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
You might also like:
129 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Re: Protein – I just try to incorporate a little into breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I can’t say “are you hungry” infront of my cat, otherwise she goes nuts!!! She’ll start meowing and try really hard to lead you to her food bowl. I swear, she thinks she’s a dog sometimes. 🙂
Look at you, Miss Grill Master there!
Protein…I don’t pay too much attention, never have. I don’t crave it usually…unless you count the recent tempeh kick I’ve been on. But generally speaking, I don’t set out to purposefully “increase my protein”. Our bodies are all so different & it’s interesting to see what everyone does on this.
I say “I’m going for a stir-fry”. (Stir fry = wok = walk. Silly but it fools the dogs.) But once I put on socks they start fidgeting anyway. Actually, I can just think about it and one of my dogs knows.
I do feel more full with protein in meals but I hate to count anything so I just try to listen to my body.
My daughter’s dog is a character and I spoil him. You cannot say cookie or carrot in front of him or he expects one. (cookie is any treat I have) If you say walk, he thinks he gets to go on one. Another big word is hungry. if you say it, you better plan on feeding him his breakfast or dinner.
Protein. I was told I do not eat enough protein and I will not lose weight. I struggle to eat enough. Fact or fiction? Still lots to learn. I had a cashier at TJ tell me I was wasting my money buying the 35 g protein cans as your body does not need and cannot use that much. He said to buy the 21 g cans. Fact or Fiction? I want to believe fact for my pocketbook.
I am definitely hanging with the grill masters to see what else you guys comes up with this summer. Now if I could just get my avocado tree to produce I would be happy.
OMG, my dog, Rose, is nuts. Not only can we NOT say walk, park, play, outside or eat – we can’t dare put on our shoes or grab our keys without her flipping out. We noticed she can tell the difference between us getting ready for work (I mean, it is usually still dark outside) as opposed to our routine during the weekend. Oh, and when I come home from work, there is no sitting down for me -she knows its her time, but that’s okay, I still love that dog!
I have to spell T-R-E-A-T-S in front of my cat haha. He also fetches everything, so maybe he’s actually a dog…
Hi Gina-
I’m glad that reader Sara pointed out the article about low-protein diets, but there’s a pretty important detail you need to know– this study overfed individuals by 40% of their basal caloric needs, so the take-home point really is that if you are going to OVEREAT on a diet, it should NOT be a low-protein diet. If you do, you’ll basically end up gaining about the same amt of weight as a normal or high protein diet, but you lose lean mass. But to be honest, I believe the same science applies to maintaining your weight on a diet — low-protein is definitely NOT the way to go (i don’t have a citation for this, but i just know i’ve read this somewhere!).
p.s. i love that you include scientific articles when you discuss nutrition and exercise – love love it!
Right, but the related point was that, on a very low protein diet, it is possible to lose lean mass, EVEN when you are overeating, calorie-wise.
There are lots of studies showing that higher protein helps preserve lean mass while dieting too. Here is one:
http://www.ajcn.org/content/78/1/31.full
It’s not so much what we can’t say around our pup, Rocky… it’s more what we wear. Specifically, he comes up to me every time I put pants on (I know, weirdo), and smells them. It doesn’t matter if they are work pants, pajamas, any kind he has to check them out… but if he figures out we are wearing “workout pants” he goes nuts and we can’t get out of the house without him barging between us and the door!
I’ve been wondering a lot about protein myself recently, so thank you for this timely post! Mostly, I try to make sure that, besides greek yogurt and nut butter in my morning oatmeal, I have at least one high-quality protein-y meal per day. I’m sure there are benefits for some people to eat more, that being said I do believe that you summed it up best saying that moderation is key. Unless you are feeling really weak and fatigued, you are probably getting enough protein. That being said, I do think society probably does consume too much protein; meat at every single meal in huge quantities is not moderation.
Those grilled veggies look delicious, yum! 🙂
ya know, i’ve never really considered that the amount of protein i’m (not) consuming may be the reason i feel like munching on things like crackers all day. i will definitely pay more attention!
my bella is the same way! we can’t say park, walk, out, treat, or eukenuba (her dog food brand). and i think she’s learning how to spell w-a-l-k. smarty pants!
Everyone is so different so I’m of the mindset that it’s about finding what works for YOU. However, I have found, a diet high in protein, specifically lean meats and fish, is what my body feels best on. I also try to get protein into breakfast, 15g or so. It sets the bar for the rest of the day.
My way of eating is somehow like yours (although I eat gluten). I do try to get proteins with each meals and I am not part of the vast majority of people who eat too much proteins! I’m trying to be smart about my protein intake and diversify my eat.
There is one world we cannot say around my dog : flies… she goes crazy! I had a problem with flies in the house at a point, she really don’t like them… probably because she cannot caught them and they make noise! Lol
We can’t say: walk, ride, treat or eat in front of our dogs. (We always say to each other…wanna take the babies for a w-a-l-k?) However, sometimes for fun we’ll say “You wanna…” and that perks both dogs ears up b/c usually that is followed with a phrase related to the forbidden words 🙂
We can’t stay walk, treats, squirrel or bring out the vacuum cleaner without mini freakouts by both dogs.
Of course, everyone is different, but for me personally, I need to eat a lot of protein. As someone who dieted during the low-fat 90s, all I can say is that they made me fat. I could eat tons of refined carbs and never feel full. I need both the fat (healthy) and protein (not just beans, which are really also carbs) in order to feel full. I am much more lean and tone in my 40s after 2 kids than I was in my 20s pre-kids and it is because I eat a lot more protein (1 gr per pound) and really avoid sugar. But that is just what I have found works for me.
Grilled avocado????? I can’t even handle how tasty that sounds!
I make sure to have a source of protein at every meal, but other than that I don’t worry about it too much. I don’t eat meat, but I eat beans, whole grains, protein powder, quinoa, cheese, yogurt, veggies, nuts/nut butter, etc. I don’t count grams or anything though. So long as I’m conscious about getting some source of it I don’t have problems.
My family could not say or even SPELL! “cookie” or “walk” in front of my childhood dog… My new pup knows the same words, but she can’t spell them yet, and she doesn’t go bisserk, just perks her ears up like as if to say, “me?!??”
I have struggled with morbid obesity all of my adult life, and was recently diagnosed with PCOS and told by my obgyn that due to my condition I would probably never lose weight unless I went high protein/low carb. I struggled with it at first since I ate basically the opposite before, but I buckled down in October and went high protein, low carb, paleo-ish and have dropped 42 pounds so far, going from 310 to 268 so far- protein was the key for me!
The words you can’t say around your Bella are words I can’t say around my children or they go nuts. They love to go on walks and to the park. Although the chicken, one boy gets excited and wants chicken when ever he hears the word the other freaks out because he hates meat and the baby she gets excited when she hears anything about food. I think she will be the one to eat the widest variety of foods, she’s like me and hasn’t met a food she didn’t like.
Speaking of protein and 39 weeks pregnant… I was just out running errands and drove by a Wendy’s.. a Frosty sounded SO good, but I know that’s not what Baby needs. So instead I came home and whipped up a protein smoothie for lunch – scoop of chocolate protein powder, milk, ice, cocoa powder, a banana, handful of spinach, and 1/2 tsp coconut extract – yay for making good choices!
We can’t say: walk, ride, leash, treat, breakfast, dinner, or tuna… yikes. I actually took a video of what happens when breakfast or dinner is said in our house… it’s pretty incredible. 🙂
We can’t say walk-> it’s either w-a-l-k or the boys (dogs) and I are going out, or going for a W,
the word treat always has them running, ride= they go crazy, and if I say oops for any reason the start searching the floor lol!! OH and ball the go running around like psychos to find any ball they can to play fetch. Crazy pups!
I have to be mindful of protein…otherwise it’s pasta, bread and dessert all day long. Being a vegetarian makes it tricky so I really have to plan my meals.
My dogs are too smart. They know walk, run, go to the park, go to the beach, car ride….we have resorted to spelling but I think they are catching on to that too!
I just thought of a few more: squirrel and bird and they both start barking, and if i say “is daddy home??” they go nuts : 0 )
I cannot say “outside” or “shower” in front of my dog for different reasons. “Outside makes him go nuts with excitement, and “shower” makes him bolt under my bed as soon as he thinks I’m not paying attention to him.
another great topic. I think for many years Protein got over killed just like Carbs were “bad”. Protein is very important but I hear some trainers saying crazy things to their cleints all the time! To me, too much of anything is not good!
I think and agree with what you said exactly…
“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.”
yep! 🙂
When I lived with a vegetarian, he made me feel bad about wanting to eat meat, so I tried to do things his way because I didn’t want to fight at the dinner table (lame but true). It put a major stress on the relationship—and my body. I was really young when we met and not so great at recognizing that bullies are bad news! I guess we all have to learn a few lessons the hard way. I’ve always eaten a mostly-vegetarian diet, but in the months since we broke up, I’ve relearned that I feel my best when I add a little animal protein in there. You just have to do what works for you.
We have started calling treats T-R’s because if we say the whole word, we have a shadow following us until she gets one.
I’m very mindful of my protein intake. I don’t really enjoy chicken, but I have found that I get a lot of anxiety when I don’t eat it every few days. I know that sounds strange, but it turns out there is a certain B vitamin that is found primarily in chicken that helps curbs anxiety… and I can tell the difference without it!
I don’t really think about my intake of any particular thing — I just keep things as whole and real as possible. I think it can be helpful if you are looking for subtle results in weight, thought.
I think I view the protein debate about the same as you do. I recently did the Body For Life eating plan and it really enforced my need for well-portioned high-protein meals throughout the day. I couldn’t believe the change in my energy and attitude! I try to make sure I have 3 high protein (low calorie) meals in a day and at least 2 snacks with a good amount of protein. I just can’t believe how much better I feel when I’m not starving my body (or over indulging in carbs and junk).
Haha yes the W word sends our puppy into a frenzy! If we say the word treat she also gets very excited… as to be expected haha.
We can’t say walk, so my husband and I say “W”. We also can’t say chicken, we don’t feed our dogs table food, but they get chicken jerky from Costco and LOVE it! The other one is “sticks”, which are rawhide sticks wrapped in chicken jerky from Target.
I am mindful of protein, but for the opposite reason than most. I can’t eat it 🙁 I have to stick to less than 25g a day. It is as hard as it sounds, but not so much when you’re used to it, no nut butter or goat cheese for me! There are lots of dietary disorders, not just coeliac, and mine is one of them, it’s rare but we’re out there. I have PKU. I’m lucky actually, some people with PKU can only eat 5g or less a day. I am going to try that avocado, looks wonderful.
My dog goes nuts when I go to put on running shoes. He won’t get out of the way and gets really excited, so I have to put them on in another room, annoying but cute!
That is the cutest thing ever.
I have PCOS and that combined with the fact that I have a larger frame, I have to be somewhat mindful of my protein. If I don’t make protein my first priority in every meal or snack, I end up riding the carb wagon all day too with roughly 50 grams of protein on average, which is too low for my body, and sends my blood sugar on a roller coaster. I shoot for 75+ grams a day at minimum, and even then that’s with effort. I have found that on the fluke times when I get well over 100+ grams, my blood sugar+hormones go into HAPPY FUN LAND. I can’t really describe it, but my energy and mood gets so much better when I eat more animal protein, and it tanks when I depend on plant proteins.
The veggies look delicious, wish I some with me here now. Protein is a very important part to a healthy diet, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the ‘blog love’. I wondered why Sanaworld had an overnight popularity surge. 😀
What was super interesting about that study was the way it was reported in the media, based on this article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/03/us-calories-idUSTRE8021OW20120103
A university professor actually wrote to one of our more ‘scientific’ magazines here, explaining that this study shows that protein is more fattening than carbs and people should eat less of it. I’m not even sure she read the study! People seem hung up on the ‘higher protein group gained more weight’ statistic, without looking at why. ..
I eat protein with every meal, but just a little bit. I definitely find that whenever I go overboard with any macronutrient, I get puffy right away. A balance of all three is the best way for me.
Any time my dog hears “outside”, it’s on. We have to spell out “o-u-t”, but he has even started to catch on to that (he’s so smart and wonderful). 🙂
I don’t think I consume enough protein. (when I am not injured as I am now) I do a lot of weights & cardio & when I look at my protein intake I don’t get 0.5g/lb of weight. I think with all the muscle building loveliness I go through I need the protein to help out.
I definitely make an effort to focus on protein. If I didn’t, I’d probably get maybe 30 g per day? But I really try to have a protein shake/bar ready for right after my workout, and I lovvvvvve eggs too. I should be better about getting more protein in the morning on weekdays, but I never feel like cooking. Lately the best solution has been protein banana bread in the car (made the previous weekend). =)
Thanks for posting scientific articles I LOVE it 🙂 As an RD, I always tell clients not to worry about the % ranges – every client I’ve ever seen has always fallen within the recommended ranges as they’re really broad. I definitely believe that needs vary from person to person and totally agree that it’s about what makes your body feel the best. Mine is the happiest with a Mediterranean style of eating – moderate protein, slightly higher carbs and lots of healthy fat – but some people are happier with more protein/carbs. As long as someone isn’t excluding one of the macronutrients entirely, I say go with what works best for you!
Of course, I had to geek out and read the original article in JAMA 🙂 It doesn’t surprise me that the low protein group had the issues it did, to build lean body mass you need more protein, not a huge amount but ~14g/day on top of normal needs. It’s true that we don’t need crazy amounts of protein (0.8-1g/kg for most average healthy people) but the low protein group wasn’t even getting enough to meet their basal needs!
I thought it was interesting was that the fat ranges were SO high for the low/normal groups – as in the 45-52% range!! They could have gone higher with carbs (>60% is where you start to see problems w/increased triglycerides) but >35% fat is where you see issues w/blood lipids, so I’m really wondering why they chose those particular ranges from an ethical standpoint…. I’m sure there is a reason like it was supported in previous literature but still…
Hi, I have been following your website for a couple of months and this is the first time I am writing a commento to a blog. You are very inspirational. and congratulations for the baby:)
I like the recipes but whenever I see the aluminium foil I am shocked. Aluminium can pass into the food especially at high temperatures. and scientist proved that it can be one of the causes of Alzheimer disease. Therefore it is better to avoid aluminium when cooking. I just wanted to point out this. ..
thank you!
you’re right- it’s definitely not the best to cook with. we use it occasionally, but not all the time
I’m so glad you posted this. This has been on my mind this week because I am tracking my calories and have realised that I don’t hit my daily protein goal. I am way under! I get about 70g per day (I weigh 120lbs).
I should add that I am under based on the fact that I am doing P90X daily so not just based on my body weight.
since going on the paleo diet, i definitely haven’t had to worry about getting enough protein! and I feel AH-mazing since switching, its crazy how much of a difference I feel after (just over) a week.
I love how bella knows the word chicken, thats awesome! our cats don’t react to any words in particular, just the one cat goes NUTS when you sing… not sure why, but she loves it.
I make sure my meals have protein, but I really should be more carefully about the amount of carbs that it entails as well.
By the way, those tomatoes look delicious. And that’s coming from a tomato hater.
I love this post. I try to be mindful of my protein intake but I always wonder if I’m really getting enough or too much for my activity level and body size. I know that I get hungry wayy to quickly if I’m not consuming enough protein in my meals.
I always leave the grillin’ to the guys… unless it involves a George Forman. I have no idea what I’m doing when I try to use a grill. Last time I tried to use a charcoal grill with my girl friends, our food just ended up tasting like lighter fluid.
haha! i’m all about the foreman, too 🙂
I agree with the article that society on the whole eats too much protein. We only need 0.8 g/kg/d to maintain nitrogen balance (a measure of proteins status) in our bodies but a lot of people eat double that! I did a diet analysis for my nutrition class last year and found that over an average of 3 days, I ate 165% of my protein needs without even consciously trying. 😛 But that being said, I think anyone who is dieting or restricting energy on some level may not be consuming enough. Just my two cents! 🙂
Hahah, cracking up that you can’t say chicken. Our house has a few buzz words as well. Walk, ride and Pupperoni are the major offenders but honestly the word “go” in and of itself gets our Fielder really hyped up. He doesn’t really care what word follows, so long as he’s going along!
Also, saying “eye boogers” is totally off limits unless you want to be growled at. As a puppy, Fielder (part maltese) had a bit of an eye tearing problem, leading to excessive eye boogies, which we would always pick out along with saying “let me get your eye boogers”. Apparently he wasn’t too fond of the act and has hated the very words ever since. Crazy, huh?
Ahh protein!!! I recently spent an hour with a nutritionist at work because I was afraid I wasn’t getting enough protein. I’ve been kind of on a plateau with my weight & still want to lose a few pounds. She evaluated my food log (I’m vegan & consume around 50g of protein) & decided I needed to up my iron, calcium & protein.
For the iron & calcium–I added two fresh juices with high levels of both. Her recommendation on protein (for my age/weight) was ~90g. I spent a lot of hours devising a meal plan within my caloric needs, trying to reach 90g of protein. In the end, I came up with a plan that put me at 75g a day. Without animal products in your diet, it is so hard to to increase protein without eating a gazillion calories.
What is your take on the “right” amount of protein?
it’s really an individualized thing based on your body comp and activity level