Get your protein!

Our body’s requirement for protein changes based on who we are and what we do on a daily basis, but they are well within reachable limits for most of us. Even so, those of you who have read my work for a while will recall that I frequently talk about getting more protein. The reason for that is because we are getting too little of it today.

We have no problem getting more than enough carbohydrates and fat, but finding protein is not easy and we need to constantly look for it in our everyday foods so that we can meet our body’s protein requirements.

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What are those requirements?
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General health: 0.75 to 1.25 grams of protein for every kg of bodyweight

Muscle maintenance: 1.25 to 2 grams of protein for every kg of bodyweight

Muscle gain and/or performance improvement: 2 to 2.5 grams of protein for every kilogram of bodyweight

So if you weigh about 80 kilos, you’ll need 60 to 100 grams for general health, 100 to 160 grams for maintenance and 160 to 200 grams for growth. You’ll notice that these numbers are slightly higher than what is recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, US. That’s because a lot of protein is denatured during storage and cooking and to end up with what we need, we do have to eat a little more.

Why are the ranges so broad?

Because your body has enough tolerance for low and high protein. So if you end up not eating enough protein today, just eat a little more tomorrow. In other words, simply repay your protein debt. While this won’t apply for periods longer than a few days, balancing things out every two-threedays will be perfect for health, fitness and sustainability.

Is this too much protein?

Honestly, it isn’t too much at all. But it is not too little either, especially for those of us who cannot eat or have chosen not to eat protein-rich foods like meat, eggs or even dairy.

So where do we get this protein?

Let’s look at a list of foods along with their protein content. I’ll list them down as food groups. Based on what your food preferences are, you can build them into your daily meals. And do realise: You don’t need to know the exact protein content in every different food item. Just the range for each food group will do. Like I said before, the ranges are wide enough and your body is tolerant enough.

So what do you need to do now?

Some simple math and some even simpler changes to your diet. First, calculate your protein requirement based on your bodyweight and fitness goals using the numbers I’ve presented above. Now, go up to the list and tick all the foods that you can eat regularly without having to force yourself or hide!

See the protein content for each of those foods and build enough quantity into your diet such that you arrive at required grams of protein. Also, ensure that you get the highest quality of food possible. Organic produce and dairy, free-range poultry and eggs and grass-fed meat are your healthiest options. They may not always be possible, but do choose them whenever possible.

One final thing to keep in mind…

Choose smart sources of protein. For example, a cup of cooked rice contains about 3 grams of protein. You can get all your 90 grams of protein from rice, but you’ll need to eat 30 cups and that will also add over 7,000 calories out of which 95% are from carbohydrates. So, choose protein sources that don’t come with a load of carbohydrates or fats along.

Raj Ganpath is an NCCA-accredited personal fitness trainer; a certified coach in fitness, nutrition, barbell and kettlebell training and a Functional Training and Senior Fitness Specialist, with over 5,000 hours of coaching experience