protein servings - Diet & Nutrition Message Board

fairycake · 03-28-2006, 08:57 PM

I'm unsure about how much protein I should be including in my diet. How many grams should you have with an average sized meal (not including the protein in foods that come under the other food groups)?

Also do legumes, nuts and seeds count as a serving of protein or do they need to be eaten along with another source of protein?

I'm a female of average height and partake in a moderate amount of exercise.

Thank you.

Natalie00 · 03-28-2006, 09:53 PM

Well, there really is no recommendtion on how much protein you should eat a day. I try and get atleast 10 grams at each meal. And yes, nuts and beans do count as protein servings. You don't have to eat meat for it to count as protein.

rosebud1 · 03-29-2006, 01:01 AM

you can have as much protein as you want but eat good protein- lean meets, nuts, beans, low fat cheese... eat small portions of heavy meats- 1-2 ounces...
but everytime you eat a piece of fruit add protein- everytime you eat your salads- add some protein! (nuts and chicken)- just balance your meals and it doesnt matter how much you eat-
-everyone is different but without protein your body will deplete -

auntjudyg · 03-29-2006, 08:33 AM

The USDA recommendation is 50 grams. (Personally, that is not enough for me!)

Adding up protein on the food labels can get tricky because, as you seem to be aware, the protein on the label might or might not all be assimilated. Protein is made up of amino acids, and you need the right balance of them for protein to be assimilated in the most efficient way.

Vegetarian sites are all over the place listing what food combinations work best.

SparkleBuggy · 03-29-2006, 10:56 AM

Depending on your goals, you should have up to a gram a protein per body weight. You should have at least a gram per body weight if you workout. Most likely, the cravings are coming from due to lack of protein.

Nuts...are good for you, but they are high in fat. Be sure to eat a handful at a time. Also, Almonds and walnuts are the best for you. Cashews are good too, but extremely high in fat.

Eggs...they are high in protein, but try and eat more whites than yorks. So, if you eat 3-4 eggs, eat 3 white and 1 york.

Legums... are not really counted as a source of protein. They are high in fiber, but generally counting for carbs.