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Is your Protein Consumption Optimal?
Although it is important to eat enough protein in your day, you should also be careful to eat it at the right time and in the right amount. Often, we tend to eat too little protein at breakfast and too much at dinner, which is not ideal.
Protein perform various functions in the body:
- Provide a feeling of fullness
- Help build muscles
- Contribute to tissue repair following injury or surgery
- Strengthen the immune system and help prevent infections
- Help maintain muscle mass during a weight loss process
- Allow the renewal of skin, hair and nails
- Promote the growth of children and adolescents as well as the development of the fetus
Requirements
Daily protein requirements in adults are about 1g per kg of body weight. In older adults, requirements are increased to 1.2g per kg of body weight. Requirements are also higher for athletes and for those who are in the process of losing weight.
Distribution
If we want to absorb all the protein we eat, a good distribution during the day is required. It is recommended to eat about 20 to 30 grams per meal (for a total of 3 meals per day) as well as one to three protein snacks (containing about 7 to 10g of protein) during the day, according your needs and schedule. This promotes better absorption, contributes to satiety, and helps regulate appetite, control cravings and maintain a stable body weight. A protein snack is especially necessary when there is a delay of more than four hours between two meals.
Author
Kathryn holds a Bachelor Degree in Nutrition as well as a Bachelor and a Master Degree in Kinesiology, all from Laval University. She is a Registered Dietitian and active member of the Ordre professionnel des Diététistes Nutritionnistes du Québec (ODNQ) and of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She holds the Monash University's certification for the FODMAP diet and IBS, and has considerable clinical experience in that area. She is also an accomplished athlete, having ran track and cross-country at a national level. Kathryn specializes in sports nutrition, weight loss, diabetes, as well as heart and gastrointestinal health.
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