I get asked this question all the time:
“How much protein should I be getting on a daily basis?” (Keep reading for your personalized guide.)
In most cases, I find the majority of active people (especially women) don’t get enough high quality protein.
Sometimes it’s just because the thought of tasteless protein is hard to stomach. (Here’s a solution.)
Keep in mind, if you’re exercising intensely on a regular basis your protein demands will be higher than somebody who’s sedentary.
Here’s a guide:
- Intense exercisers who want to burn fat = 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight daily
- Intense exercisers who want to gain muscle = 1.5 grams per pound of lean body weight
- Moderate exercisers looking to maintain or burn fat = 0.75 grams per pound of lean body weight
- Sedentary person = 0.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight
Most studies and research done on protein absorption seem to show that sedentary people really don’t need much more than 20 grams per serving…intense exercisers can possibly absorb more than this. As a rule of thumb, I try to keep my serving size from 20-30 grams each meal.
This guide below is magically personalized – if you’re a big dude or a small person, your hand size and portions will reflect that.
So if the thought of calculating your lean body mass (lean body mass = bodyweight minus body fat) leaves you befuddled (and I can’t say that maths has ever excited me in my ENTIRE life), this is an easy ‘at a glance’ way to work it out. It’s a portion guide you’ll have everywhere you go.
Now here’s the REAL MAGIC about eating more protein: it moderates your blood sugar and appetite so that you have sustained energy and you won’t be starving all the time. This is why you need to include a serving of protein with every meal.
Chicken, lamb, beef, fish, Greek yogurt, turkey, beans, eggs, nuts and seeds are all great sources of protein. Challenge yourself to include more lean proteins in your meals from now on.
Check out these healthy and delicious recipes that will help you meet your protein requirements without having to eat dry chicken or other tasteless food every meal.
Here’s a great list of protein sources:
