The first food group we will talk about from the balanced plate is protein. Protein is an essential nutrient that serves a variety of functions. One of the biggest roles of protein is acting as a “building block” for many body functions, including:
-
Building strong bones.
-
Promoting strong muscles and aiding in proper muscle contractions, which affects how our body moves.
-
Assisting with keeping enzymes and hormones functioning properly.
-
Providing calories needed to fuel our body.
How much protein someone needs varies based on many factors such as gender, age, activity level, and current health needs. At a minimum, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 46 grams per day for females and 56 grams per day for male adults 19 years of age or older.
A general rule of thumb is 1 ounce of cooked meat equals 7 grams of protein with a recommended serving size of protein being approximately 3 ounces or 21 grams. Grams of protein are about how much protein the food provides, not the weight of the food.
Meat or animal sources of protein include poultry like chicken or turkey, beef, eggs, fish, and pork. Various factors determine how much protein and the quality of protein that is present in a food, such as the source (animal or plant-based) and leanness of the food.
In the example below, you'll see that the leaner the meat, the higher the quality of protein that food provides:
-
3 ounces of ground beef (85% lean, 15% fat) equals approximately 21 grams of protein
-
3 ounces of ground beef (90% lean, 10% fat) equals approximately 26 grams of protein
Next week, we'll dive deeper into non-meat sources of protein like beans, nuts, and dairy and how varying sources of protein can help promote overall healthy living.