Protein — how much do we need to eat? Animals or plants?

8 min readApr 18, 2022

Helen M Gaydos

The maddening response is that we are all different and the answer for each of us depends, and is dynamic depending on our age, gender, activity, and health. Consequently, our protein requirement varies but happily there are some science-based guidelines! I think a lot about Michael Pollen’s classic quote, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. I find this a great direction and as per protein I would add, “listen to Michael Pollen and divide your protein evenly throughout your day”. The RDA suggests adult men consume 56g/day and women 46g/day. (Protein Requirements RDA). If you are feeling depleted you are likely not eating enough protein. Protein is an ancient Greek word proteios meaning primary and contains the amino acid building blocks required for tissue and biochemical maintenance and repair. It is also required for hair, nails and our daily body processes.

What is best? animal or vegetable protein

Of course, there are many health and moral arguments to this question and where possible consuming organic produce and animal products from (Regenerative Farms) is preferable. I appear to do well, along with most of us, with animal products whether sourced from the land or sea.(Bauman, 2021). I remember as a 7- or 8-year-old dining at a steak house somewhere near Bishops Stortford, Essex with my grandparents. I devoured an entire steak, all to the great amusement of the rather starchy but twinkly eyed server. At home in Gloucestershire we enjoyed nose-to-tail eating and in my mother’s kitchen, it is delicious! I still look forward to the aromas and sounds of liver cooking in the pan and mushrooms sizzling in butter as I walk in the door.

“I always feel more myself and happily vibrant when I enjoy meat in my daily meals”

During my twenties in NYC, I tried being a vegetarian and again recently, and with more expertise after watching the Game Changer movie. (Game Changer). However, in both instances and after a few weeks I feel lethargic and depressed. If I eat a steak, I am back on form and feeling like myself. There are probably ‘hacks and tweaks’ I could do to make my being a vegetarian work. I reviewed my daily food journal which detailed my mood and well-being while being a vegetarian and I came to a conclusion. I always feel more myself and happily vibrant when I enjoy meat in my daily meals.

So how much protein do we need?

Before we calculate how much protein we need (RDA is 15% of diet) everyone should probably have some idea of their BMI and can be calculated here. Your BMI is the basic calorie number the body requires at rest. If you factor in a very active lifestyle, exercising vigorously every day, and you can easily require 2500 calories for women and 3000+ for men per day. (Multiply BMI x 1.725). For an active lifestyle female adult 45g per day of protein and macronutrient ratios of 30% protein, 50% fat and 20% carbohydrate is a good guideline.(Bauman, 2021). The below table gives you an idea of everyday foods and their calorie and protein content and you can work out your own ideal protein needs or use Cronometer. We are all very different however and I remember during the Bauman College Nutrition Consultant course how wildly different all the student’s ideal macronutrient ratios were.

So, to explore further good ranges of protein consumption it is important to consider body weight. Consequently .8–1.2g protein per Kg of body weight is standard and increasing to 1.6g for moderate exercise and 1.725g for very active individuals. Elderly people, those recovering or experiencing illness or in a stressful period require more protein and could up their range to 1.2–1.5g/Kg of body weight. There is a National Library of Medicine paper that suggests for elderly adults to consume up to 2g/Kg/day which may seem surprising. If you are having fun with strength training 35–40g per day spread throughout the day is a great tactic to build and maintain skeletal muscle. (Van Vliet, 2018). But don’t panic with all these numbers our body is clever and if you embrace the idea of eating intuitively and listening to our body (daily journaling can be a great tool) we will find ourselves choosing to eat the right amount.

“Interoceptive Awareness Is Your Superpower: The Foundation for Intuitive Eating” (Tribole & Resch, 2020)

Professional athletes have been examining protein intake and optimal performance and some of those ideas are moving into the mainstream. Eating protein facilitates the muscle reconditioning of contractile muscle, mitochondria, and enzymes in muscle. It’s not necessary to eat protein powders, e.g. whey protein, since a glass of milk will work just as well, however whey protein is better than, for example, soy when it comes to building muscle mass. How quickly do you need to consume protein after a workout? And is it important to consume it immediately? After exercising our muscles are sensitized towards protein and more protein can be absorbed however that gradually reduces over a 48 hour period. So it is not important to eat protein within minutes of a workout but instead focus on eating protein, plants and animal sources throughout your day for optimal performance. (ZOE Science and Nutrition)

If you are working on a weight loss program that includes fasting-for-fat-burning this might be a reason to take a supplement protein powder to achieve both goals of muscle reconditioning and fasting.(ZOE Science & Nutrition). Look for more on body weight management in my upcoming May column.

For most people a good mix of animal and vegetable protein sources is likely the most efficient, easy and practical way to eat adequate protein. (Bauman, 2021). Vegetarian meals some days and animal protein others and being intuitive is a great plan. This gives the body a break on both types of eating and presents a wider variety of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients when eating a varied diet. Chickpeas mixed in a green salad with some chopped crunchy vegetables and a ginger carrot dressing is a tasty lunch and full of protein. It is my go-to when my husband wants to shed pounds and we feel like taking a break from dairy, meat and fish. Next day we may have poached eggs for lunch with steamed broccolini and EVOO followed by a barbecued steak for dinner with cumin and garlic roasted brussel sprouts. Don’t forget to find out the sources of your food Localharvest.com as good food providers are transparent about their processes. On those vegetarian days or meals consider the following two fun and tasty ideas to maximize nutrition density:

Sourdough Bread: eating sourdough bread that has been fermented with a proper culture starter for a minimum of 12 hours makes this food almost a complete protein and very useful for vegans. It is also easier for the body to digest.
Sprouting: this helps us to rethink how you purchase and process your own food for maximum nutritional availability. Sprouting may not directly affect protein absorption however effective protein digestion relies on a combination of processes. Increasing the bioavailability of our food can be easier on our digestion and make it more efficient

Hippocrates — “Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food”

To summarize, choosing which protein to consume is a hot topic today and being a vegetarian can work very well and for many friends and communities is essential for their health and values. Protein contains essential amino acids that we cannot manufacture in our bodies and therefore we must eat them in our diet. Animal products provide these complete proteins and some plants do too, e.g. quinoa. By combining plant foods it is possible to achieve a complete protein diet and receive the nine amino acids we must consume. (Vegetable Complete Protein Foods). Classic examples include the time-tested, rice and beans or wheat and nuts and are historial staples in our communities. My recipe this month however is focused on animal protein and our honored and ancient friend the bison. Enjoy!

Recipe

A Prairie Land Supper with Asian & Indian Spices

What I love most about this dish is the wonderful perfume. Also it is a protein- packed meal with vitamins and minerals such as Selenium, Zinc, B12 and ready in minutes.

Ingredients: 4 portions

1lb ground bison

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp cumin seed (toasted and ground)

1 tsp yellow ground mustard seed

2 tsp Madras curry powder

Dash of cinnamon (1/32 tsp)

1 tsp salt

1 bunch fresh spinach

2 cups blended tomatoes

1 small carrot or ½ cup green peas

Method

1. Sauté finely diced onion in oils — 8 minutes

2. Add crushed garlic add dry spices — 1 minute

3. Add bison and toss around pan carefully. Don’t break up too much.

4. Add salt, tomatoes, diced carrots and spinach

5. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve with rice and maybe an arugula or watercress salad.

Wine Pairing — Inglenook RC Reserve Syrah, Napa Valley 2017

A classic local winery located in the Cabernet Sauvignon dominated Rutherford AVA of Napa Valley, CA. Their proprietary 1882 bottling or Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon would be spectacular with their excellent balance of acid, dense fruit and tannin and distinguishing ‘Rutherford Dust’. However, I thought Roman Coppola’s namesake Syrah blend ‘RC’ might fit this dish well and perfectly match the slightly gamey flavors in both the dish and wine.

2017 RC Reserve Syrah

Estate fruit from their Gate Vineyard adjacent to route 29 crafted by winemaker Philippa Bascaules at this storybook Napa winery. The wine is rich and delicious with wonderful aromas and flavours of black fruits, licorice spice and a whiff of garrigue.

Reference

Wu, G. (2016). Dietary protein intake and human health [Full text]. Food Funct, 2016(7): 1251–65. doi:10.1039/C5FO01530H

Van Vliet, S., Beals, J.W., Martinez, I.G., Skinner, S.K., & Burd, N.A. (2018). Achieving optimal post-exercise muscle protein remodeling in physically active adults through whole food consumption [Full text]. Nutrients, 10(2): 224. http://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020224