Protein Guidelines
Smart choices to get the protein you need include lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, nut butters, and seeds. If you don't eat meat, fish, or poultry, combine grains with legumes often to make a delicious dish -- and a complete protein. When your meal includes legumes, remember to count them as a vegetable OR a protein food, not both, so your calorie and nutrient intakes are not jeopardized.How Much Protein Should I Eat?
Americans tend to overconsume protein, which can mean taking in more fat and calories than you need, as well. You may be surprised to find out that you only need five to six ounce-equivalents (oz-eq) of protein foods for good health. An oz-eq is equal to:
- 1 ounce lean meat, fish, or poultry
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup cooked legumes or tofu
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) nuts or seeds
| Daily Calorie Level | 1,600 | 1,800 | 2,000 | 2,200 |
| Lean meat and beans | 5 oz-eq | 5 oz-eq | 5.5 oz-eq | 6 oz-eq |
This works out to about two servings of protein each day. Your piece of meat, fish, or poultry should be modest in size, about the size of a deck of cards (roughly 3 ounces), to avoid going overboard on protein as well as calories.
Benefits of Protein
Protein is the building block for all body tissues. It also plays a vital role in many body functions, such as forming hormones and making antibodies to fight infection. Protein also helps you feel satisfied because it takes longer than carbohydrates to digest.
Best Bites for Weight Loss
Lean sources of protein are the wisest choices for eating fewer calories. For example, choose lean meats and poultry, and trim away all visible fat. To further reduce fat and calories, drain the fat off cooked meats. If you're browning ground beef to use in dishes such as chili and tacos, give it a quick rinse with hot water, then drain. Rinsing and draining ground beef removes about 70 percent of the fat.
Poultry can be a low-calorie protein choice. You no longer need to remove the skin from your chicken until after cooking. Studies show that no significant amount of fat migrates into the meat, and the skin holds in moisture while cooking. If you're eating ground poultry products, choose those that are 100 percent breast meat, otherwise you can end up with a very high-fat product. If the label doesn't state "100% ground breast," that means skin and other poultry parts are tossed into the ground mix, adding fat.
Try low-fat alternatives to traditionally high-fat meats. For instance, turkey bacon or turkey pepperoni make great lower-fat substitutes for regular pepperoni. Most fish are relatively low in calories, and those that are not offer heart-healthy fats that you don't need to worry about limiting.
Egg whites are a near-perfect protein and low in calories. Either separate the eggs, discarding the high-calorie yolks, or purchase pasteurized egg whites (the whites plus a little natural food coloring). Find them next to the eggs in the grocery store. For lower-calorie scrambled eggs, use pasteurized egg whites, adding spices and vegetables for flavor. Or use fresh eggs, discarding all but one or two yolks for a little color and flavor. You can safely leave out some of the egg yolks called for in baked goods, too, without losing flavor or texture.
Legumes and tofu offer more low-calorie alternatives to meat. So does texturized vegetable protein made from soybeans. Look for veggie crumbles in the freezer section next to the meatless burger patties. These foods can replace meat in soups, casseroles, chili, Mexican food, Asian food, spaghetti sauce, and more -- be creative! Tofu dogs or veggie hot dogs can stand in for the meat-variety and save you many saturated fat grams and hundreds of calories.
Nuts contribute heart-healthy fats as well as protein. However, they're high in calories, so eat only a tablespoon or two at a time. Use them mostly for enhancing flavor and adding crunch to foods rather than eating out of hand.
Incorporating Protein Into Your Diet
A simple way to get your protein allotment is to have a single serving at two different meals each day.
- Use lean meats, fish, or poultry to avoid using up discretionary calories.
- Include legumes or soy products as your protein source a couple of times each week.
Unlike other food categories, your goal with protein isn't to eat more. In fact, you might need to eat less than you usually do. But you could set a goal about using leaner meats or alternate protein sources such as legumes and soybean products. Consider something like this:
- I will eat a bean and rice main dish one time this week.
- I will order a tofu stir fry when I go out to eat this weekend.
An even bigger challenge is moderating the amount of sugar you eat. The next section deals with sugar, and how to make it a safe and healthy part of your diet.
There are several things you can do to reduce gas from beans:
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