Whether you are trying to lose weight or live a healthier lifestyle, you have probably heard about protein. This macronutrient is responsible for building your body’s muscle mass, repairing tissues, and helps carry oxygen throughout the body.
It is important to get a daily dose of protein, so your body can repair cells and make new ones. Make it your goal to eat more protein this year. The nutritional counseling near me team at Wisniewski Chiropractic has created this guide into how much protein you should consume and easy ways to incorporate it into your diet.
How much protein should you eat?
Before you start packing yourself with high-filled protein foods, you need to know how much you should be consuming. Just like everything, overeating something is harmful. Consuming too much protein can put stress on your kidneys.
So what is the recommended amount? The International Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for both men and women is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. However, the amount of protein you should consume depends on your activity levels and age.
Athletes should consume 0.5 to 0.9 grams of protein per pound, and older adults should consume 0.5 to 0.9 grams of protein per pound. Not eating the recommended amounts of protein may result in weakened hair, nails and immune system.
Signs you’re not eating enough
Paying attention to your body is one great way to ensure you are eating enough protein. Some common signs you are not eating enough protein include:
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Losing muscle mass
Always getting sick
Being in a bad mood
Snacking constantly
Not healing correctly
Ways to add more protein to your diet
Use protein powder
Protein powder is an easy way to increase your protein intake. It is especially convenient for those with busy schedules and for those who workout regularly. You can add it to your fruit or vegetable smoothies, pancakes and even coffee.
The tricky part about protein powder is not the preparation but picking the right one. There are a ton of protein powders on the market. There are whey, casein, soy, pea and hemp protein powders. If all these options overwhelm you, see a nutritional counseling near me professional.
Try hard-boiled eggs
Eggs are a great source of protein and can keep you full for longer. Experts recommend adding hard-boiled eggs to your meal prepping if you struggle to get enough protein. One hard-boiled egg has six grams of protein.
This food is easily prepared and added to meals in several ways. For example, you can add hard-boiled eggs to your salad and sandwiches. Here are 15 delicious ways to use hard-boiled eggs in your meals.
Switch your rice for quinoa
One easy way to increase your protein intake is switching your rice to quinoa. Contrary to belief, this food is not a grain. Quinoa is a pseudo-grain. It is a seed that comes from the Chenopodium quinoa plant.
This superfood has gained popularity due to its nutrients. It has more fiber and protein than other grains. One cup of quinoa has eight grams of protein and five grams of fiber. Adding this food to your existing diet is effortless. All you need to do is switch your rice into these meals.
Are you looking for nutritional counseling near me?
Visit Wisniewski Chiropractic. We provide nutrition counseling services to help you through injury recovery, weight loss or to better manage your chronic diseases. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
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