For the past couple of years, I’ve been focused on making sure my meals have enough PROTEIN.
“Enough protein” for most people is in the range of 20-40g protein per meal. Click >>HERE<< to read more about specific protein recommendations.
PROTEIN is incredibly important for supporting MUSCLE HEALTH. MUSCLE is our “longevity organ,” the more muscle we have the longer & healthier we will live.
To make sure your meals have enough protein, you have to learn PROTEIN MATH!
PROTEIN MATH = Look at a meal and make an educated guess about how much PROTEIN is in it.
I’m not a huge fan of having to count, track, weigh, and measure food, because it can often take the JOY out of eating! But with the right attitude, learning PROTEIN MATH can be fun!
THE GOAL: Get to know PROTEIN MATH without getting obsessed with being perfect. Just learn protein gram estimates in the name of curiosity & education.
PROTEIN MATH EXAMPLE
This morning I made AVOCADO TOAST for breakfast (see image). To do the PROTEIN MATH, I looked at the protein grams on the package of bread, the carton of eggs, and the tub of cottage cheese. It added up to 25g protein.
I could have stopped there, but I do like to aim for 30g protein at breakfast. So I decided to put 1 tablespoon of vanilla plant-based protein powder into my coffee. That adds 5g protein and ended up tasting like a creamy latte! Win!
HOW TO LEARN PROTEIN MATH
1. Read Labels
Be sure to check the serving size so you can figure out how many protein grams are in the amount you want to eat.
2. Educated Guessing
If a food doesn’t have a label, here’s a general way to guess at protein grams:
– meat/chicken/fish ~7g protein per ounce
– bread/starch ~3g protein per 1 piece or 1/2 cup cooked
– vegetables ~2g protein per 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw
If you don’t want to guess, you can use >>THIS<< website to look up specific foods.
3. Know This: 1 pound = 16 ounces
To guess how many ounces of protein you are eating when it comes to foods like a piece of meat/chicken/fish, look at how many ounces you bought and divide by how many portions you will get.
Example: If you buy 1 pound of chicken (16 ounces) and you make it into 4 portions, each portion is ~4 ounces. And remember from above, 1 ounce has ~7g protein, so you are getting ~28g protein.
PS: Sure there will be losses when you cook, but all of this is just estimates anyway, so don’t worry about it.
If you are someone who really does like math and a little more accuracy, you can buy a simple digital food scale like THIS.
FINAL REMINDERS:
– Don’t get stressed or obsessed trying to count up protein grams. Keep this fun and in the spirit of curiosity & learning!
– Do remember that good nutrition is NOT just about PROTEIN! A balanced meal also has plenty of colorful produce, whole grains, and healthy fats. 😉
– Extra Credit: Watch THIS 1-hour webinar all about how to EAT TO MAKE MUSCLE!
