GET STARTED TODAY
Try us for 30 days with no long term contracts or commitments.
Get Started Today

Blog

Prioritise Protein

20 July 2023 Nutrition


The word protein originates from the Greek word ‘proteios’, meaning of first importance. We’re going to discuss why this is indeed the case and should be the first thing that goes on your plate when putting your meals together.

Firstly, we should discuss the fact that we will find protein in varying quantities in most foods, however foods that we commonly talk about when talking about ‘protein' can be split into two categories:

Animal based proteins, i.e meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, and also plant based proteins, i.e. beans, legumes, pulses, nuts and seeds.

It would be fair to say that if you are someone who is not following a plant based diet, you will often get more ‘bang for your buck’ from animal proteins.

This is because, first of all, you will often find higher amounts of protein relative to the serving size. In contrast, plant based sources will generally contain a higher amount of additional calories from carbs and fats. Meaning that they often contain more calories in order to get the same quantity of protein. 

This all means that if I said to someone “You should try to eat a bit more protein”, they would probably be better off focusing on animal based sources. Further to this, we often find that plant based sources are not as easy to digest, therefore you would actually need more plant based protein to get the same amount of certain important amino acids.

This isn't to say plant based sources are bad. They often have other benefits, such as a wide variety of other vitamins and minerals. You just have to be aware that to have the same impact, you will often have to consume a higher amount of overall protein to get the same benefit and unfortunately these plant based sources often contain additional calories from fats and carbs - so keep an eye on it!

Who Should Be Focusing On Protein?

Protein becomes increasingly important for anyone who is undertaking any form of strenuous exercise and wants to recover well. It is also extremely important for anyone looking to build muscle/strength, as well as anyone looking to lose body fat too - as for reasons shortly mentioned it acts as a sort of secret weapon in your journey towards a leaner life. Also, research has shown that protein actually becomes more important as you age, as our bodies become less efficient at using dietary protein.

Simply put, we should all be prioritising protein. 

What Does Protein Do In The Body?

The body needs protein to form the raw materials to build many structures in the body, from muscles and bones, to our hair, skin, teeth and nails, also our tendons, ligaments, as well as organs such as our heart, our lungs, our digestive system and even down to the tiny little things in the body like enzymes.Therefore, protein is needed for essential processes that happen in the body as well as the constant regeneration of our entire body as a whole.

If you plan on increasing the volume or intensity of your exercise regime, you will most likely benefit from increasing your protein intake to a moderately high level to help with the extra recovery that will need to take place, i.e. more exercise means more damage to the structures of our body, which means we will need more raw materials to recover and regenerate.

Furthermore, for people looking to get into great shape, protein can often be viewed as one of the most powerful tools in their arsenal. This is because protein has a much steadier release of energy when compared with fats and carbohydrates, therefore if someone were to include protein in their meals, it may help to lessen any fluctuations in energy levels and therefore makes us feel fuller for longer. The knock on effect of this is that if we feel fuller for longer we can expect to have fewer cravings and we will therefore often make better decisions when it comes to the food we eat.

Additionally, protein has something that we call a high thermic effect of food (TEF), when compared with carbs and fats, which means that a lot of calories are actually burned in the digestive process. Roughly 20% of the calories we consume from protein will be burned via digestion… meaning that if we eat 100 calories of protein, only about 80 of them will be left over after the digestion.

Again, protein should be viewed by many as a secret weapon when it comes to getting in better shape as it helps us have a slower, steadier release of energy, causing us to feel feeling fuller for longer and experiencing less cravings, helping us stay in control of our eating habits, as well as increasing our ability to recover from exercise AND burning more calories via digestion all at the same time!

When Should I Eat Protein?

The most important thing in terms of timing of protein intake is your (average) total daily intake. Meaning that it doesn’t really have too much of an impact if you split your total protein up into two, three, four or more meals, as long as you’re getting enough.

Common sense would however say to spread your protein out throughout the day, then this may allow you to vary your sources more and not experience digestive stress from eating huge meals. So we recommend splitting your protein intake up into 3-4 portions throughout the day.

How Much Protein Should I Be Having?

The research shows that an optimal range of protein people should aim for is 1.6g per kilogram of body weight, on the lower end, to up to 2.4g per kilogram of body weight on the upper end.

E.g. an 80kg person would aim for 128g - 192g protein each day, perhaps focusing on the lower end if their goal was focused on endurance based activities and the upper end if their goal was skewed towards muscle building.

The middle-ground is therefore aiming for 2g per kg of bodyweight, so our 80kg example would aim for 160g protein each day.

If reading labels, or tracking foods or weighing things isn’t really your thing, then a simple method we suggest is that you aim to eat a hand-sized portion of protein with each meal; i.e. a portion of protein-rich food that is similar in size to 

Now you may already be hitting this amount without even thinking about it, whereas others, especially if you’re heavier, may be quite a way off. The solution isn’t to bump it up straight away to the upper limit. Of course we should look to slowly increase your protein intake over time until we’re in that optimal range.

How Do I Get That Much Protein In?

Most people tend to be fairly good at including protein in with their evening meal, as it tends to be a hearty meal with ‘meat and veg’,  whereas people sometimes struggle to get enough protein in at breakfast and lunch.

At breakfast, our clients have found success with using things such as egg-based meals, or yoghurts mixed with nuts and seeds. Those who struggle to eat breakfast often opt for protein powders, as these can be a really good option, e.g. possibly made into a smoothie, as this can be quick, easy and convenient but also packed with loads of goodness. I am a huge proponent of supplementing with protein powders, as they are cheap, easy, convenient, tasty and can be used in meals or as a standalone shake.

At lunchtime, I'm a big fan of people simply cooking more in the evening and having leftovers for lunch the following day, as it tends to be people's most protein-rich, nutrient-dense meal… so just have it again for lunch, perhaps adjusting your portion size slightly to fit your lunchtime needs. 

Really, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is, we just need an arsenal of different meals that have different protein sources that we know we like, that have enough protein and vary in convenience and speed depending upon how our day is looking. For example leftovers might be the right option on some days that tick all the required boxes but other options may include cooking a whole chicken on the weekend and then simply adding some of that to soups or salads throughout the week.

The options and combinations are limitless, you simply need to build up your toolbox of meals and different ways of getting protein in.