agree more! Everything in moderation!
There are so many words I can’t say in front of my dog. Walk, food, eats, ride, out, dinner, park… I could go on. I think my dog knows English 🙂
Ha, we’ve definitely shortened it to “We’re going on a W” but I’m pretty sure they’ve come to know what that means now too! 🙂