You may have noticed that almost every time I post one of my child’s lunches on Facebook quite a few readers leave comments such as…”Where’s the protein?” or “I personally need a lot more protein to feel full” or even “My kid wouldn’t have enough energy to get through the day if I don’t give them more protein.” All of this feedback has gotten me wondering…why is our society so concerned about protein? When and how did the notion begin that we need protein, protein, and more protein!? So here’s what I’d really like to say about protein…
Why we don’t count protein (or grams of anything for that matter)
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…part of eating a real food diet means not counting fat grams, calories, carbs, protein, etc. You simply eat a variety of whole foods (without overeating) and the rest falls into place. Other countries outside of the U.S. routinely follow this practice and don’t obsessively add up numbers like we do. According to Karen Le Billon in her book French Kids Eat Everything, in France “Enjoyment is the goal of eating. You can’t enjoy yourself if you are … counting calories [or] keeping score of micronutrient consumption.” She also says “Variety is a happy side effect of this approach (because new foods are interesting thus making the French happy).”
This is exactly how our ancestors used to approach food…for centuries before us. According to Michael Pollan, in his book In Defense of Food, it wasn’t until the 1980s or so that the shift began “From Foods to Nutrients.” And has this shift really gotten us anywhere?
The many sources of protein
While we don’t keep track, I still think it’s important to point out that there are many sources of protein beyond meat. Just because you don’t see a big hunk of meat on someone’s plate does not mean they aren’t getting any (or “enough”) protein. According to the CDC, protein is found in the following foods:
- Meats, poultry, and fish
- Legumes (dry beans and peas)
- Tofu
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds (including sunflower and pumpkin seeds)
- Milk and milk products (like yogurt, cheese, and cream cheese)
- Grains, some vegetables, and some fruits (provide only small amounts of protein relative to other sources)
You’re probably eating more than enough protein
Straight from the US government’s website… “It’s rare for someone who is healthy and eating a varied diet to not get enough protein.” So let’s go back to the example of my children’s lunches. Both of my daughters are between the ages of 4 and 8 years old, and according to the CDC website the recommended protein intake for their age group is 19 grams. Did you know that 1 cup of milk alone contains 8 grams of protein? Both of my daughters have milk in their cereal almost every morning (a little less than half a ½ cup), they both have oatmeal made with milk for their morning snack at school (another ½ cup), and they each usually have milk with dinner (usually close to 1 cup). So right there with their milk consumption alone they get almost the full recommended dietary allowance for protein…and that’s with them both drinking water with their breakfast and lunch.
Plus these estimates don’t even take into account the nuts and seeds that are in their homemade granola cereal, the yogurt, cheese, hard boiled egg, hummus, beans, and other protein sources that I often send in their lunches, nor does it take into account anything that we’re eating for dinner, which does oftentimes include at least a little meat or seafood and/or other sources of protein (like cheese, which we happen to love around here).
Now if you look at the recommended protein allowance for adults that number is quite a bit higher. For females 19 years of age and older the CDC recommends 46 grams of protein per day, but this still doesn’t have me concerned. We just did some quick estimates based on what I might eat in a typical day…
- My Breakfast: Granola cereal (about 10 grams of protein) with milk (another 4 grams) and fruit that’s usually followed by a maple mocha that’s made with around ¾ cup milk (another 6 grams).
- My Lunch: Bowl of refried beans (about 13 grams) with cheese and sour cream on top (another 2 grams or so) with fruit or veggies on the side.
- My Dinner: This varies quite a bit, but just for fun let’s say it is a vegetarian dish of homemade whole-wheat pizza topped with sauce, cheese, and mushrooms (about 12 grams) and a spinach salad on the side mixed with goat cheese, glazed pecans and balsamic vinegar (another 5 grams or so)
- After Dinner Treat: Handful of peanuts with a square of dark chocolate (about another 2 grams)
- DAILY TOTAL: 54 grams of protein! That is well over the recommended allowance and that’s without “trying” to eat any particular foods that are high in protein.
Wow, that was a lot of work dissecting the food I eat. I can’t imagine doing this on a regular basis!
So…you’re off the hook
Hopefully now you feel convinced that you’re off the hook from having to worry about eating a certain amount of protein, the right number of calories, or even the optimal amount of carbs. If you simply eat a variety of whole foods (without overeating and incorporating lots of produce – this part is important!), all of these things will just naturally happen as an automatic and lovely side effect. It certainly sounds like a much more enjoyable way to eat food…and guess what, it is! :)
Note: It is important to mention that everyone’s needs are different, so defer to your health care professional’s advice, especially if you have specific ailments or special nutritional needs.
I love this post. It’s something that I’ve been really trying to do. I grew up in a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of family, my parents grew up in one as well, and so it seems like this is the only way to do things. Your main dish is a ‘meat’, you have a starchy side, and then a spoonful of vegetables. I’ve been trying to switch my own family away from this ‘all meat loving’ idea. It’s a process, but we’re working on it. It is a ridiculous amount of work to keep track of the numbers of our food. Thank you for doing it this once so I can prove to my husband that what we are trying to do really is good!
Totally agree with everything in this post! I am a single girl in my mid-20s and have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for the last 6 years. I’ve met with a dietitian twice in that time to review my diet and ensure that I’m maintaining appropriate nutritional intake. While my fruit, vegetable, and even oil intake is lacking somewhat, she assures me every time that I am getting MORE than enough protein (from milk, eggs, nuts/nut butter). Americans have a completely skewed view of protein. Many don’t understand that it can come from many sources (besides meat) and portion sizes for meat are often WAY supersized. I love seeing your posts and use your daughters’ school lunches as inspiration for my own (…still young at heart, I guess!). Thanks for your commitment to this lifestyle and sharing this information & ideas with the public!
Such a great article. Just goes to show you how people just don’t get eating right. I am 100% with you we count nothing. We eat real food and that’s that. What so many people don’t get is you can get a lot of protein from other foods aside from animal products. My husband competes in local strongman competitions and he got better performance when we DROPPED the protein shakes and went more veggie and fruit based along with grass and pastured raised meats.
Great post. Since switching to a 90% real food diet, I’ve noticed how differently I eat from the rest of my family who are almost always on diets. At a barbecue this summer, one of my uncles couldn’t believe how little chicken I was eating. I had half a large chicken breast, corn, salad, and probably bread, etc., trying to keep to proper portions of everything. He said, “you need more protein, girl!” and tried to put more on my plate. I cringed, to be honest. These nonsensical ideas of nutrition drive me batty!
I think many Americans are worried about protein because their diets are completely off balance to begin with. Take my former roommate for example—it appears she completely missed the stage of her childhood where she should have been introduced to different foods and different flavors so now she is a) completely incompetant at feeding herself to meet her nutritional needs b) extremely picky about even foods that are good for her. Her standard dinner? Ramen noodle. Or crackers. She didn’t even like eggs until she had scrambled eggs that were cooked properly. I have an inkling that many of today’s young adults are in the same unfortunate boat and thus to at least cover their nutritional needs, they worry about protein.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know my concern with protein stemmed from being on high protein/low carb diets like South Beach and Atkins. Also, at one point I was working out 7 days a week and on a pretty high protein cutting diet. Now that I’ve stopped dieting and just trying to eat clean, I don’t really count anything. So to answer you question, I think it started with some of those fad diets.
Great post, Lisa! You really hit the nail on the head with the reference to Michael Pollan and the “From Foods to Nutrients†movement of the last 50 years or so. We have totally befuddled ourselves with the shift; and yet, it’s so ingrained in people that they don’t even realize how much they care about adding up all the magical, mythical “nutrients” … and forget to focus on just eating some plain ole real (and good!) FOOD!
Great Post – and I couldn’t agree more! Being a vegetarian I get this questions CONSTANTLY and wow, does it get old. We eat a healthy wide variety of things (except meat obviously) and try to have a well rounded diet. I don’t count Anything – and don’t want to! I’m not worried about my family’s protein intake – but everyone else seems to be ha. You summed this up very well and I’m glad you took the chance to directly address this preconceived idea. Great Job!
If you have Netflix, I strongly encourage you to watch a movie called “Food Matters.” It investigates what effect different foods have on our body. The film makers interview two top-of-their-field physicians who speak about the effect animal-based protein has on our body. I don’t want to give too much away, but the research shows that animal-based protein can be directly linked to cancer development and growth. Whoa!! The amount of protein we need is actually significantly less than the average American assumes. Please, watch the movie and be informed! :)
Another great documentary along those same lines is”Forks Over Knives”. It is on Netflix as well. Very thought provoking. I highly recommend it.
Oh my goodness! Thanks for commenting because you are right. I got the movie mixed up in my head. It is Forks Over Knives that I was thinking of for their research. Disregard the other movie title. Oops!
Food Matters is still a great one! It discusses more of the Gerson Therapy..
there’s a few reasons why i’m concerned about the amount of protein i get, which i’m sharing only because you asked:
for a few years, i followed a vegan diet, transitioning into a raw foods diet, after discovering i had a dairy and wheat allergy. i hoped to cure myself or at least find my way back to better health. having four kids pretty much devastated and depleted me in every way possible and i’d just lived through what felt like 10 years of the flu.
and the change to raw foods did make me feel better, but i never felt truly energetic or well. in addition, i gained A LOT of weight. and this eating only a very pure, whole foods diet. this summer, i reintroduced meat back into my diet and i finally, finally feel more like myself, and the weight has just come right off, and at age 35 i’m performing better and running faster than i ever have in my life.
i think it’s wrong to assume that every BODY needs the exact same type of food, and i wish you’d mention this more often on your blog or facebook pages. just because your children or your family don’t require significant portions of meat (which i’m assuming is what you’re really referring to in this post when you use the term “protein”) doesn’t mean that all of us shouldn’t require it. i’m a long distance runner who can’t eat a lot of whole grains because of allergies, and dairy is out of the question, so my body does require protein from other sources.
in addition, my older children are active teenagers who participate in an intensively competitive soccer league. they often run for more than two hours a day. that lifestyle does require more food than i see in your younger, sweet little girls’ lunches. the olympian michael phelps was eating 10,000 calories a day to support his training leading up to the olympics.
i’d love for you to consider that some of us have much more physically demanding lifestyles and do indeed require a different diet than yours or your children’s to keep our bodies lean and strong.
I agree. Our bodies will tell us what they need if we learn to truly listen and pay attention to the signals, rather than just following a diet plan.
Thanks for your insight Rachel. I agree 100% that there’s no one ‘magic’ diet that’s perfect for everyone. We are all different! The focus of our blog is to help readers cut out processed foods, but this is really a foundation to be built upon. We talk mostly about what works for us on the blog because, well, we are us, and we think we’re pretty typical. Hopefully a broad audience finds the resources useful :)
Thank you for this post. I’ve recently had to go dairy free because of an allergy. I keep saying I need to focus on protein since I was getting a lot of my protein from dairy. But, I have been able to replace that protein source with seeds & nuts mostly. If vegans can get enough protein, surely I can do it since I only gave up dairy not meats.
I’m also trying to lose weight. I was going to count calories, but since I am making most of my meals with real food and not using packaged scannable items, calorie counting was too much of a chore. Thanks for reminding me that I don’t need to count anything if I eat real foods.
Protein is needed for sustainable energy in between meals. Carbs only give us a short-term burst of energy that, while important for getting us going, cannot get us through until the next meal. That said, you are absolutely correct that whole grains and dairy are great sources of protein. I think a lot of people incorrectly equate protein with meat.
As a dietitian I get this question/concern ALL THE TIME!! People are usually meeting or exceeding their protein needs, then adding more in just because. Most people don’t realize all of the places that you actually get protein from, which you have outlined quite nicely. I agree with a previous poster, a lot of it stems from the atkins, south beach, paleo lifestyles. If people focused as much time and energy on making sure they get their fruits and vegetables as they do their protein I think individuals would be a little healthier. Great blog by the way…I often recomend it to people :)
I am diabetic and we are told that eating certain amounts of protein with certain amounts of carbs helps to prevent spikes in our blood sugar. Does anyone have credible research to back that up or dispute it?
I’m also diabetic, and my husband is a physician who has encouraged me not to pay much attention to nutrition science, as he believes most of it is poorly done and/or irrelevant. As he says, “All health is personal, and you need to find what works for you.” I think the best research you can do is in your own home, testing yourself after meals to see what works and what doesn’t.
After 11 years of experimenting, I’ve found that a low-grain diet without any processed foods is what works for me. I find that protein, fat and fiber help to manage blood sugar best. I eat few grain-based carbs, which seem to cause the worst glucose issues–no matter what I eat them with. Oats are the main exception to that rule. (I also exercise every day.)
I’ve gone from 36 units of Lantus to 3, and from 12 units of novolog at meals to zero. My last A1c was 6.3. If I’d followed the standard diabetic diet that several dietitians recommend to me over the years, I’d still be on those original doses, if not more. It may not be science, but it worked!
I am type 2, diagnosed in March. Prior to my diagnosis I tried to eat “healthy”, lots of fruit and vegetables, but I felt terrible. Then right after my diagnosis I got “scared” to eat much of anything and was eating about 800-900 calories a day. So, I still felt terrible. Now I have added more protein from all kinds of sources. I really have to limit my potatoes and rice as they seem to cause problems no matter when or how I eat them. Also, I exercise at least five days a week. Thanks for your encouragement. I will just test and watch my numbers to see how things work with my body!
Excellent! I get the protein flack all of the time too, and it amazes me how fooled Americans have been into thinking that 1) we NEED that much protein and 2) that quality protein only comes from animal products. Did you know (of course you probably do) that there are more grams of protein in 100 calories of broccoli than 100 calories of lean beef? Also – human breast milk, long touted the “PERFECT” food for developing human beings, is only 5% protein? That is almost the same % as in a banana! Thanks for trying to bring this into light!
It’s really hard to judge. For example, I don’t feel well eating a lot of protein at breakfast but my MIL is the opposite. I know from experience that if I ate this lunch in adult sized portions, I personally would be hungry soon after and my MIL would have a monster headache in 2-3 hours. Also remember not all kids are equal. I assume this is for a young child – mine are middle and high school long distance runners. They would be famished after eating this – they probably burn more calories while they are sleeping than this meal contains! If the commentors in question are giving their kids sugared cereal or pop tarts for breakfast, they are probably right that their kids need protein for lunch to get through the rest of the day. So maybe it’s Atkins marketing or maybe it’s ignorance or maybe it’s something in their personal experience that makes them respond the way they do.
I came across this blog approx. 5 weeks ago and we have been eating unprocessed foods about 90% of the time. There are still a few things I have to figure out like which dairy products to buy. After eating lowfat dairy for so long, we are a bit afraid to take the plunge into whole fat products (besides the cheese- the post on shredded cheese grossed me out). The first week we went through the cabinets and threw away a bunch of processed foods. The first few weeks grocery shopping was expensive b/c we had stocked up on some staples (e.g. whole wheat flour, pure maple syrup, pure PB & almond butter, etc.). The last couple of weeks have been better.
My husband and I have both lost between 5-6 lbs. I no longer have major food craving like I used to and I now get grossed out when I pass certain food aisles on the store that are stocked with processed foods. I now understand why you just posted this post about getting enough protein. I feel like we are getting enough proteins, vitamins, etc. from the food alone. I made a batch of “clean” whole wheat/fruit/yogurt muffins using only unprocessed ingredients. Two of my co-workers refused to eat them b/c they were “muffins” and they were trying to eat healthy. I tried explaining that they were unprocessed, but they didn’t understand. You are completely right- when you focus in eating real foods, everything else falls into place. I am eating several times a day and I am never hungry. I don’t feel guilty or think about fat, calories, etc. I don’t feel as sluggish as I did before, I have fewer headaches, and I don’t feel bloated. Thank you for sharing your blog with all!
I am a lacto vegetarian (no eggs, but yes to milk and dairy products!) and I completely agree with your post! People assume that I eat tofu all day to get my protein source, when in reality, I get plenty of protein in a normal day! Unless a person is doing serious weight training, they really don’t need that much protein! On a side note, your blog is great! Thank you for all the information and recipes!
Breastfeeding your toddler gives them plenty of protien too!
Yes, but the mother should know to increase her own protein intake because of this.
I agree that different people are comfortable or feel better eating different things. I am a vegan and I feel amazing. I run, bike, etc. and have plenty of energy. But my diet isn’t for everyone.
What I LOVE about this blog is it is one family and how they work to eat well. She never says “this is what your kids should eat for lunch” she says ” here is what I give my kids”. It is a guideline. A springboard to look at.
A lot of people defend their way of eating by bashing those of us who eat healthy. I get tired of the protein question as well. Let’s compare cholesterol. I bet mine is lower. You can always argue.
I say, eat what makes you feel good. What really makes you feel good. And, most importantly, educate yourself about food.
Sure, but diet is not the whole story for cholesterol since it has a genetic component. My MIL ate vegan and raw for years and has recently added small amounts of fish and chicken to her diet (she thinks she has fewer headaches and feels less hungry w/ some animal protein) and her cholesterol has always been higher than mine and her ratio is always worse – I eat lean meats but don’t care if it’s pork or beef or chicken or fish. I think that’s why this blog sometimes makes me feel twitchy – sometimes info is presented in a very black and white, all or nothing way when the truth is so many shades of grey.
Twitchy, yes. Thats a great way of putting it.
Jane – Thanks for your feedback. The info may seem “black and white” because it’s based on our family’s experience and findings and (thus far) we have been fortunate enough to not have to deal with any health conditions such as high cholesterol, food allergies, diabetes, etc. Those who struggle with unique health issues should always check with their doctor for answers. I hope that helps!
You are awesome! Smart, thorough, knowledgeable and great communicator. Thank you so much for sharing such helpful, specific information.
Wow, Jennifer…thank you for such a nice complement! I am not even sure I feel deserving of such wonderful feedback, but I’ll sure take it :)
Great post. I’m currently pregnant and try to get 100g/day. With my first pregnancy, I tracked my protein intake for a week or so just to make sure I was getting enough. This time, I don’t think I’ve counted at all, I just eat when I’m hungry and try to sneak in some extra snacks of nuts, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, etc.
People get way too hung up on numbers, like the “big news” of McD’s listing calories on their menu–calories are not the main concern, it’s the ingredients.
Speaking of protein, here we go again with flawed studies and singling out one food (as discussed thoroughly in In Defense of Food): http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/08/sunny-side-up-in-defense-of-eggs/261600/
Protein does help us feel full and helps us not crave snacks in-between meals. My Dr. recommends a balance between protein and carbs for each meal and snack. I really feel like balanced meals are important and protein needs to be a part of those balanced meals. While it might work for some people to not pay any attention to how many carbs, fats, protein, etc. they are eating, this is not a realistic for families dealing with illnesses like Diabetes. Just because some families eat more protein than you do, and carefully monitor their carb in-take does not mean that they do not eat a healthy, balanced diet.
When you think of “carbs”, what do you think of? Bread, potatoes, etc. fruits and vegetables are considered “carbs” too. I can bet that most of America (maybe not you and your family) think this way too. It just shows how skewed the American view on food really is..
Hi Lori. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree every person and family is different and everyone needs to do what works/is necessary for them. The posts focus was more about the concern by many about the amount of protein in our meals and pointing out that protein is in many more foods than what typically comes to mind (i.e. meat). Thanks again for brining another viewpoint to the discussion. Jill
I would be thrilled beyond words if my grandchildren ate a diet half as good as your children do! Just keep doing what you are doing and don’t worry about nay-sayers :-) .
I wholeheartedly agree!! In fact, I just wrote about plant based sources of protein in my recent newsletter. As a whole, we consume way too much. I think we just got so used to growing up with meat at every meal, and now portions at restaurants are double what we need. Great post!
Kellie McGarry
Certified Health Coach
You may have posted this before, but what is your recipe for homemade ranch dip? All that I have tried taste bad! Looking for that “Hidden Valley” buttermilk ranch taste, without all the garbage:)
Thank you!
Hi Amy. Here is the post…https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/01/recipe-ranch-flavored-dip/. Jill
http://www.livestrong.com/article/399555-why-is-protein-good-for-a-diet/
A good website and this is a link why protein is important, especially for an athlete burning lots of calories per day like myself. I agree people get stuck in fad diets, but without protein and a complex carbohydrate for meal time my body will not run properly. I am sluggish and have a head ache. Balance is the key!
Hi LoW. Thanks for the website. Just to clarify, protein is of course good and necessary,it’s just that we don’t need to focus and worry so much about any one specific nutrient like protein to ensure we are getting “enough”. Jill
I would be careful touting Livestrong as a reliable source. Most of their articles I have read tend to lean towards conventional diet advice as well as common misconceptions our society has about food. In my opinion, it’s information like this that leads to confusion amongst real food newcomers and those wanting to make the healthiest choices for their families. Use caution :)
Thanks for this post. I am not fixated on counting anything in our diet and nor do I have any strong feelings about protein (other than I do agree that most people over-emphasize protein). But, I do have a question….isn’t there something about complete vs. incomplete protein? Aren’t complete proteins only found in animal products (or even just meat)? Does it matter if most of your protein is “incomplete” or do you need to be sure you pair it with another “incomplete”? My MIL is always telling us “rice and beans make a complete protein!”
Also, we are largely vegetarian and, with a baby, we are often reminded (by medical folks) that we need to be sure we (and especially baby) are getting enough iron. Any thoughts on this?
Amanda,
I wish I had the source, but they have shown that the “incomplete proteins” don’t have to be in the same meal, so if over the course of the day you are eating for example beans and also eating WHOLE grains (brown rice, whole wheat, etc.) your body takes care of it. I used to think I needed to eat a certain amount of meat to feel full, and have actually found that not to be the case when I am eating plenty of good fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. (Iron is also found in dark leafy greens, beans, lentils, and other plant-based foods.
Allison is totally right, we no longer need to eat this with this to make a complete protein. As a 100% plant based family we never ever count anything. Protein deficiency is so rare in America. You would basically have to be starving yourself to be protein deficient. If you are eating a whole foods diet I would not worry. Those kids eating captain crunch for breakfast, school lunch for lunch and fast food for dinner would be more of a concern then someone who has taken special interest in their diet.
HI Amanda. I think another reader has weighed in on this but just in case you missed it…Complete proteins must contain all of the amino acids needed to build new proteins. They do not need to be combined with any other food to make a complete protein. Examples would be meat, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, yogurt and milk. Incomplete proteins on the other hand lack one or more essential amino acids in correct proportions. Examples are grains, nuts, seeds, beans, peas and corn. As for iron there are many vegetarian options high in iron such as raw pumpkin seeds (provide 30% of daily value), dark green leafy vegetables, beans, eggs, potatoes, grains and blackstrap molasses. Hope that helps. Jill
Amanda, protein is composed of 20 different types of amino acids. 8 of them are essential, meaning the human body can not synthesize them, and they hence have to be provided with the diet. The terms “complete protein”, “incomplete protein” and hence “protein combining” are nowadays considered somewhat outdated. True, proteins from dairy products, eggs, meat, and fish have an amino acid composition closer to the human body than proteins from plant sources. Most plant proteins are low in the one or other essential amino acid. Typical trouble-makers are lysine (low in corn, rice, etc.), methionine (low in legumes) and to a lesser extent threonine and tryptophan. It was therefore recommended for a long time to combine different food groups, e.g. rice & beans, potatoes & eggs in order to have a complete protein with one meal. That concept is considered now old-fashioned and the general believe is, that as long as you consume enough calories you are fine concerning protein/amino acid intake. Protein and/or amino acid deficiencies are very rare in developed countries. However, I have seen them in crazy/extreme vegetarians/vegans with extreme nutritional believes and hence one-sided diets. Amino acid deficiencies are also present amongst poor people in developing countries with one-sided diets (e.g. rice in Asia, corn in South America).
Thanks for posting this! I try to get a breakfast in my son that contains protein (such as dairy, peanut butter, eggs etc.) Because I really feel like he is more balanced and happier throughout the day that way. But I agree that most Americans eat a lot more protein than they need to! (my husband for example, eats a very high protein diet, but his activity level does not warrant it, it’s just the food he likes.)
I appreciate your balanced, logical approach, and your resistance to peer pressure on this issue!
Yes…and Thank You! It is a lot of work to figure out all of those numbers. It takes the joy right out of the meal. I answer this question fairly often, even with my hubby. We have been making baby steps to changing over our diet for awhile now. I am pleased with our progress, but he still thinks that a chunk if meat is required for a meal to be wholesome and filling. More baby steps….
Mine too! I wish I could make him happy with just veggies!
LOVE this post. Crazy thing is I am vegan and can get 70-110g protein in a day with NO meat or dairy! 15g of that is my fave Choc. protein smoothie, but even without that, like you TONS of protein, AND calcium. Quinoa has 10g protein and it is a grain. :)
It’s not just protein, though. The glorification and vilification of micronutrients has become so prevalent in modern nutrition that how the food is actually sourced is overlooked.
My daughter has a metabolic disorder where she needs to limit her protein to just 6 grams per day (and then she is on a fake protein supplement since that is too little protein to be healthy).
Trust me, it is very hard to find healthy foods to feed my daughter to get her only six grams of protein. All foods have protein except oil, vinegar and sugar.
My challenge to anyone who thinks we are not getting enough, try to limit yourself to only 40 grams (or whatever number is right for your body) for a couple of days. It would be a challenge.
I am a vegetarian and have been for over six years. I follow a mostly whole food diet. I also get migraines and have several food triggers, so I am very conscious about what I put into my body. But I can’t tell you how many times people assume I get migraines because I’m vegetarian and don’t get enough protein. Honestly, I find it kind of annoying because it assumes I’m choosing to suffer from terrible migraines or that I’m too dumb/stubborn to do anything about it, which is the opposite of true. It also reveals a very present mindset in America that protein=meat and that protein is the most important aspect of a diet. I don’t count calories, but eat a wide variety of protein- and iron-rich foods, including beans, almonds, seeds, leafy greens, dairy, eggs, quinoa, whole grains, etc.
I have been on a mostly Whole Foods lifestyle for about 3 months now and my migraines are worse than ever. I cannot figure this out! It’s beyond frustrating and I swear I do everything possible before succumbing to taking an Advil. I also try to drink at least 100oz of water a day. What do you do to get rid of your migraines? I think the only thing I haven’t tried yet is essential oils..
Jessica, it is possible that your body is detoxing. I know when I went vegetarian for a year (for health reasons, and it turned out to be wrong for me, but was still a great experience), the first two months were hell while my body sweated and otherwise eleminated the toxins. After that, it got better. Have you discussed it with your doctor or a naturopath?
I don’t get migraines, but when my head is hurting, I usually have hot tea. For me, “just” water never seems to do the trick unless I force myself. So I mix things in or drink it hot. Mint tea, pomegranite tea, chamomile, etc… sometimes black tea, as it does nice things to my digestion. If it’s water, I’ll put in a wee bit of honey or stevia and a splash of lemon juice, for a “lemonade” kind of drink which is good for me and hydrating. If you’re going to be working out and are worried about getting cramps from drinking cold water, add a sprinkle of ginger to it – it warms up your insides and allows you to drink the water cold. :)
Good luck!
Jessica,
I’m so sorry your migraines are bad! I sympathize with you as I have gone through periods where my headaches have been unbearable! The biggest adjustment I’ve made to control my migraines are to go on a migraine preventative diet. There are lots of known migraine trigger foods and the idea is to eliminate all of them from your diet for a couple of months to get them out of your system and the slowly reintroduce them, one at a time, to see what triggers migraines for you. It turns out some of my biggest triggers are foods that are in almost everything: white, yellow, and red onions, soy, peanuts, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, msg, fake sweeteners. It was this discovery that pushed my husband and I more fully into a real foods diet. I can control what goes into my body and I feel SO MUCH BETTER. I substitute green onions, leeks, or shallots for onions, I use almonds instead of peanuts, and otherwise avoid the other triggers as much as possible. Eating real food has also confirmed that I feel better when I don’t eat much sugar (maybe an occasional treat made at home) or foods with dye in them. I didn’t realize how poorly I felt until I started feeling better. Under my neurologist’s supervision, I used the book “Heal Your Headache” by Dr. David Buchholz. I would definitely consult your doctor before doing this, though, as the regimen in the book calls for you to cut out preventative meds and might not be the right answer for you.
I do a bunch of other things to avoid migraines as well. Try to get a consistent night’s sleep (I get a migraine from too much or too little sleep), eat on time and eat a balanced meal plus snacks, avoid strong smells, avoid bright lights (I wear a hat in fluorescent lights because those give me nasty headaches), etc. As prescribed by my neurologist, I take a high dose of B-2 daily to lessen the frequency and intensity of migraines. I also have to take a prescription pain pill a couple times a month for debilitating migraines that won’t go away. I don’t love this, but I have tried not taking it, and it just makes the migraines more painful and last longer, so I still take the drugs when necessary.
Other good options for a headache: ice your head/neck to reduce inflammation, massage the muscle between your thumb and pointer finger, stretch your neck and shoulders, massage your neck (I have a tennis ball that I use to give good, deep muscle massages), drink a lot of water. One osteopath I went to suggested chugging some Gatorade when a headache starts. I don’t prefer this since Gatorade is definitely not a “real food” and I don’t really like the way it tastes, but it has worked for me before. The osteopath says it has something to do with the electrolytes. I hope your headaches feel better soon! (Sorry this comment ended up being so long! It’s not a quick answer and, unfortunately, the answers are different for everyone.)
Sorry, I just wanted to be clear that the foods that are triggers for me may not be triggers for other people. There’s a whole long list of potential triggers, and things that might be triggers for one person are not necessarily the triggers for someone else. If you read the book, you will begin to understand the idea behind the method. Anyway, I didn’t want you to think that you could just avoid the things I avoid and it would be all fixed for you. Sadly, it’s not that easy with migraine. It’s a very individual disease that effects people differently. I hope you figure yours out!
Jocelyn and Allison,
Thanks for the advice! I have had headaches for a few years now and its really disappointing that they would be so bad when i try to fix them naturally and they have only gotten worse. I did visit a doctor back in August and the first thing he suggested, before I even got done telling him my symptoms, was medication. I was a little irritated by the fact that he was so quick to prescribe me something without even hearing my full story. I denied the medication and told him I would like to change my diet first before jumping to extremes and he was okay with that. Jocelyn, you suggested that some of those foods are problems for you, honestly I rarely eat any of those! I’m not a coffee drinker by any means and I stopped drinking pop back in middle school (so its been many a years!! Lol) I’m also not fond of onions..I am thinking its probably like Allison suggested and my body is detoxifying, I just don’t understand why it’s taking so long! Do either of you know if there are any foods I could eat that help with migraines? It could just be that I am missing something in my diet. I am hoping it will be an easy fix because so far, glasses drinking a lot of water and a diet change hasn’t helped. Thanks again for the advice!!
I would encourage you to read Heal Your Headache to see the full list of foods that can be migraine triggers for different people. It includes yogurt, cheese, fresh bread, avocados, nuts and nut butters, etc. A lot of the foods are things that are part of a healthy diet for other people. I eliminated all of the foods on the list from my diet for 3 months to try to get them out of my system and then added one item in at a time over the course of the next year to try to get some of those foods back in my diet. It was especially challenging for me being a vegetarian and cutting out cheese, nuts and nut butters, and yogurt. If I was as aware back then of all the great vegan recipes out there, I would have probably had an easier time. :o) I also eliminated all prescription meds, including hormonal birth control, under my doctor’s advice. It was definitely challenging, but ultimately worth it because I know for sure what my triggers are. Some people have food allergies/intolerances that can lead to migraines as well, such as wheat or gluten or dairy. You might start keeping a food journal or calendar that lists what you eat on a daily basis and if you get a headache. You might start seeing patterns emerge that you didn’t expect. I certainly did.
I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful. I wish there was some magical food or exercise that would solve every person’s migraines! I would try to find another doctor or naturopath who is willing to help guide you through this process. Over the years, I have gotten help from neurologists, osteopaths, physical therapists, accupuncturists, and general MDs for my migraines and it’s still an ongoing journey. For some people, meds are the only way to control their headaches, but for me, I’ve found a combination of lifestyle/diet changes and some medication keep me feeling healthy and functional.
I have really altered my concept of protein in the past year. If I am having chicken I have a half of chicken breast…that is all I really need or I am too full…this way I have lots of room for the other yummy whole foods I eat. I have started using beans much more too. I am really limiting my intake of dairy so seek elsewhere for the protein. I do use rice protein in my morning smoothie, which is full of greens too…all in all i feel much better.
I do eat lots of meat – preferably once a day, but generally at least 5 times a week. If I don’t I get terrible headaches, fatigue, and my depression gets worse. I have no explanation as to WHY this happens, but my body basically shuts down without meat. I totally agree that meat is not the only source of protein, and is over-done in our culture. When I pack my daughter’s school lunch, I tend to lump dairy and protein in the same category – I try to pack a fruit, veggie, a carb, and a protein/dairy item. Some days homemade mac n cheese, is the carb and protein/dairy, some days it is meat … it totally depends on the day (and the leftovers).
Love, love, love this! I often need to remind my clients of how easy it is to get their protein allotment in!
Thanks for posting! I have recently gone meatless several days a week and feel better about what I’m doing now that I realize I’m getting more protein than I thought! Now, to convince my husband ;).
love this post! my husband thinks you must have meat at lunch and dinner and I say blah to that! you can get tons of nutrition and taste from non meats. I am not a vegetarian but have no problem eating a vegetarian meal so when we got married it was an adjustment. But I started sneaking in meals without meat. he would complain at first but now he doesn’t. It is cost saving to skip the meats once in a while and with the right recipes yo can have just as satisfying meal. I always think your kids lunches look wonderful :)
I have been following your blog for a while and it drives me crazy that people question what you feed your kids!!! Unreal. I love what you are doing thank you for all your meal ideas!
Our bodies know what we need if you just listen…
Being a vegetarian, I am often asked “where do you get your protein?” It really gets old. Thanks for the post!!!
The only time I ever counted the number of grams of protein I got in a day was when I was pregnant and was recommended 80 – 100 grams of protein. I actually had a hard time getting that amount until I started eating whole grains with every meal. But after counting in the milk and the protein from beans, vegetables and nuts, it’s definitely true that we don’t need meat at every meal.
So sorry to be anonymous, I just haven’t announced it on my blog yet so don’t want to use my real name.
I am pregnant and am suddenly finding myself having to count protein. I am having a heck of a time getting enough protein in my diet while eating real foods. I don’t really want a huge chunk of steak with every meal and 71 grams of protein seems quite frankly OBSCENE to me! I do eat a little meat every day, plus I get a decent amount of protein from dairy and a small amount from fruits and veggies. A lot of people have been telling me to eat protein bars but I am disgusted by the chemical tastes and ingredients in those. What are your thoughts on the protein issue in pregnancy?
Hi Anonymous. My only suggestion would be to eat a well balanced, whole food diet. I’m not sure what the protein recommendations are for pregnant women…I might suggest checking with your doctor to determine this and the appropriate diet. Best of luck to you. Jill
I so agree with you about the un-necessary emphasis on protein in this country. What we have is a fruit and vegetable deficiency. How many of us worry about getting the recommended 5-9 servings a day. That is where we should be taking notice and upping our intake.
Thank you for this post, I just found your blog and I really enjoy it! I do not eat meat except for fish, some eggs and dairy (if my tummy handles it). I am questioned often about my protein intake, this increased DRAMATICALLY when I got pregnant and I totally agree with you that with a varied diet you get all the protein you (and baby in my case!) need! So many great sources of protein out there- kale, spinach, quinoa, nuts, coconut oil, beans, and oats….
Keep up the great info and meal ideas! : )
I read an article that suggested our dietary problems might be from our lack of history with food. Since we are a relatively young country, we don’t have dishes that have been passed down through generations and instead we are easily swayed by current trendy diets (Atkins, etc.) I just thought this protein debate is probably similar to what the article was talking about.
We don’t count anything either. What freedom! I know my kids are healthy and strong because I don’t give them anything that is not ok. Everything else balances out on its own and comes out in the wash.
The documentary “Forks Over Knives” has some really interesting info about the over-consumption of protein in American diets, worth watching.
I just watched this the other day! This blog post reminded me of it. Thanks for bringing this up because I could not for the life of me get the name off the tip of my tongue! It was very eye opening, especially when the dairy part was discussed. Who knew!
That looks so much like the lunches my mom used to pack for me as a kid. :)
I don’t understand the protein obsession either. I work with the military, and believe me, it can be an obsession. “but, we’re athletic” they say. Sure, some of them really do need the calories and proteins, but unless your Michael Phelps or a NFL player, the majority of people maybe exercise an hour a day, and the rest have a sitting office job for eight hours.
Not sure I need eight chicken breasts to get me through that…lol
I think that many of the people who question the packed lunches don’t realize that nutrition isn’t one meal, it’s what you eat over the course of the day or even the week. You shouldn’t have to justify your food choices, but it’s instructive to see how you balance all the macronutrients over the day, so thank you!
For my part I try to keep track of my protein because increasing my protein intake and decreasing carbs helped me lose some really stubborn weight which I’d like to keep off, but that’s just me — I hope I’d never presume to prescribe my particular way of eating for anyone else. I’m happy with it, but what works for me may or may not work for someone else.
Yay for this article! The only person I cook meat for is my husband, and my 3 small kids and I get most of our protein from milk products, vegetables, and nuts! I’m tired of people thinking that meat is the only way to get protein.
I am glad you posted this.
Since starting real food I have been having a hard time worrying about how much of any given macro/micro nutrient that my family is eating on a daily basis. I used to read the nutritional label on EVERYTHING when we ate processed food to see how many calories, protein, carbs, fat, etc the product had. Since I can’t do that with about 80% of what we are eating right now, I’m constantly worrying that we aren’t getting enough of something.
However, after reading this, I think I need to take a step back and think. My family eats well rounded meals consisting entirely of real food. It’d be pretty unlikely that we are lacking in any specific macro or micro nutrient.
This post made me feel much better!
This is so true! Since we have become vegetarian so many people, (including our pediatrician!!)have asked how we get enough protein. The truth is that the standard American diet actually contains too much protein. We don’t even eat a lot of dairy and we still get plenty of protein. I just recently found your site and have been enjoying it.
I think that fat-phobia and to a lesser degree, sugar- and carb-phobia leave protein as the “innocent” macronutrient. So it’s easy to say eat more protein.
The % of calories from protein is usually 15-20 for humans, whether you are restricting carbs or not, it’s just the balance of fat and carbs that is different. Few people actually eat a “high protein” diet. If they are over-consuming protein then they are likely over-consuming everything else and sometimes that’s appropriate (ie, pregnancy). I wouldn’t use USDA guidelines for diet as they’re serving the agriculture industry and not human health.
But that aside, there are a few reasons people may rely on meat and other animal products for protein:
– nutrient density, with liver topping the list. Lots of nutrition in a small package.
– Animal foods offer complete proteins.
– carbohydrate/starch/fiber intolerance. People with poor blood sugar control, high triglycerides/cholesterol, IBS, tooth decay and other issues may restrict these things, making it difficult to piece together enough for a daily requirement.
– grain, legume, egg & dairy intolerance. Diets that address certain health issues like autoimmune conditions often eliminate these groups of foods.
– bone broth and bones from canned fish are reliable sources of calcium for people on dairy-free diets
– food allergy. Non-meat protein sources are common allergens (nuts, peanuts/legumes/soy, milk, egg, corn, wheat)
– cold water fatty fish are the best sources of long chain omega-3 fats. Conversion from short chain plant sources is poor, especially in males.
– lean tissue growth. People wishing to increase their lean body mass, pregnant ladies, growing children, etc. can all benefit from a steady supply of protein. Again, I wouldn’t rely on the USDA for the best information on requirements. I would look up calculators with the specific goals in mind and shoot for an optimal level, not just the bare minimum/adequate.
I love this post. It drives me crazy when people insist on counting carbs, calories, protein, etc. Just eat real food and stop worrying about it! It is conforting to know that protein can be found in so many other sources, because my husband recently joined the Air Force ROTC program and needs a lot of protein after his workouts.
Thank you for this! I think a protein is the “fad nutrient” out there right now, and with that, most people don’t realize that meat isn’t the only way to get protein. People have looked at me like I’m crazy before when I tell them that I eat meat AT MOST one meal a day, and sometimes no meat at all. They don’t know how I can stay full. But there are so many filling protein sources out there that aren’t meat! And I totally agree that counting calories and other things is just stressful and overwhelming. Eat healthy and balanced whole foods, and everything will fall into place.
Love this post. I’ve never been one to count calories, or grams of any particular nutrient, or anything. I just eat a healthy varied diet and call it good. I lived in France as a teenager and really enjoyed seeing how much they truly enjoy their food. It made a big impact on me. Food is to be enjoyed, not just consumed.
When I was pregnant and required to eat 60-80g of protein a day, I found that my average count was 75g without even trying. I was eating the same things I always ate, just more because I was hungry all the time. :)
If you’re eating a good variety of foods, if you’re balancing the different types of food, you don’t have to worry about balancing the nutrients. It will happen automatically.
I think it’s interesting you had a required protein goal while pregnant. Not once did my OB or a nurse or any medical professional mention food to me during my pregnancy (three years ago.) I actually had to ask for an information sheet regarding over the counter medications. It also goes to show how different people’s medical experiences can be and how much more healthy lifestyle information could be shared to help people along their journey.
Protein isn’t the real issue in my opinion, as much as it is the amino acids. However if you are consuming fish, eggs, sea vegetables, nuts, legumes, even dairy, you are not going to lack the proper amino acid needed in the body. Americans are too concerned about their meat! In reality…simply adding a handful of cashews or almonds to a lunch can be so healthy.
Lisa – Have you read “The China Study?” Lots of interesting information regarding protein (and milk consumption). According to the book, plants have “better” protein than animal protein, so meat isn’t even needed.
Hey Mindy the China study is seriously flawed — wouldnt suggest making decisions or judgements on anything based on it —
Scott,
If that is your opinion ok, but can you back it up? I would encourage people to read the book and then look at the actual research from the on going study. There is lots of information out there on both sides of the issue and just saying it is flawed does not help anyone.
Scott – please do back up your comments, if you can. I have been trying to research Paleo (high fat, high animal protein) vs. China Study (low fat, low animal protein) and would love more info.!
Regardless of whether or not “The China Study” is flawed, it still recommends a whole-foods approach to eating, which I think most everyone could agree with.
I have not read it, but I have seen Forks over Knives, which is the same premise. Definitely some good information although we don’t eat the exact same diet they recommend. There is some overlap though in the fact that they avoid highly processed food as well!
My youngest daughter is just not a meat eater…she just doesn’t really care for it. She’ll eat a bite of meat now and then but it’s certainly not her favorite. I asked her doctor about this one time and he said, as a society, we eat too much meat anyway, and she’s most likely getting plenty of protein from other sources (yogurt, nuts, eggs, etc.) so not to even worry about it. So like you say, we don’t count anything…protein, carbs, calories, etc…nothing, and we’re all getting along just fine and staying healthy. :)
Thank you for your blog!!! I’ve never been pushed to eat so much protein till I was pregnant with my son. Now my husband’s concern is whether my son is eating enough protein. If I were to give our son the meal you just posted, I think my husband would stress about not enough protein in there. My little guy is 3.
Meat consumption is associated with osteoporosis. Study after study has shown that animal protein leaches calcium from bones, whereas vegetables help the bones retain calcium. You can pour all the milk you want over your diet, but if you’re washing down a big old hunk of steak, you’re still gonna have a net bone loss.
I was glad to see this. I think the people who are overly concerned about protein are probably ones who are consuming low fat/no fat/light/lite products. Before I made the switch, I did too. But, eating 1/2 c or so of whole milk yogurt makes me feel much more satisfied than my fat free kind ever did. Real food holds me over a lot longer than my old “healthy” food staples.
Actually, it was kind of funny… last night I was in line at the grocery store and one of my coworkers pulled her cart in behind mine. She said oh my goodness, you barely have anything in there. But in fact, I had grabbed what we normally use for the week and stuff for the 4 dinners I had planned. I make my bread and bagels from scratch and my husband is in love with Lisa’s granola cereal. We definitely don’t feel the need to snack as much as we used to because our meals hold us over.
THANK YOU for this post. I have been a vegetarian since I was 5 and the most frequent question I am asked is “where do you get your protein?” So many people are caught up in the scientific breakdown of grams and calories in the food they are eating—that they completely miss the ingredient label, which is in my opinion the MOST important part.
Question: I follow the recommended guidelines in doing strength training 3xs per week, as well as getting my cardio in..I’m actually training for a marathon, so I get a lot of cardio in. I know that you need to replace your protein…so as an active fit person, do I need more protein? I don’t want to have to count, which I love about this article (and please forgive me because I’m new to this, coming from a time when I do count and watch things), I just want to know that I’m doing things correctly. Thank you!
Hi Jessi. I can’t say whether or not you need more protein. Perhaps you should consider checking with your doctor? Jill
This comment is not specifically about protein per se, but I feel our serving sizes are so distorted that if we don’t see a large dinner plate loaded with food, we think it’s too little. Even my husband serves our kids like they are adults. When I first saw your lunches I thought that it wasn’t very much, but after awhile I realized it that I am just used to these oversized portions and correct portions look minuscule. So following that line of thinking, smaller portions equate to not enough (insert nutrient here). We are trying to transition over to healthier eating and I don’t see our kids having any less energy or side effects.
Thanks so much for posting this – I am ALWAYS told I do not eat enough protein because I eat mainly vegetables and people don’t see a lot of meat. I did the same as you and looked back over my typical week and feel like I have more than enough. Thanks again.
Darlene
There is a wide difference in how the body absorbs different protein sources – so counting mere grams wont help in determining how much protein the body is actually able to use — agree that amino acids key — is very important to consider the bioavailability of proteins — and why a varied diet is so important. My kids have a undenatured newzealand happy cow (grass fed, no hormones, antibiotics, milked only in season) whey protein meal shake every morning — at least I know they get that regardless whatever else they may or may not get the rest of the day!
I think this blog entry is great, good advice, and true for many, but there’s one important factor that I think is not being considered- we are all different. Our bodies, our chemistry, each person’s body works a little differently from every others. I’ve studied nutrition on my own a long time, but here’s the truth for me: Yes, the lunch on Facebook makes me practically black out because I’m one of those people who needs protein. After 40 years of living, I’ve accepted it. I have celiac disease and cannot eat almost every food listed in Lisa’s list of what she eats in a day. A vegetarian friend recently said that she’s heard other people describe my symptoms – blood sugar crashing, hands shaking, etc., when not eating enough protein (not from too much sugar intake, either). She said that eating lots of protein makes her feel the same way NOT eating meat makes me feel – awful- yet she and I are opposites dietetically. Whether you buy into the Blood Type Diet or not, there are many truths in it for me. I’m Type O and have experienced problems with much that’s excluded for Os before I ever heard of the diet. I have also found that my children crash emotionally when they haven’t had enough protein -i.e., if they ate the lovely Facebook lunch they would unravel by the afternoon. A little milk and cheese, for them, goes a long way. Thank you for this great blog and for considering feedback.
PS – I do agree that Americans have gone wild over protein with bars, shakes, etc. And we eat too much meat and cheese- if we just reduced portion sizes and ate healthy meat… we wouldn’t have so many issues with obesity, gout and more.
Hi Carrie. Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your insights. We are glad you are enjoying the blog. Jill
A need to have a chunk of meat is definitely North American way of thinking and we need to break. I grew up in Japan until I was 20 and I now live in Canada for over 20 years. I haven’t had so much meat until I came to Canada. I currently stay away from meat as much as I can and I still feel like I am eating too much. I don’t see North American kids lacking protein. And Lisa is right – if you are eating a variety of whole foods, you don’t need to worry about every ingredients.
I’m vegetarian and I’m so tired of everyone asking how I get my protein or accusing me of not eating any protein. Grrr!
ME TOO! People really are obsessive about it, and the truth is that many Americans get too much animal protein, which increases risk of heart disease.
Hooray for not counting anything. I got rid of my scale years ago and other than trying to eat “real” and avoid junk, counting is just too much for my brain. :)
Well said, I made the lunch today with a half of a whole wheat pita, 1 cup of cucumber slices, 1/4 cup of greek yogurt & 2 tbsp of hummus. PLENTY of protein!! People do what they’re conditioned to do, this site helps break those preconceived notions, and I love it :)
PS: One more thing, if you make your own yogurt, you can pour the whey into other dishes to add protein if you like to do that sort of thing. :)
Thank you for this post. I TOTALLY agree that Americans on the SAD diet get way to much protein. I too, am tired of explaining that my family gets enough protein. We try to limit meat consumption to 3 oz or less per day. Because, frankly, if we make half our plate vegetables and then eat a ton of meat, there isn’t room for anything else like bread, pasta, potatoes, etc. Plus, organic humanely raised meat is expensive! So, if I make a steak, my husband and I split it. When I make taco meat I add black beans to the hamburger. Obviously we go over 3 ounces some days, but most weeks we only have meat or eggs 4-5 times. I am not concerned about any of our families protein intake as we consume plenty of milk, cheese, yogurt, beans, peanut butter, nuts, oatmeal, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, etc. Also, my husband actually prefers this style style of eating over a large hunk of meat and some potatoes.
I think everyone is so bioi-individually different, that it is hard to do a post like this. Protein keeps your insulin levels in check quite a bit differently than other foods. I , too, eat a real food lifestyle, but because we are celiac, we are gf. I canoot eat something like pancakes, even whole grain or almold flour without feeling shaky and sick. If I eat, say eggs instead, no blood sugar drops on the radar.
I am not saying that your kiddos are not getting enough protein, but please understand that there are many, many people who need the higher intake.
I so agree with Nicole! I am gluten intolerant (and have a few other food intolerances), hypoglycemic and have scary low blood pressure if I don’t keep my protein intake up. I appreciate the sentiment of the blog post completely, but it should be qualified with a health recommendation to know your body type and be mindful that there are many who need to carefully monitor their protein intake–especially if they are diabetic or have adrenal fatigue issues. As long as we are eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and choosing healthy sources for protein, we really don’t need to fear a lot of consequences for eating a high quantity of protein.
Oh, and I do see her disclaimer at the bottom of the article. Just think it could be highlighted in more detail that some of us can’t throw caution to the wind on this one.
Excellent post….thank you.
Can I come live with you for a week? Or even better you come live with me and feed our family. Just kidding! Although the offer still stands. :)
Good for you for being “protein savvy.” We only need about a half gram per pound of body weight per day (and can do just fine on much less). As a dietitian, I am always astounded at how much protein my clients think they need. I worked with a family that was adding pasteurized eggs to their 3 year old daughter’s chocolate milk at breakfast because they were so convinced she needed more. She was exceeding recommended intake for the whole day by 8:00am!
So a 200lb woman (of which there are many, I’m 5’8″ and more round and heavier than I wish, but very active and weight train 3x/week) would need 100g of protein? That’s a LOT more than the recommended 46g and since I’m not used to eating a lot of meat I now have to actually work at getting enough protein.
In a typical day I might have 2 eggs for breakfast (12g), a cup of yogurt (8g), 2oz of sliced meat and some sunflower seeds over my large lunchtime salad (14g), and 4oz of fish or meat (23g) with dinner. I eat a lot of vegetables, some GF grains (usually just w/ dinner) and 1-2 servings of fruit daily. I drink water. That’s only 57g of protein. Apparently not nearly enough.
It’s hard to know which numbers to go by… And I generally don’t, but crunching these numbers explains to me why I’m constantly feeling the need to have more protein. According to the 1/2 gram per lb of body weight, I DO need much more!
I’m no protein expert, but I did read the latest Bob Harper book “The Skinny Rules” and he also advocates the 1/2 gram per pound of body weight rule. But focusing on the point of this post, I think the idea would be to eat lots of real foods, include some meats, and make a big deal about counting the grams. If you crave more, there’s a good indication your body needs more. It’s so hard to learn to listen to our bodies again after listening to external cues for so long isn’t it? Hope that helps. Also, I’ve found that when I cut out processed foods like, say, chips, I add more protein from cheese and eggs, almost by accident.
Hello MrsH,
I am a Registered Dietitian. Don’t worry, the recommendation is 0.8 grams of protein/KG of body weight. For you that equates to 73 grams protein/day, which is very achievable and healthful! May I suggest switching to Greek Yogurt for an extra 10 grams or so a day?
Happy healthy eating!
The rule is actually 1/2 gram per pound of LEAN body weight. Use your ideal “thin” body weight rather than you actual weight.
Ok so this is one of my concerns with the whole protein “debate” and what I think Lisa also gets frustrated with — where are all these rules coming from?! Just from reading these comments I’ve seen multiple figures given. So I would ask – does it matter? According to Lisa’s logic it doesn’t / shouldn’t. But then I see where I may need to eat 100+ grams a day to be giving my body what is needs. Am I the only one confused?!
This is excellent information and has eased a few concerns I have had regarding protein, especially in my children.
Lisa-
I’ve noticed you mention in several posts that your kids eat boxed cereal for breakfast and rice cakes at lunch. Are these not considered processed foods? I would consider these highly processed. I realize I’m in the minority from most of the commenters here, but I think that more people are eating more protein as they try to reduce their carbs, which have been linked to many inflammatory diseases. It’s all very complicated, isn’t it? I love your blog. Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in to the discussion.
Hi Lynne. Glad you are enjoying the blog. The cereal Lisa’s kids eat is the homemade granola, so, no boxed cereals. And, as for the rice cakes, they’re the Lundberg brown rice cakes which only contain organic brown rice. Hope that helps to clear things up. Jill
This is funny! Who’d have thought so many people would have an opinion on the school lunches you make? I think it’s just lack of education when comments like protein come up. Right? I used to think the only sources of protein were from meat and eggs. In general, I think a lack of healthy eating is from a lack of education. If it’s not taught in the home…and not at school…then alot of children don’t necessarily learn what they need (for when they become parents and then teach another generation). In my opinion – the breakdown happened around the time that convenience foods became big. Whenever that was. Grocery stores used to be tiny, they didn’t offer aisles of processed foods, it was mainly produce and milk and a few canned items.
Hear, hear! Love your blog, even though I don’t have kids. Love the ideas and information, and completely agree with your philosophy on food. Keep up the good work, and ignore the haters who say you’re not adding enough protein!
I’m French, and I have to agree. Food for us is about pleasure, family, taking time, cooking. Not about counting, and certainly not about fat-free everything, egg whites or diet soda!
Thank you so much for this information other will help me explain to people that my hisbsnf and I are really ok and getting enough protein. We have over the past 3 years become vegetarians which most of our family does not understand. We did it for medical reasons for my husband.
Lisa you ROCK!!!! I support you 200%!!!
I don’t think Lisa needs to defend or justify her kids’ lunches to anyone. Nor does she need to blog with concern for every possible food allergy, food intolerance, metabolic disorder, or food fetish conceivable. Thankfully my family has no allergies, intolerances, or illnesses of any kind that prevent us from eating anything and everything. You name it, we eat it… as long as it real food from good sources and we prepared it ourselves. We eat such a varied diet that counting nutrients seems totally unnecessary and a waste of time. We may not get a large dose of protein at every meal, but so what? We’ll get it at the next meal. Nutrition is cumulative (so is poor nutrition).
Lisa’s point, forgive me for speaking for her, is getting lost in the food anxieties expressed in this comments section. I believe her point is that if you eat a varied diet consisting of all the awesome real foods nature has to offer, you’re going to get the nutrients your body needs without needing to count anything. This is GENERAL advice meant for those who don’t have medical problems. I would hate to see her blog overtaken by warnings about every possible allergy known to man and a few yet to be invented.
Relax. Enjoy your food… whatever it is.
Zoe, I agree with you 100%. :-) Well stated.
Just found your blog through the emeals Family Week. Great post! I’ll be reading more for sure. Thanks for the great blog topic.
New Reader,
Julie (Austin, Texas)
Thank you, thank you, thank you Lisa! I have enjoyed all the recipes you have shared. To my surprise, so has my family (I never thought I could get away with a whole foods menu). You have made feeding my family a wonderfully simple daily task. On the subject of protein and whole foods, I came away from a new pediatrician’s office with this advice, “Switch to fat-free milk” for my 4 yr. old. Whole milk has too much fat which is bad for the heart. I don’t know much about the connection, so I was wondering if you had any information to share. Thank you!
Off the top of my head… The fat that is bad for us is trans fat (found in foods like margarine); as far as I am aware heart health has very little to do with milk fats, even though whole milk does contain saturated fat (which is turning out not to be as bad for us as nutritional science told us).
Now, milk from commercial dairy farms is higher in omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3, and there is some theorizing that the ratio of 6s to 3s in your diet can affect health… (which is why many health-conscious people take fish oil, as seafood is naturally higher in omega 3 fatty acids) but cows fed what they were meant to eat (grass) have “healthier” milk with more balanced fatty acid levels. If that’s a concern, buy milk from grass-fed cows. It’s an expensive switch but it’s much better for you all ’round (no antibiotics, no growth hormones, happier cows not fed unnaturally on corn!). Personally I think taking the fat out of milk is absurd. Fat helps us take up the other nutrients in our food, so fat-free anything is less nourishing from what I understand. We NEED fat to stay healthy and grow!
Ask your pediatrician for the studies and research that prove that a switch to fat-free milk is better and do some reading on your own :)
Hi Esther. I wold suggest you take a look at these posts on low-fat dairy products, including milk. https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/15/mini-pledge-week-6-no-low-fat-lite-or-nonfat-food-products/. You may also be interested in this post on milk…https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/06/07/milk-101-whole-raw-organic-low-fat-etc/. Jill
Another fantastic post! Your info is very accurate. Americans are over-fixated on protein. As with most things in our diets, we get an abundance of protein. The recommendation is 0.8 grams of protein per KG of body weight (divide your lbs by 2.2, then multiply by 0.8 for protein grams).
Thanks, Lucie (MS, RD, LD)
This is really off-topic, but has anyone ever looked at the ingredients in bottled water? I looked at one today that had water, potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium citrate, sodium chloride, and magnesium oxide. I’m not exactly sure what all of those are, but I do know they are not water. Who knew that you would have to look at the ingredients on a water bottle?! I sure didn’t before now.
Sydney, are that really ingredients or just naturally occurring elements in the water you bought? Anyway, they all are minerals. Unless you buy purified/distilled/de-ionized water every water has a wide variety of minerals in it – most of them harmless (calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc.), some of them harmful if present in too large amounts (arsenic, etc.). The same holds true for tap water. Numerous studies have found, that in areas with “hard” water (that means there are naturally a lot of minerals in the tap water) the rate of heart diseases is significantly lower than in areas with “soft” water. Unfortunately, like with almost everything, Americans have to mess around with water. So instead of just natural spring water, you find purified water, purified water with some additions for taste (I guess yours is one of those) etc. in the shelfs. Long story short, the minerals in your water are harmless unless you are using it for infant foods, there you have to watch out the sodium content.
You are right, I shouldn’t worry about it. I guess I was just caught off-guard when I saw that there was more than one ingredient on the label. I figured it was the “minerals added for taste”, I just didn’t know why they would have to add so many, as most waters I have purchased just say water. Thank you for your insight, though, as I don’t know that much about the water purification process and hoped someone else would know something that would help. :)
This is from The Mediterranean Diet by Marissa Cloutier. I think it may explain where some of our beliefs about protein came from: In the early 20th century researchers were just learning what nutrients that were missing from our diets could affect our health:
“One significant example of this research emphasis was the work of several British investigators, including Corey Mann and Boyd Orr. In the first half of the twentieth century, these two researchers attempted to remedy the problem of why the working classes in northern England and Scotland — the groups reproducing at a higher rate than the aristocracy — seemed to be getting shorter and thinner. The government of Great Britain was concerned. Prominent was the notion that the ‘lower’ classes were simply genetically inferior, but how could Britain compete in an increasingly global world as a colonial power if their very genetic stock was degenerating? Was there anything they could do to restore the working class? Was the answer within the realm of human control?
“Mann and Orr embarked on an investigation to determine whether anything could be done to induce growth in short children. Sure enough, the results of feeding studies using short children as subjects revealed that feeding butter and sugar induced weight gain but no height increase; children fed milk or meat supplements, on the other hand, grew taller. The British working class wasn’t genetically lacking — it was malnourished! Public policy began to evolve in conjunction with farmers and social activists to provide milk in schools, milk and orange juice to pregnant and nursing mothers, and, once World War II began, milk and meat rations equally to all classes. Food production became a major priority for many nations, not just Great Britain. ‘Avoid deficiencies’ was the battle cry.”
Where we got the idea that protein leads to satiety I’m not sure. Maybe it’s from those who stand to benefit from it.
I’ve just been learning how we get way too much protein in America, very timely article for me =) It’s interesting that protein deficiencies are unheard of in America. If we really were close to being deficient this obviously wouldnt be the case…
THANK YOU for this post. I was a strict vegetarian for a long time and even though it ended up not working out for my body, protein wasn’t the reason. So many people were adamant that I wasn’t getting enough, but I was tracking my nutrition every day and getting enough or extra, even without eggs or dairy. Sometimes I look at a friend or coworker’s plate, and they’re putting away the RDV of protein in ONE MEAL. Not uncommon at all. Our society is just so sadly uninformed about nutrition. I think your kids’ lunches are beautiful and I wish I’d been raised the way you’re raising them – maybe I’d have less food allergies and difficulties now. I bought those Ziploc containers and pack lunches about that size every day, and I’m an active adult. It’s plenty for me. You’re a wonderful mom. Best to you.
Thanks for this post. I am a vegetarian and often get asked how I get my protein. I eat granola with Greek yogurt every morning for breakfast, and leftovers for lunch (usually with some kind of dairy or beans) and some fruit, then I include beans, yogurt or tofu in dinner. That’s plenty of protein without eating meat :)
I watched Forks over Knives a few months ago and eat very little meat now. I have more energy and all my lab tests are now NORMAL, which they have never been my entire life! (high cholesterol, borderline high blood sugar, etc.) If you are gluten free and trying to reduce your protein intake of meat and eggs, consider all your dark leafy green veggies and quinoa. I have sensitivities to meat and eggs, and I feel so much better without an abundance of them. I eat them a lot more sparingly now and I agree that who cares about counting your protein numbers? Now I am able to exercise for the first time in 15 years!
Thank you Lisa. I always worry that my kids don’t get enough protein. You put my mind at ease!
I’ll agree with you on that. I usually see my kids eat plenty of protein in the morning, then throughout the day they feed on fruit, veggies, nuts, some bread and the odd treat. One loves sardines, the other loves chicken, but to worry about getting enough protein at every meal is too much with kids. I have been quite happy with a balanced meal in the morning, and another at dinner, and we never count macros…thanks for the post. I love your site.
Karl
On the one hand, I agree with just eating to eat. I come from a Russian background. we immigrated when I was 4 years old. When my parents were growing up they drank fresh unpasteurized milk with that thick layer of fat on tip. They ate bread with butter pretty oftrn. the difference lies in several things. For one, portion size. In those days food was not exactly in abundance. The portions in this country have increase in such an obscene way tjat monitoring every little gram of this or that is the suggested alternative. In addition, the amount of vegetables consumed during the day is mostly unheard of here. to this day, and I am 26 years old, my russian wife and I have a cucumber and tomato salad with herbs three times a day. salad is consumed for almost every meal. unless youre an athlete or suffering from a health condition. Such monitoring and high amounts of protein really isnt necessary.
I love your blog and am going to try your recipes. As a mother of a child with type 1 diabetes I just have to add that for us it is ALL about counting, and there’s no such thing as just relaxing and enjoying our food. There are dire consequences for my son if we take that approach. Wish we could, though! We rely heavily on protein to fill him up on things other than carbs….just offering a different perspective, that’s all.
Shannon, I have been type 1 for over 30 years. (diagnosed at age 8). You don’t have to fill him up with protein…lots of veggies are “free” choices. And not all carbs are bad. My new favorite are beans…yes, a serving is high in carbs but you are also getting tons of fiber and protein. I have found that as I start eating healthy and “whole” my glucose control as gotten much better. No, you can’t stop counting, but you can still enjoy. I wish you and your family all the best.
Hi Shannon. Thanks for sharing your thoughts…we always appreciate that. As I think I’ve said before, everyone’s situation is different and we all need to do what is right for us. But, again, thanks for reminding us of this and sharing your perspective. Jill
I sent my older son and twins with the same lunch yesterday. The older son came back with food still uneaten. It was all healthy food. My kindergarteners came home and told me that the lunch ladies said their mom only packed snacks and I need to send a sandwich. They sent my kids to the lunch line like I was an abusive parent! They got home from school at 1 (so honestly who would starve on 2 hours of even a crappy lunch?) and the kids that ate the school lunch were starving and my son who ate what I packed didn’t ask for a snack til around 4. I was soooo ashamed at first but my husband reminded me what I packed had way more nutrition than a capri sun plus lunchable combo and they wouldn’t bat an eye at it. My kids are a lovely weight…not skinny, not fat. Anyway, it is really frustrated to be “called out” when I know what my kids feel full from and I know you feel the same way.
Good heavens! That’s terrible. I assume this is a public school. My foster son use to go to school early (I was working) and he would have breakfast at school until I found out they were feeding him a honey bun and chocolate milk! WHAT!!!! and they complained about your lunch you packed!!!!
Personally, I would go to the school and have a talk with the principle! I don’t know what state you are in but public school lack the right to force food on your child. You provided them with a lunch. I battled my sons lunch ladies until I went down with principle on my side and talked to them telling them why I feed my kids the way I’ do. I was nice but told them told them under any terms were my son not EVER to get in the lunch line. I had to teach them that the food I was serving was well balanced a d contained more then it looked.
Hi Mary. So sorry that happened, but, stick to your guns and do what you know is right. Best of luck. Jill
Hi Lisa,
First let me say – LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE your site.
I was hoping you may have some real food advice for the exhausted mom. Like many I am a working mom of 2 and I find that I am always super tired. Do you have any suggestions of real food to give a mom a boost?
Hi Working Mom. Glad you are enjoying the blog. My biggest suggestion would be to plan your meals on the weekend and do as much prep then. I would also try and make a meal so that you can at least have a night or 2 of leftovers. And, if you can freeze as much as possilbe, that’s helpful too. Best of luck to you and thanks for reading. Jill
if you haven’t read The China Study…I recommend it. We have waaaaay too much protein in our diets anyways….and plus you can get good sources from a balanced diet!! I agree :) great blog!
I completely agree – I have not read the article you refer too – but I lived in Japan for a year and the Japanese eat a variety of proteins with very little compared to the American Diet.
I used to have to track my intake on a daily basis. It got to be so much hassle that I stopped doing it and pretty much gained back all i lost because i wasn’t watching closely.
Switching to real, I can just worry about having good food and actually enjoying it. No math involved! :D
I am always telling people Americans eat way too much meat and it’s because of that line of thinking that we need lots of protein. Thanks for the post I hope the right people read it.
Actually Protein assists in the synthesis of building muscles. However in meat Carnitine is what we need, it transports energy to the cells and helps keep you alert. Ever notice that vegetarians always seem less energetic than those of us that eat red meat?
vegetarians are less energetic? I have not eaten most meat,since i was 16 ( i will on the rare occasion eat fish) my body doesnt process it properly and f i eat meat i get sick, on top of that i have a severe dairy allergy, as well as IBS. I have plenty of energy for my day and i work in a preschool taking care of 16 children for 9 hours a day ( im constantly moving) . yes, i do think about protien sources,because i am dairy free, as well as gluten free, but i notice that i have MORE energy than my counter parts at work. if i feel like im lagging its usually my body telling me im out of fuel, and i eat a hoomemade protien bar (love the recipes at chocolatecoveredkatie) and im good to go.
Both my children have always been dairy free because of allergies, and the almond milk our pediatrician recommends instead of soy is protein poor, with 1 gram per cup. Even accounting for that, they get more than the recommended intake of protein easily per day.
The whole food with variety idea is wonderful advice yet giving kids dairy milk as the only source of protein might not be the best thing since most of us know dairy is hard to digest and also not suitable if a child has a cold, since it aggravates mucus production. Nuts, hummus, plain yogurt are things I like to have around to balance the carbs & sugar. It’s great we aim to do what’s best for our children!
Hi Stacie, I read your comments about milk and am thinking you must be talking about pasteurized milk, which is a processed food. Real milk is raw, and healthy, vitamin rich, nutrient dense raw milk comes from pastured animals eating grasses in the growing months and root vegetables, and hay, etc. in the winter months (and not corn). It is incredibly easy to digest, even for many who thought they were lactose intolerant. I have actually lost track of how many friends I have who could not consume pastuerized milk until they switched to raw grass fed milk. We drink loads of it, with colds, etc. and have no problems. We definitely don’t get mucus production from drinking it. If you want to find out more you can check out http://www.realmilk.com
Just added up what we have eaten so far today (before a snack and dinner) and my kids were already over all of their “suggested” amounts of protein and we haven’t had any meat or anything processed today. According to Lisa’s number, I am more than 2/3 of the way there for myself. Lisa, I love that you make us all rethink what we are doing and why we are doing it!
I’m really enjoying this blog and a lot of the advice posted on it. One thing I’m wondering about, though, and not just as someone with a casein allergy: We are not baby cows; why the emphasis on drinking cows’ milk, then? There’s a reason we are weaned off human milk at a certain age–milk is fundamentally a baby food, not suited to adult mammals. If humans could realize this, I wouldn’t have to spend so much time worrying that some hidden ingredient in my food could cause me to get congested, flush in the face and ears, feel spaced out, make my ADHD symptoms worse, worsen my under-eye shadows, and cause me to gain weight. Just saying.
Hi Katie. Thanks for your thoughts on the subject. Yes, some others have brought up a similar point. Drinking cow’s milk is just what works for Lisa and her family, but, by all means, if there is a better alternative for someone else then they should definitely go with that. Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts and adding to the discussion. Jill
Katie aside from your personal feelings about rather or not a human should drink cows milk, have you ever tried raw milk? My husband has a similar issue with milk, but has no issues with raw milk from A2 cows. Just a though for anyone who does want to drink milk, but has an allergy to the casein.
I could read through this article, something wrong with my computer this morning. But I just wanted to say that while I was pregnant the only thing that kept my morning sickness in check was consuming around 80 gr of protein per day. Now in my normal non pregnant state 50 seems to be fine, but some of that has to come from meat for me, I tried the veggie diet and it just left me depressed and in a sad state of health. I don’t count anything either, just lots of variety of foods, always trying out a new recipe and going with cravings (as long as its for something good for us) seems to insure we are getting what our body needs in terms of protein.
The antivdairy movement does frustrate me. Not ALL people have an allergy to it. If u do than by all means, stay clear of it. For the rest of us? I don’t find it unsafe.
I look at Lisa and she feeds her family such beautiful food. They get a variety of whole foods and most are lovingly made from home… yet everyone zeros in on the milk.
I think people need to learn to give other people a break…
I think its safe to assume that even perfect eaters have SOMETHING in their diet that they shouldn’t..ey?
Every person is going to have something to say regarding everything. This blog is a message, if you like it spread the message. That’s all.
THANKS, Dena, for the encouragement for posts to remain constructive, not negative/argumentative :) I’m posting in regard to Stacie’s comment that dairy milk is “not suitable if a child has a cold, since it aggravates mucus production.” Turns out this commonly-held belief was de-bunked: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/phlegm/AN01455 (this is just one quick-answer site, but many more exist). I was surprised to learn this info and thought others might benefit from this info, too! :)
Great post. As a vegetarian, I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked how I get my protein. My daughter doesn’t eat meat either (her choice). People are obsessed with protein–I wonder if it was the Atkin’s diet that set things off. I never count protein grams, or anything else. My body will tell me if it needs something. Sadly, I think most Americans have lost the ability to actually listen to their bodies and eat accordingly.
We’re slowly gravitating toward a vegan diet in our household. I have to admit I’ve crunched the numbers a couple of times. I’m getting enough protein at the lower end of the “spectrum” and I’m feeling just fine. :) Definitely agree with just eating a wide variety of foods. All these “diets” that leave out carbs are crazy. It makes for so much more work making sure you’re getting what you need.
Ok, I follow your site and it really has helped me to elminate processed foods from our daily diet and I am feeling like a million bucks. This post is fabulous!! It reminded me that eliminating process foods has nothing to do with losing weight. ( i was feeling guilty about not counting calories) I dont want to count every single thing that goes into my body. I dont want to worry and think about food all day long, that just makes me more hungry! Thank you for posting this, you reminded me why I chose to take this route to just get healthy, instead of another stupid diet that will never work. :)
Such a great post–completely RIGHT ON!!!
Thank you so much for this. My daughter has both life threatening and severe food allergies and my family is on a plant-based diet so sourcing out protein was a challenge (at least in my head). This article really helped ease my fears about my children receiving enough protein- and much like your example, it seems she gets plenty! Thank you again :)
Thanks for this about protein. My husband and I don’t eat meat any longer (about 3 years now). I get a lot of people concerned with our protein intake too. I had one woman tell me tell me that her husband couldn’t eat that way because he has an active job as an electrician and needs his protein. Well my husband is a firefighter (that is a very active job) and he has no problem with his energy level since he eats better. The eating of meat made his feel horrible and zapped his energy level.
I think we should be more concerned about the lack of animal fats typical Americans eat with their protein than the amount of protein, though I do think many eat too many plant foods and too little animal foods, whether protein or not. I easily eat 100 plus grams of protein, much of it animal, with traditional, quality fats and a ton also when I am not pregnant or nursing. I don’t count, but I did add up some figures once for another friend who was eating too little protein and was swelling accordingly, during her pregnancy. It is so incredibly easy when eating whole, nutrient dense foods traditionally prepared to just naturally eat enough of all food types, in my opinion. And I have yet to have a friend whose swelling didn’t disappear after eating large amounts of protein daily.
All that to say, I have a huge ham bone that is going to make some legumes taste really good soon. Can’t wait to get that going. :) This is my general food pyramid- I love the group that made this! http://www.nourishingourchildren.org/Chart.html
Protein and fats together, I think this is the big picture many Americans are missing. And bone stock in just about everything. And organic, pasture based and traditionally prepared :)
I guess this is a better link for the food pyramid… http://www.nourishingourchildren.org/Food-Pyramid-Chart-Sample.pdf
One thing I remember learning in my college nutrition class is that most americans get TOO much protein. So, I love this post….finally someone else is backing this concept up! I don’t understand where the high protein craze has come from? We love your blog and it has truly changed the way my family eats!
Sarah
I’m a dairy-free omnivore but I only eat meat 2-3 times per week. After I saw this post yesterday I calculated my protein just for fun. I had plenty of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables yesterday and my protein total was less than what the CDC recommends. Should someone like myself be concerned about this?
Hi Juli. I would say that you should look at it over a span longer than just one day. If you are still unsure, you could check with your medical doctor if you still have a concern. Jill
The USDA and the Department of Agriculture are no longer a trusted source for dietary information. Large amounts of protein in most peoples diets are not needed. Watch Forks over Knives and see what you think about Casein.
The USDA is a joke!! I don’t see why anyone would believe anything they say or recommend! And just the thought of casein makes me never want to eat again! Lol! Same goes with rennet. Eeewh!
I know . I am from India in the US for more than 10 years. In general and especially when I was pregnant I got this question- “Do u get enough protein from vegetarian diet?”
Yes…I have never had any problem even in my pregnancy with my regular variety of vegetarian diet.
and sometimes when some blood test needed to be done I ask for protein test too and it has always been in required range.
Actually, kids need 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of body weight. Adults need less (because we stopped growing) 1/2 a gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, for example: a kid that weights 40lbs needs 40 grams of protein per day. Their muscles need it. This is based on Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. program.
I agree on everything else :)
My daughter is 5 and is 64 pounds, 49.75″ tall. She is proportionate for her height but is also in the 99th percentile for both (she basically looks like an average 8 year old). I couldn’t imagine worrying about giving my daughter 64 grams of protein a day. That would be like trying to feed her my adult-size portions at every meal!
I’m on day nine of the challenge and learning a lot! I’m new to tofu, but am finding out how yummy it is baked in salad, over brown rice, with stir fry, yum. And I do feel like it fills me up more. I’ve looked around on the site a bunch and need to ask…. is tofu ok? real food? not highly processed? Thanks
Hi Aimee. Tofu is highly processed. I think this piece on many variations of soy may be helpful: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/10-things-to-know-about-tofu/#axzz2NtRzu0dW. ~Amy
Saying that tofu is “highly processed” is misleading – sure, it’s “processed” in the sense that there is a PROCESS to create it! It has been around for thousands of years. It is not the same as soy-based alternative “meats” and how processed, unhealthy, and sodium-filled they are. Tofu is the perfect example of how the fear of simply the word “processed” is getting a little bit ridiculous.
Aimee: Eat your tofu! Try tempeh! And seitan (in moderation)! “Processed” doesn’t automatically mean “bad” and the way that tofu is processed is certainly not the same as a box of frozen fake meat!
I second Lindsay! Cheese is also “processed,” but is typically considered a whole food. I live in a part of Asia where tofu is considerably cheaper than meat, and it’s also much easier to get homemade (so I know who’s making it and what’s going into it). I also enjoy tempeh when I can get my hands on it. :)
Thank you for this! I have been vegetarian for more than half of my life and I absolutely hate when people say “well, where do you get your protein from?” After 13 year I really just want to say some not so nice things. Why is everyone so obsessed with protein? I’m with you, I never count anything! I’d rather spend that energy being active!
I hear ya! It gets on my nerves! The protein obsession is overrated. I am so tired of people asking me where I get my protein. It’s definitely not coming from meat – YUCK!
I used to ask those people, “Would you ever ask a gorilla or an elephant that question?” to get them thinking about how the largest, strongest animals in the world eat only plants. Now I’ll often respond, “I get my protein the same way that your protein gets its protein.” That REALLY makes them stop for a second and think. I don’t need to get my protein second-hand, I go straight to the source!
Since switching to whole foods and not counting calories, have you noticed a weight change in yourself? Have you slimmed down or became more leaner? Just curious.
Hi Rebecca. No, Lisa’s family has not experienced weight gain from this real food way of eating and did feel initially that a few pounds came off. ~Amy
I couldn’t agree more! I’m a vegetarian, and people always ask me – Where do you get your protein? Well, I’m a healthy woman…I could actually stand to lose about 30lbs!! Anyway, I always tell people who ask me that – “Umm…look at me! Do I look malnourished?” I’ve never even heard of a protein deficiency. I agree that we should eat a variety of foods and we’ll be just fine.
Although protein deficiencies aren’t prevalent in the United States (we usually are eating enough) protein deficiencies are common in other nations. Have you ever seen any of those ads for “save the children” with images of kids with extremely enlarged abdomens? That’s a protein deficiency. Edema is also another common sign of protein deficiency. So it is out there, however I totally agree with you being annoyed with the “where’s your protein?!” I am not a vegetarian myself, but when I hear others say that to vegetarians I want to face-palm.
Here’s why you need protein. Its a macro necessity in your diet. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within living organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, ***replicating DNA***, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another. This lunch for your daughter is a snack for a 4 or 5 year old. It is lacking in both protein and fat.
While i do agree that a varied diet will generally give you all the protein you need, i must agree that this “lunch” looks like a snack. 1 handful of veggies, 2 tiny muffins and a smoothie pop is not lunch. Lunch imo would be 2 hands of veggies, 1 hand of meat, fish or a hard boiled egg and the smoothie pop and 1 of those muffins. Mind you, hands = the childs hands.
Hi, I’m not as worried about protein since my kiddos love meat and milk. But how do you cut back on meat and avoid processed breads/snacks without losing the calories? Both my kiddos are borderline underweight and its not for a lack of food. My son will eat a double quarter pounder on the occassions I allow fast food. He thinks 4 bowls of cereal is a good sized breakfast and 4 waffles a great snack. Mind you he eats veggies at 2 meals a day,fruits at 1-2 meals a day and plenty as drive by snackings …he’ll grab just 1 strawberry at atime…cracks me up. He’s allergic to nuts. I also teach preschool and have some kiddos who daily eat 4 times what is in that lunch box, foods that are high fat/calorie…and they are average sized kids. So how would someone do this when their kids are scrauny bottomless pits?
Hi Amanda. Well, we can avoid the processed stuff by making our own or finding the very best alternatives like bread from a local bakery. We have go-to nutrient dense snacks like granola/granola bars (which you can do nut free), cheese, whole wheat pretzels, yogurt, bananas, avacados, whole grain toast, lots of various seeds (can your son do seeds?), and constant popcorn to name just a few. Having veggies cut up and on hand with some yummie hummus as well as a bowl of fruit helps the kids make better choices. Here are some posts that will give you some other ideas: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/22/an-elementary-school-snack-list-%E2%80%93-nut-free/ and there is a good mix of recipes in this one: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/07/31/85-snacks-for-kids-and-adults/. Hope this helps. ~Amy
Just came across this post. AMEN!!
I think that this protein craziness is coming from many popular diets such as “atkins” that have drilled in us to eat so much protein to lose weight. I really agree with a balance variety diet to enjoy food! Great read :)
I often use your posts as inspiration for my own lunches. I bring my lunch every day. I am a teacher, and a 40-minute lunch period is just not enough time to go out. I’d rather pack a lunch and get some work done. Thank you for all the great ideas!
It’s all about quality and not quantity. More is not better. Overfeeding our children is so easy because we think they need all this food to make them “big and strong” or relating food to good feelings/love. When in fact, it doesn’t take much to fill their tiny stomachs. One of these food items would be offered as a snack for my 4 year old. The Academy of Pediatrics recommends around 1200 calories (give or take a little depending on activity level) for this age group. Of that- 3 oz of lean meat/beans is the recommendation for this age group. So you may discredit and ignore the FDA, but check other credible sources and research material and it all says the same.
I understand that there is a lot of misunderstanding about protein. Honest question (and I apologize if this has already been addressed in the hundreds of comments already posted), isn’t it good to use protein as a way to feel full and not overeat foods that don’t make you feel as full? For example, my husband loves to eat chips and salsa as a snack, but has trouble stopping because it doesn’t fill him up. So he ends up eating way too many. I’ve tried to explain to him that Greek yogurt with fruit, or cheese and whole wheat crackers will fill him up more because of the protein. Am I wrong in this?
I also understand that many people eat too many snacks, but that isn’t really my question. I’m just wondering if when you DO eat a snack, is a small amount of something that satisfies (something with plenty of protein in my mind) better than something that is easy to eat too much of (like popcorn, plain crackers, tortilla chips, etc? Thanks:)
Well that does look like a good lunch/snack for a young child!
I have an almost 14 year old son though, and he told me last night that he needs meat! Seriously he is tall and thin, and there is no way that a lunch like that would give him enough nutrients, as fast as he is growing. :D
Thank you so much for this article. My family is vegetarian and I am so sick of being asked where we get the protein in our diets. I want to buy a shirt that says, “yes, I am vegetarian and yes I get enough protein”. I have 2 teen daughters who are competitive athletes and dancers and I get the protein question a lot from other parents. Why they care, I don’t know. We have never had an issue with performance or endurance and both girls have very fit bodies with defined muscles.
Look at all these low-calorie meals. No wonder kids can’t pay attention in school, they’re starving.
No, they can’t pay attention in school because we load them up with artificial chemicals that cause hyperactivity, they don’t get enough sleep or exercise, and they stare at video game screens all day. They are most certainly NOT starving, have you seen the statistics on obesity in children lately???
They are some great ideas but I agree they are lacking protein. Grass fed meats and broths are very important for nourishing the body. I have to have protein to give me energy plus our whole family can’t do much dairy or wheat and it causes us all to gain fat. I might suggest reading up on Weston Price and grass fed meats. Some people do much better on more vegetarian diets but not our family especially me with hypoglcemia.
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this article! This is what I preach to my clients but you did it in such an articulate way. I will be saving and sharing this article when my clients ask me about Protein. Thank you for making it so understanding.
Being vegetarian for 13years, the protein question drives me nuts. I’m an active, health weight 32 year old with 3 healthy children all on the slimmer side of healthy weights. That’s 3 vegetarian pregnancies. I’ve run two half marathons as a vegetarian. I must not be doing TOO poorly getting in protein if I’ve accomplished all that and managed to stay healthy for the last 13 years.
After reading a few exercise science books for lay people like myself, I found that almost everyone eats plenty of protein – unless you are an elite athlete. I would think at that point you do need to get the amount of protein required for building muscle for competition. Though some elite athletes are doing extreme diets, now so maybe even that is not a cause for concern.
As a mom we do our best to feed our kids the healthiest balanced meal. This whole protein subject is big in my house. I am a mom of a 16 yr old and 5 yr old whose needs differ like most of us. My 16 yr old is a competitive swimmer, he trains hard. We have always eaten “clean” or so we thought. In the last year his swim picked up and the next thing we knew he was having issues from one event to the next recovering, he was loosing weight. I thought something was seriously wrong. Then I was told he is not eating enough, that is a big blow to a mom. We saw a nutritionalist, and found out he needs to consume around 4500 calories. We are not a calorie counting family, but now I need to start. Eating good calories not empty junk it is hard to consume 4500 in a day. We have added in whey protein, to fill in blanks but that is not real food. But what i did is start reading one thing I learned in this process to figure it out is Whole milk, almond butter, and some bananas you can make a 1000 calorie shake with not added whey:), if you eat whole wheat bread or pasta you get even more protein. So I just wanted to add that our young athletes have these protein shakes,protein bars all preservative full thrown at them. All they need is some whole milk , whole wheat and peanut butter. Don’t get me wrong he works hard in the pool and even harder on his food but can get all he needs without the supplements. It really is a big issue in our high school athletes the cramming down of needing more and more protein so just eat a bar or make a powdered shake… It’s just not the answer and very scary.
Thanks for sharing your story…very interesting perspective!
Well, I feel like I should point out to you that while peanut butter and whole milk both have protein in them, they are far better sources of fat than they are of protein…if you look at the label, I mean. Usually twice as many grams of fat as protein in peanut butter, and fat is already 9 calories per gram versus protein’s 4 calories per gram. Whole milk is like 10g fat per 8 oz glass, and it’s all saturated (at least nuts have some unsaturated fats too and can be the majority depending on whether your brand is a responsible one or something like Reese’s).
Noemi, I am a 27 year old male who masses about 63 kg and I understand your son’s struggle because I have to eat around 3300 calories a day just to maintain my weight–I’ve nearly given up on actually gaining weight because I never make it past 145 lbs or so no matter how well I squat & deadlift. At one point I was drinking half a gallon of milk a day, and I realized that the saturated fat in that really adds up so I switched from 2% to 1% (my reasoning being that vitamins A & D are fat-soluble, not water soluble, so I’m going to need some fat in my milk if I want to absorb the vitamins they put in there reasonably well but whole milk would just be ridiculous, something like 80g of saturated fat a day if I drank that).
It’s actually quite true that most people get plenty of protein, and if you’re worried about having enough energy it’s carbs you want anyway–proteins get deaminated (NH3+ group is removed) and the resulting “carbon skeleton” just feeds into the citric acid cycle (the second half of carbohydrate metabolism territory) anyway–might as well get a couple of extra substrate-level ATP & NADH from doing glycolysis first.
& if it doesn’t make sense why I’d complain about consuming tons of saturated fat…it downregulates SREBP so that LDL receptors take up less LDL cholesterol from your blood into your cells. Meaning, higher blood cholesterol levels, more statistical chance some of it gets glycosylated or oxidized, meaning more chance of atherosclerotic disease (e.g. strokes & heart attacks).
OH I so love this post on protein. We eat very little meat and dairy at my house and I hear that accusation so much it makes me sick!! You’re not getting enough protein!!! UGH!!! Thank you SO much for shedding light on the subject for the many naysayers out there!!! Love your website!!!
This is a great post! I am an Organic Chef specializing in dietary needs. What we are running into in America is the stupid food pyramid that some person came up with because they believed that is what we need to survive and live a long and healthy life. Well…have we not seen all of the cancer, early heart problems, diabetes, obesity etc…that have been plaguing this country? The USDA and FDA are all codes and guidelines and we can choose to follow that or choose to exercise our own minds on the matter. Paleo, Clean eating, etc etc are people exercising their minds and exploring other options. Good for you 100 days of real food! You are causing people to think and every now and then you will get some flack but you will be educating and opening minds at the same time! :)
I agree with you! Also knowing that gorilla is pure vegeterian makes me think that we relly don’t need as much meat :)
I think that the people who respond that way are simply trying to deflect their own poor food choices for their children. What is the obvious protein in their children’s lunches? Your child’s yogurt v. their child’s chicken nuggets, perhaps?
I recently had a gastric sleeve surgery. Over the last 9-12 months I’ve really been trying to cut out most processed foods that my family and I eat. After my surgery I was only allowed to drink liquids and protein drinks for a few weeks and have had to maintain a diet with 60-80 grams of protein/day as I lose the weight initially. I recently was talking with my dietitian about not wanting to use soy or whey protein powders in my smoothies and I think she almost took it personally. I explained that I am really trying to cut out processed foods but she just didn’t get it. My smoothies now contain kefir, a pasteurized egg, frozen berries, hemp powder, sometimes a spoonful of coconut oil, and 1/2 a banana. I love them! They aren’t as sweet as I was used to using the fake sugar loaded protein powders and took a little to get used to, but I love them now. I’m looking forward to not counting protein anymore in 6-12 months!!
Great points, I get this all the time due to my Vegan lifestyle. I never have an issue meeting my required protein with great foods like, avocado,kale,romaine lettuce,cucumber,broccoli and so so much more. I’ve always wondered why this evolved to be such a major thing since everything has protein :) I dont even worry about it!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, for the link to Azure. We live in the middle of nowhere and I have the hardest time finding quality whole foods. I just looked at Azure and sure enough they have a drop location near me. I just about fainted! I hope it works out with them I could really use their services.
Thank you for this article! About a year ago when my daughter was 2 I suddenly panicked about protein. My husband and I used to be vegetarian but aren’t any more…however, our eating and cooking habits make us mostly vegetarian. A friend who was over for lunch one day asked me if our daughter was vegetarian, and then said that she’d never seen her eat meat. I suddenly started thinking about it and thought – Oh my gosh, she’s right!! What about the protein she needs?? Right around then we had a pediatrician appointment so I asked about the protein. The doctor very nicely smothered a laugh and said that she thought my daughter was fine, given that she was in the 60% for weight and the 90% for height, that she sleeps very well, that she’s developing on pace, and that we eat a varied diet. She told me not to worry at all about protein as long as our diet stayed varied (with whole foods and lots of produce, as you noted!). Since then I haven’t worried about it, but I still get people commenting on what I feed my daughter. Now I can point them to your article! :)
I’ve raised my son to 17 completely vegetarian. At 6’4″, athletic and outdoorsy he is in amazing health. I have been told that my son’s organic whole foods diet is child abuse..meanwhile they feed their kids kool aid and extruded chicken nuggets.
According to WHO guidelines, Americans eat 1.5-2 times the recommended protein. The excess is simply excreted in the urine. The problem is the saturated fats, hormones and chemicals if you arent going organic and much of this protein comes from meat sources. If you have any kidney issues, too much protein could be detrimental.
yes! I have had this conversation too many times to count. Usually it is unsolicited ‘advice’ when someone I don’t know by will notices I am not eating meat at a gathering. If I am pushed I will give my ‘there is protein in nearly everything’ speech and when they realize I might n know what I am talking about then they change the subject or start asking about recipes. protein and b12 seem to be the latest buzzwords
I find it is the healthy fats that I include in our diet (coconut milk, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, egg yolks etc) that keep us full… Yes protein does to a certain extent, but those fats have a far higher satiety index than any protein
That doesn’t mean that we eat a high fat diet – we just don’t worry about the fats that we consume (we don’t worry about the protein either!). That, combined with as many veggies as we can stuff in our mouths means that we never go hungry….
As the relatives of an addict or alcoholic,
there food is a desk in the family can prove challenging for family members to participate in together or separately.
Lactose is such a powerful stimulator of intestinal women breast feeding contractions
that it is OK to drink in moderation is very dangerous,
as some fish contain high levels of mercury. These are some common
food items, to know more regarding the foods while breastfeeding baby are dangerous when consumed in repeated doses, as they’re found in most foods.
I like tofu but am now reading that soya can have a link to dementia. Also I’m not fond of cows milk so use wholebean soya milk in moderation. Can you comment please on the health benefits or otherwise as I’m now confused. thank you.
Hi Pat. Since it is a highly processed food (most often sourced from GMO crops) tofu is on the list of items we avoid as is soy milk. ~Amy
Doing all these will complement your use coconut oil for
eczema of coconut oil on the market and sold on different forms and brands.
But as a beginner to this healthful oil,
I am still a little skeptical.
Thank you for this article! I too am vegan and get “helpful advice” about protein all the time. Your body breaks down protein into amino acids, which is what is in fruits and veggies. When you cook meat you bind the protein together making it difficult for your body to break down. I agree that Americans need a new perspective or food pyramid for better health, our country is obviously struggling with medical issues.
I love this article on protein! I absolutely was happy to finally come across information about the Protein Shake ingredients, because most sites won’t say nothing bad about them, and companies will do anything to sell them. I got suspicious purchasing an organic popular brand, and seeing some of those ingredients in the back, wondering why they weren’t convincing enough…nothing of them seem natural just more chemically/processed.
You actually eat a bowl of refried beans, cheese and sour cream??? That seems strange to me. It seems like there should be rice or something with that.
Yes, all the time and my six year old does, too. I guess if you are thinking canned refried beans it would be questionable but the recipe from this blog is amazing! I save the liquid I drain off and eat it, as is. It is the most delicious “bean soup.”
This is just one reason I LOVE this site. You tell it like it is without being too harsh. I love it.
Interesting. I actually receive the opposite comments “you eat way too much protien.”. Personally I do not subscribe to the notion that one has to eat X amount of grain, fat, carbs and protien to be eating a “balanced diet”. I consumed a balanced diet for years recommended by countless RD, and MD and all it did was make me sick, foggy and heavy. it was not until I started eliminating foods from my diet did I discover that I am healthier without grains, little dairy, and lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and oh the forbidden protiein. What works for one may not be the solution for another. Continue to do what works for your family and thank you for sharing your information with those who have an open mind and can embrace viewpoints that may not align with what they believe or practice. Treat the rest as noise!
Nine times out of ten, when someone finds out DD and I are vegetarians they ask “Where do you get your protein?” Makes me want to rip my ears off.
I like this post! Some get too caught up in numbers without realizing that your body only absorbs 19 grams of protein in one sitting and the rest then is stored as fat.
This is not exactly true Bonnie. Excess calories beyond caloric needs cause fat storage. However, the human body preferentially chooses fat to store as fat. We can convert carbs to fat, but this process (de novo lipogenesis) is very limited and only gets upregulated in extreme circumstances. In order for protein to be converted into fat, it would first have to be converted into glucose and then converted into fat. This is a very unlikely scenario.
Anyway, enough of all that science mumbo-jumbo. The take-home message is this: excess calories = fat storage.
When I first made the decision to eat a whole foods diet, I also decided to only eat meat twice per week. Of couse I grew up with the belief that you must have protien at least twice per day, so I started using myfitnesspal.com to track my food intake. I was usually within four grams of my goal for protien, except when I ate meat. Then I was always at least five grams over!
Brilliant post, seriously some people need to stop bashing people for actually educating us in a different way to feed our kids and stop the obesity!!!!
Lisa I think you are fabulous and look forward to your pics on what your kids get for lunch, you are an inspiration xxxx
I’ve always been told that protein is very important, and now that I’m logging my food, I’m finding that I’m eating way too much!! So much for that!!
Thanks for this. This is so helpful. I still remember the 3-2-4-4 from 2nd grade. It’s burned in my brain. Nice to relax a little.
First I have to say I have never, not once posted a comment anywhere!!! But lisa, I can’t resist! I love, love, love this post! I love the message you’re sending about food in general and the tone with which you send it! Eat people eat and enjoy all that whole food has to offer! It’s really delicious when you cook real food including oil, cheese and all the other delicious but tabu items when you’re counting!!!!!
Thanks- I will be visiting often:).
Where do you get the lunch containers from? I want to use those for my daughter who will be starting school soon.
Hi Tianna. You can find all Lisa’s favorites here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/24/my-favorite-school-lunch-supplies/. ~Amy
You may believe you are ingesting 54g of protein in one day but looking at your ingredients you are not consuming 54 grams of COMPLETE proteins. That is really what matters.
I wanted to take a moment and let you know that I enjoyed this article. I like your approach of variety rather than counting. Above you said (calorie)counting began in the 1980’s – perhaps I am mistaken but I thought it began earlier (1950’s-60’s?). I remember reading about it a few years ago in “The Body Project” by Joan Jacobs Brumberg which was assigned in an Anthropology of US culture course. Its possible that I am remembering incorrectly though.
I agree that constantly measuring and stressing over precise calculations is silly, it can help you if done OCCASIONALLY to make sure that you are getting enough variety. Beyond that, I don’t see much merit to it. While it appears that YOU are eating *enough* protein each day, it does not mean that EVERYONE gets enough. My dietary practices are best described as Primal (though like many, I make exceptions for brown rice occasionally as well as lactose-free dairy products). I’ve read Paleo & Primal blogs that recommend that people log what they eat to make sure they get *enough* protein (if you subtract the dairy & legumes from the 1-day plan up above – would you still meet anything close to your daily requirement[without eggs or meat added]?)
I certainly don’t mean to insult or berate you. As I’ve already said, I agree that we should not be so anxious about constantly counting everything as long as we eat a wide variety of (*real*) foods. I have read elsewhere from medical professionals that the suggested 46- 50 grams of protein does not necessarily apply to everyone- some of us can be just fine with less (in the 30 gr range) – I don’t know how plausible that is but considering not everyone has the same physical activity or height … its something to consider.(Right now, I’m jogging /running ~4 miles 3 days a week & lifting 2-3 days a week as well- with fewer carbs I need to make up for it by aiming to actually hit the 40 – 50 gr range which seems to be working just fine for me). Though I will occasionally venture beyond Primal(ish) eating, I almost never worry about getting *enough* protein (enough iron is a different story though).
IMO – if you’re already dedicated to a varied diet based on “Real Foods” (assuming you eat a reasonable amount of it raw & some of it fermented [for probiotics]), the best way to tell if you’re *missing* something is paying attention to how you feel and “listening” to your body. Personally, when I start craving nut butters & meat- its usually because I’m not getting enough proteins. It doesn’t happen often though. Either way It doesn’t take a chart & counting to tell me what my body already knows.
This has become a much longer comment than I intended- Mea Culpa.
I was directed to this article via the Facebook post today. Thank you for sharing this information. I agree that foods other than meat can be a good source of protein. Although, it needs to be acknowledged that optimally a zone diet consists of 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbs (my doctor has researched this extensively). It is just recognizing that we need to get a good ratio of all three! It does depend on ones individual situation. I’m slightly hypoglycemic and would not survive without eating a significant amount of protein. Also, hypoglycemic symptoms are not often recognized. One may have insulin sensitives and not know it. Just to note! Also, making sure it is a “complete” protein is important. While other sources can be sufficient protein providers, animal protein has components that vegetable or grain proteins lack. Mostly, it is the fat. But overall, it is important to keep the ratio! I admire all of the work Lisa has put into keeping her family wholly healthy! Thank you as always for sharing! Definitely sparks my interest!
Its not my first time to pay a visit this site, i am visiting
this site dailly and take good facts from here daily.
This is so helpful. My gut instinct is to feed my family this way, but I so often get swayed by fad diets and expectations of others. Just eat real food!
Thanks for you blog and while I have agreed with most everything you’re promoting for the real food diet/lifestyle. I think what you need to realize is people are concerned with their protein intake because must of what is in the American food supply is so high carb if the average person would probably consume 70% of their diet in carbs. That would probably wouldn’t be too bad if the source of those carbs was from plant based whole foods. I do find it interesting that a country (Sweden) has now officially recommends a low carb diet for its nation. http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/10/sweden-recommends-low-carb-high-fat-diet-to-comba.aspx
People who are overweight need to track their numbers to learn or retrain their thinking as to what is healthy servings of whole foods. For example, a person wouldn’t want to consume more fruit which could cause them to keep the weight on or even gain in some cases.
As someone who eats clean/real whole food probably 95 – 98% of the time I can say I believe in this concept you are promoting and I am happy to see all the great information provided. Knowledge is the key and this certainly can help anyone if used in the right way.
Keep up the great work,
Mike
I used to count everything….now I just go for color and variety and I know I feel better. If I “slip” once in a while I am not hard on myself, just feel lousier! Back to the color and variety!
Love this article so many people are just so focused on far,calories and protein love the idea of just focusing on a variety of REAL whole food!
My son decided to eat vegetarian about a year and a half ago at age 9 (his father is a vegetarian and I am not). I have had to field that protein question a lot from my parents. But believe me, I read every book I could get my hands on once he decided not to eat “anything with eyes”. I was surprised at how little protein we need in our diet and how many non-meat sources there are. Now, if I count anything, it’s the fruits and veggies – to make sure he’s eating more of those and not in danger of becoming a “carb”atarian.
BTW, I made your Raspberry Lunchbox Waffles the other night, except I used blueberries instead of raspberries and we ate them warm as part of a breakfast-for-dinner. There were none leftover to try in the lunchbox the next day! Yummy – thanks!
This has been a question for so long with so many easy answers…thanks for making real life examples for all of us. Speaking on proteins in the lunchbox, but a little off topic…I purchased the silicone yogurt/smoothie tubes pictured and have tried them several times in the ways mentioned, but every time they leak or explode and make a huge mess. My big girl’s teacher won’t let me send them any more. Will you explicitly mention every step with yogurt, smotthie, or applesauce again, please? Thanks!
Hi. This should address all freezie pop concerns. :) Please note, Lisa packs them very specifically and snugly in the Ziplock divided container: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/. :)
What about the protein requirement for a 15 year old swimmer? My grandson swims two hours in the morning before school and has training after school. Usually alternate days of dry land and swimming. He is hungry all the time. We pack him a breakfast and lunch. We need some ideas on how to keep his energy level up during the day and into late afternoon. He is not a picky eater and will devour almost everything. However, we do want to give him a balanced diet necessary for his growing needs.
I am a vegan who sticks to a mostly whole foods diet and I am in the gym for 2-3 hours a day. When I first started working out I was tired all the time and did not have enough energy to get through workouts. My trainer then sat down with me and it ended up I had a 700-850 calorie deficit each day.
So I started eating more at each meal and incorporating lots of snacks though out the day and it made a huge difference. I will give you an example of what I eat in a day hopefully it will help.
In the morning about an hour before workouts I have a piece or two of rosemary sough dough bread with some homemade sun dried tomato hummus or chia seed pudding topped with fruit.
30 minutes before a workout I eat some raw fruit such as a banana, plums, or a figs. The sugar will help him have energy through out the workout.
**If the workout is cardio intensive he can dilute some fresh squeezed fruit juice with some water for during the work out.
30 min to an 1 hour afterwards I usually have 1-2 cups of mixed raw nuts and seeds also you can make a hummus wrap with hemp seeds. You can also make some oatmeal with chia and hemp seeds mixed in.
For lunch I usually have a huge salad with spinach, kale, and swiss chard. I usually load up the salad with lots of fresh fruit, veggies, beans, and nuts.
I also variety it up every day for example:
Mexican themed with black beans, corn, cilantro, crumbled tortilla strips, shredded carrots, red/green/yellow bell peppers (if you are not vegan you can add cheese sour cream ect) , and a chipotle ranch dressing.
Middle Eastern themed with crumbled homemade falafel, chickpeas/lentils, olives, pickled veggies, and a homemade hummus dressing.
Asian themed with kimchi, brown rice/quinoa , cucumber, green onion, shredded beets, tempeh, and a homemade sweet mustard dressing.
**You can also turn any salad into a wrap the options are limitless.
2-3 hours after lunch I have a snack of fresh fruit, veggies, and mixed nuts. An average snack might consist of carrot sticks, cucumber slices, zucchini slices, 1-2 strawberry, 1/2 a handful of blueberries, some grapes, maca covered raw cashews, raw almonds, and some raw pistachios.
I will also drink some raw coconut water mixed with chia seeds and a little fruit juice before a night workout.
I hope this helps as long as he gets enough calories in the day he should be fine but if he is complaining he is hungry he probably should be eating more.
Don’t be afraid to feed him fat! It will help satiate his hunger and fuel his brain. Nuts, seeds, olives, whole fat dairy, oils, even eggs. It really makes a difference.
Thank you so much for this post! As a vegetarian ( well pescatarian) I get this question all the time especially regarding my son. We eat lots of beans, chickpeas, whole grains, yogurt, milk etc… We’ve never had issues with his iron levels or protein intake. Completely agree that if you’re earning whole real foods you get the appropriate nutrients. I have never understood the obsession with protein.
The notion of complete protein is a myth. Americans get plenty of protein.
http://www.forksoverknives.com/the-myth-of-complementary-protein/
Ladies, if we all believed that the government promoted what was best for us, we’d be in a sorry state. In order to get the protein locked away in nuts, seeds, and legumes, they must be sprouted or fermented. This also reduces or eliminates the phytic acid and other anti-nutrients the seed uses to discourage predators from eating them. I urge you to visit http://www.nourishingourchildren.org and read the article http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/the-scientific-approach-of-weston-price/ to understand how to have robust health through proper food preparation and choice. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Without them, we don’t get any of the feel good chemicals/neurotransmitters like serotonin, catecholamine’s, GABA, and endorphins. But, it’s not just about protein, it’s also about animal fat. It’s the ONLY food we eat that has vitamin D (mushrooms have D2), vitamin K2, and vitamin A (carotenes such as from carrots are the precursor to vitamin A and do not transform at high levels to vitamin A plus they need fat to transform). Vegetarians are ok if they eat lots of pastured eggs and raw dairy. My kids and I eat braunschweiger with avocado on crackers for many lunches. We always eat some form of eggs for breakfast. They don’t eat processed cereal since it SO bad for you, save some occasional sprouted oatmeal I get from here: http://www.organicsproutedflour.net/. They also have sprouted flours and beans. For dinner we always have meat/seafood/eggs, veggies, and potato/sweet potato/squash/pasta
The key phrase in this whole article is “without over eating “!!!! People without eating disorders, can eat varied meals and still keep their weight at a normal range, because they are not over eating! We emotional eaters, however, have a different dilemma – it is almost impossible not to eat something when we have a craving, or to fill our plates up and eat the whole thing plus seconds and thirds!!! There is a sense of insecurity if we stop before the endorphins kick in!!! It is as if we were alcoholics or drug addicts, but the difference is we cannot go without food, therefore, we are emotional wrecks until the day we die or the day we overcome this issue.
That expression “moderation in all things “does not apply for us – moderation is not in our vocabulary, until we get help in figuring it out or are able to overcome it ourselves!!!!
I work in the radiology. I agree, protein is overrated, it’s fiber that more adults and parents need to address. I see so many kids have unnecessary x-ray exams due to the lack of fiber in their diets. Fiber is what helps to keep you “full”. There is some truth to the old saying “An Apple a day”.
Well said!!
I like this post. I recently started going to a circiut training gym. The personal trainer wants me to have 100-120 grams of protein a day (I am 5’4 and 143 lbs). I also eat more vegan/vegetarian plant based foods. Also the trainer informs me to lower my carbs and fat grams to below 40. I am tracking every day and losing the enjoyment. I make a lot of Lisa’s recipes that obvioulsy are not in a food data base (mostly processed foods). Trying to figure out the calories etc is time consuming. I informed the trainer I would not be getting that much protein in everyday. THank you Lisa for this post.
You should listen to your trainer, not this poorly informed article.
You should also listen to strangers on the internet who don’t offer justification for their commentary!
Or random bloggers trying to sell you their book.
I also work with a personal trainer four days a week, and he encourages eating a healthy, balanced, varied diet (basically the same as the author of this article). I try to eat limited meat, so I get protein from eggs, hemp, nuts, seeds, flax, etc. When I stopped focusing on ‘being on a diet’ and just started eating to fuel my body and enjoy what I was eating, it came a lot easier and the weight started coming off. There is no need to overload on protein – you aren’t training to be a professional body builder. If you would like some recipes, websites to look into, etc., I am happy to help out.
Seconding the part where you should listen to your trainer. This article is fine, for an everyday person. You are a person who is TRAINING. You’re body can’t build muscle from fat and carbs. You’re body NEEDS protein to build with. Even if you are not looking to build muscle, increasing your protein intake while training helps preserve muscle so that your body doesn’t start cannibalizing it. This should be all common knowledge of why you’re paying a trainer to begin with. Perhaps you should ask your trainer why you, specifically, need that much protein rather than looking at an internet article that is supposed to be aimed at the average person and going “eh, you’re wrong I aint’ doin’ it!”. Anyone who is training, trying to build muscle, or who is healing needs an increased protein intake.
Trainers are not dieticians or nutritionists. One should work with specialists to figure out needs for exceptional circumstances.
The reason people are so concerned with Protein is because of it’s vital role in recovery and building almost every organ in the body
In fact, behind water – protein is the most prominent constituent of the human body.
Hair skin, organs, hormones, muscles, etc.. are all made up of protein.
The problem is far too many people confuse protein diets with fat diets (look at how people wrongly think of Atkins as being a high protein diet) … or people will eat some Peanut Butter and think they getting plenty of protein when in fact the protein is the lowest macronutrient in this food behind fats an carbs.
Many American have a diet that is far too heavy in simple carbs and fats but low in lean proteins.
It is no coincidence that when Low Fat diets became the craze, we started the exponential increase in obesity and diabetes we see in America today.
Sugars and simple carbs were substituted for the removed fats and now decades later we have an overweight, diabetic generation of “sugar burners”.
Michael Spitzer
Author
FITNESS AT 40,50,60 AND BEYOND
Now this makes sense. I would have never thought your lunches didn’t contain enough protein or whatsoever- growing up in Japan we definitely ate a lot less meat. But Japanese people are absolutely healthy. I think people here just really enjoy eating a lot of meat. When you are eating a lot of meat all the time, maybe your body craves for it, all the time.
Here is a great article from a registered dietitian that talks more in depth about how much protein adults should have…some people would benefit from high protein and others not:
http://www.richmond.com/food-drink/mary-jo-sawyer/article_6510e414-da1c-5400-8599-74864ac29339.html
I went on a nutrition course (just a quick 2 day top food for top performance) and the Nutrionist had us write out our meals for the day and figure out the protein. I was way over and could totally have left out a lot of meat. She did touch on the ways to make a meal with complete proteins, example:beans and rice.
For the most part, she said the same as this article. It really made me interested in how to eat to get the most out of food without overeating.
I think everybody is different, and everybody needs to find out for themselves what works best. For me, my weight is a constant struggle.. it’s not enough to just not overeat. I find that higher protein foods such as turkey work very well for me, and reduce my urge for junk food.. but everybody is different. If a person has never had a weight issue they may not understand.
I was 100 lbs. overweight and have found that I feel great eating the way the author mentions. I like to eat a variety without worrying about any one thing. I do find that limiting sugar and simple carbs helps with my hunger and keeping my weight off more than anything. Maybe focusing on protein is keeping you away from simple carbs, which will spike your blood sugar and leave you hungry in an hour or two.
I meant to say I’ve lost 100 lbs. I still need to lose about 20.
The people that can’t feel full without protein are probably bring filed by the fat in their protein source rather than the protein.
Yes. I have lost 100 lbs. and do not watch my fat. I find that it makes me feel the most satisfied of anything. I do watch simply carbs and do not eat a lot of deep fried foods (which are usually high in simple carbs.) But, I don;t avoid anything. I just try to eat smart. For example, I was hungry, so I had a healthy snack, then I ate some candy. Since I had a healthy well-balanced snack before the candy, the candy won’t mess with my blood sugar and insulin so much that I crash in an hour.
I sometimes have the nagging sense that I am not getting/giving enough protein when I cook for my family. I know when I was trying to lose weight and build muscle, many sources said that I needed protein equivalent to my weight. So, I weighed about 145lbs. at the time, and I should have been consuming 145g of protein each day. It was NOT easy to consume this much without a protein shake of some sort. I guess I still have this feeling that, if I want to be healthy and have more muscle than fat, I need to make sure I am getting a lot of protein, and so does everyone around me! Thanks for the reminder that it’s really not necessary to have so much protein in our normal, everyday diets, and that there are much healthier sources of it than just meat!
Too much protein can cause kidney stones. You do not need to eat your weight in protein. If you eat the number of grams of protein you weigh, you will be deficient in other food areas. We need to eat the rainbow. We also need fat to satiate us and help us with fat soluble vitamins. Complex carbs help fill us up and will give us an initial burst of energy after eating.
A lot of the people recommending a gram of protein per lb of body weight are the ones selling the protein shakes.
Does the smoothie stay frozen in that silicone thing?? What are they called? :)
I’ve had them thaw and come open in my kids’ lunches enough times now that I no longer send them. :(
ours do not stay anywhere close to frozen, even when I put a freezer pack in our lunch bag. Like the other commenter said, they’ve opened up and made such a huge mess that I don’t try it anymore.
Hi. You can find them here and Lisa shows how to use them so they do not make a mess. https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/.
As a long-term vegetarian, you have no idea how often I face this question. (Or apparently you do!) Like you say, there is no real need to count any kinds of nutrients when you’re eating a well-rounded diet; aside from the usual suspects of meat, beans, tofu, nuts, and dairy products, there is usually some small amount of protein in EVERYTHING, and it all adds up (and while many of those vegetarian sources are not “complete,” that doesn’t matter at all so long as you’re getting lots of different sources over the course of the day). Whole grains have a fair amount of protein, a lot of vegetables have smaller amounts of protein, and other vegetarian favorites like tempeh and seitan are great sources too. Combine that with knowing that the necessary amount of protein is really not that high, and I’ve felt fantastic for years on my whole foods plant-based diet.
The only exception I’ve found for tracking protein (in particular, and other nutrients less so) is during pregnancy. Since protein needs pretty much double during pregnancy, I did find that food journaling and tracking my protein was essential (at first, anyway) to make sure that I was getting an adequate amount while on a vegetarian diet.
Like others who have commented, I do not eat protein in a conventional American way. I have been vegan for seventeen years. I only recently started “trying” to eat more protein. Basically, that means I eat black beans for lunch everyday now. Other than that I have never tried to eat more of one thing or another. I listen to my body’s cravings and figure out what will make me feel good. People always ask if I take vitamins or supplements and frankly I don’t bother. I am healthy and energetic, so I don’t worry.
I’ve had Bariatric Surgery, and have to take supplements for the rest of my life. I also see a nutritionist a couple of times a month to go over my food diary, and she suggests ways to improve my nutrition.
The point of my comment is that a post-surgery patient’s daily goal for protein is 64 grams, which I suspect is probably more than what a normal adult should aspire for. Because I’m unable to eat the same amount of food as most people, I aim to have high-protein snacks – cheese, yogurt, nuts, milk, etc. It really isn’t difficult to reach that goal every day for me.
The current recommendation is 1 gram of protein per kg of body weight (not pounds). It certainly can be an issue if you have very picky/selective eaters. Additionally, as a children’s mental health clinician our psychiatrist who also specializes in integrative medicine, informs parents that we need sufficient protein to produce serotonin (which when off balance can lead to depression/anxiety/other mental health difficulties). Just some extra details that may be of interest.
I’d say, in short, people worry about protein because advertising has told us to worry about it! Same goes for milk – “It does a body good” – when that isn’t necessarily true. Not trying to bash anyone’s diet here, just giving a little “food” for thought!
I’m so thrilled to see this post today. I have recently started following your blog and have completely transformed our family meals to real food just four weeks ago. My hubby has been missing the “protein”, even though he is getting plenty of protein. I think what he really means is he is missing the significant amount of beef and processed meat that had become the focus of our dinner meals. I am definitely going to encourage him to read this! Thanks for your blog posts, meal plans, recipes, and so much more!
This is completely and utterly true. Americans are obsessed with protein. I believe we as a nation eat double the daily protein we actually need. Two years ago I became a vegan. That’s the first question everyone asks, “But where do you get your protein?” My mother worries that I’m not getting enough.
I’m getting plenty. I feel amazing and more energetic at 57 than I did at 35. At my last yearly blood test I asked my doctor to include a test for protein. It came back back perfect.
I think the protein thing is because of the obsession in recent years for low carbing. Really though, is it swinging too far the other way?
When it comes to weight loss, people obsess about counting because no matter what you’re eating, calories in vs out does still matter. You can eat a completely whole food diet but still not lose weight if you’re consuming hundreds more calories a day than you need.
I don’t count grams, but I know how I feel. I’ve often had the same reaction to your photos — where’s the protein? For me, it comes down to energy. I know that when I try to skip it at lunch, my energy fizzles out sooner.
What does help is to eat good fats with lunch, or as a snack. Lately, I’ve been having guacamole or Greek yogurt (whole fat) as a mid-morning snack. While your kids may feel fine with what they’ve got, I wouldn’t.
I’m glad you followed up with the note about everyone’s needs being different. My son is an elite athlete who sees a sports dietitian; she has recommended 150-200 grams of protein a day based on his workout schedule and how much weight he’s trying to gain.
It’s interesting, also, that “feeling full” is equated to eating protein. I’m no nutrition expert, but I understand that it’s fibre that helps us with the “full” feeling, not protein,
Thank you for THIS!!! I’m starting my 6th year packing lunches for my kids and sending a new one to kindergarten with celiac disease, and THIS is what I needed to read again! There is very little this girl DOESNT eat but when it comes to eating cold or packing se appearance picky! (She loves Brussels sprouts, they make her top food list but she likes them roasted, not reheated or cold!)
Throwing my hands up from the ‘worry’ of packing and enjoying this awesome year and experiences that she’ll have in kindergarten!!
Thought I’d share my two cents here :) You don’t really hear about people that have carb deficiencies or fat deficiencies, but protein deficiencies do happen! Like you, I was simply eating a variety of whole foods and expected the rest to just fall into place… numerous health issues later, I was in the doctor’s office getting blood tests and finding out that my protein was severely low. Ever since I upped the protein, I feel miles better. So for me, I need to make an effort to get a good amount of protein in every single meal. I guess my body just doesn’t absorb it as well as other people do. That’s why protein is a big deal for me, and possibly other people :) But kids probably don’t need as much!