When it comes to what we eat for weight loss and health, we naturally think about cutting carbs and fats. There’s some truth in doing so, especially limiting refined and ultra-processed options, but we often overlook the power of increasing the third macronutrient…
Ahead, Dr. Cederquist and Nicole RD detail why the macronutrient protein is so critical for not just weight loss, but for our overall health and longevity. These very reasons are exactly why protein is the foundation of your bistroMD menu!
So, grab your protein-packed snack and discover the power of protein, including how much to consume and great sources to help you achieve your daily needs.
Dr. Cederquist: Hello, I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist and with me is dietitian Nicole Hartwick.
Nicole: Hi, thank you all for joining us! To refresh, in the last lesson we reviewed the macronutrient carbohydrate. Today we're going to talk about another macronutrient, which might just be our favorite, and this is called protein.
Dr. Cederquist: Yes, we love protein at bistroMD, and it's the cornerstone of all of our meals and snacks. Ahead we're going to cover five reasons why protein is so important for health and weight goals and how much you should eat every day.
Nicole: Yes, weight loss throughout the years has been such a focus on fat and carbohydrate intake, but we feel protein intake needs to be talked about a whole lot more. It's essential for weight loss and weight management, and protein becomes even more crucial as you age. So let's discuss the five reasons why protein is critical in weight loss and long-term weight management.
Dr. Cederquist: Number one is muscle. Our bodies are in constant need of protein because it's the building block for muscle, which helps support our metabolic rate. Protein is also needed for so many metabolic actions in the body. For example, all of our many, many enzymes are made of protein, and we have no storage for extra protein in our body.
Dr. Cederquist: And we can't make the building blocks for protein, the amino acids, from other nutrients in our diet. We have to get them from our food. That is why we call many of the amino acids essential. We can't live without them. So if we don't eat enough protein, we break down our muscle protein to meet our amino acid nutritional needs, which is the worst thing we can do for our metabolism, weight management, and aging.
Dr. Cederquist: When you are dieting to lose weight, it is crucial that you not skimp on protein. The human body is designed to survive. If you are not giving it the essential components it needs, your body is going to force a correction by sending out hunger signals or by slowing metabolism.
Nicole: Yes. Number two, protein is simply satiating and impacts hormones that control appetite and keeps us feeling full for longer. So for example, how do you feel 90 minutes after eating a breakfast of a frittata with turkey sausage? Versus, how do you feel after having a bowl of cereal with fruit? The calories could be the same, but the effect of the meal on your hunger is very different.
Dr. Cederquist: Oh, completely. For me, I feel 100% different. I eat that simple carb breakfast. I'm hungry all day. Whereas with one of these other meals, the frittata, the balanced protein, I can go hours and just feel satisfied. That's why we created it that way.
Dr. Cederquist: Number three is that eating adequate protein also helps stabilize blood sugar, thereby lessening craving, especially when carbohydrate intake is controlled.
Nicole: Yes, in fact, one study showed that increasing your protein reduced cravings by 60% and the desire to snack at night by half.
Dr. Cederquist: And that's huge. It's a lot easier to lose weight when you're not having cravings and late-night snacking.
Nicole: Now, number four, protein doesn't stimulate an insulin response like simple carbohydrates do. Less insulin equates to less fast storage.
Dr. Cederquist: Correct. And last but not least, number five, protein has a higher thermic effect to food. This means the body works harder to turn protein into energy, whereas it's more instantaneous with simple carbohydrates. You are using more calories to metabolize protein.
Nicole: Yes. So now we know about the power of protein. How much protein do we recommend? So the recommended dietary allowance is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. However, this is the absolute lowest amount needed to prevent deficiency.
Dr. Cederquist: The lowest?
Nicole: Yes, the lowest amount needed. Right! However, the amount you need is influenced by age, gender, body composition, activity level, and several other factors. To ensure you're getting sufficient protein, we recommend shooting for about 20 to 30 grams of protein at each of your meals, which is equivalent to about three to five ounces of protein.
Nicole: So three ounces is like the palm of your hand; five ounces is to that first knuckle. We also recommend about two to three protein snacks each day, which is equivalent to about 10 to 15 grams of protein at each snack, or one to two ounces of protein intake.
Nicole: For those of you who aren't getting all your meals and snacks from bistroMD, please refer to our DIY guides for more guidance. As well, for those of you who receive all your meals and snacks from bistroMD, you get this and you're all set! We just recommend eating your meals and snacks every two to four hours for maximum benefit. For those of you supplementing some of your meals and snacks on your own, be mindful of the amount and quality of the protein that you're consuming.
Dr. Cederquist: If this seems like a lot of protein to eat throughout the day, rest assured this is not high protein, but adequate protein, and the need for it becomes increasingly critical as we age. We also have tips to help you meet these protein requirements each day, especially starting with breakfast.
Nicole: Yes, we believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Consuming a protein-rich breakfast is crucial for stimulating muscle protein synthesis, for fueling your metabolism, and controlling hunger and cravings throughout the day.
Nicole: The bistroMD breakfast was created to provide the needed amount of protein. Meals outside of the bistroMD program that would hit these kind of protein targets include things like two eggs with three slices of Canadian bacon and maybe a serving of fruit with this. Or, one cup of nonfat Greek yogurt with half a cup of berries and a tablespoon of nuts and seeds to make a yogurt parfait.
Nicole: If you're not using the bistroMD breakfast, please look at the DIY breakfast list for high-protein breakfast options because we can't stress enough how important it is to start your day off with the right balance of protein and complex carbs in order to stabilize your blood sugar and set your day to be free of hunger and cravings.
Dr. Cederquist: Now that we understand some of you are not breakfast eaters, it's okay. If you're not hungry for breakfast or find it difficult to eat it, we suggest starting with about 10 grams of protein and slowly increase your intake to meet the 20 to 30 grams. You could also start the day with just a protein-rich snack and then eat the breakfast two to three hours later when you have more of an appetite.
Nicole: Totally agree! I myself am not always hungry for breakfast in the morning. In fact, as a kid, I used to be really nervous for school and eating would make me so nauseous. And as I got older and started to understand the importance of breakfast and protein, I started sipping on protein shakes as it was easier to get down with a whole lot less volume.
Dr. Cederquist: That's a great tip, Nicole. We also find it helpful to track your protein intake. Track how much you are getting in as often you don't realize how short in protein intake you are. I know, I know, not everyone loves tracking and journaling their intake. Actually, nobody likes it. But if you don't know how well you are doing, unless you keep score, we would see this a lot in the clinical setting. So track it initially to ensure you're on target.
Nicole: Yes, tracking is so important. When someone would come to me expressing slow and difficult weight loss or no weight loss at all, they were often under-consuming on their protein intake so check in with yourself to make sure.
Dr. Cederquist: People sometimes wonder, you know, can I eat too much protein? And of course you can. Anything in excess can lead to more calories. It's important to know that the body can only use an uncertain amount of protein at one sitting, and then the rest is stored as fat. So if you take in a lot, especially a lot of calories, it's not going to work well for you.
Dr. Cederquist: Many of my patients had a pattern of not eating much or any protein at breakfast, like say cereal or oatmeal, and then a green salad and veggies for lunch, and then they would only have protein like chicken or fish or meat at dinner. They found that despite eating healthy foods, or not much at all, they weren't losing weight. Or conversely, maybe that evening meal was a really large steak, 12 to 16 ounces.
Dr. Cederquist: You know, your body can only use the 4 to 6 ounces of that for the current protein needs. It can store it for later, like in the morning when you don't have protein in your diet. Instead, those extra calories from protein are stored as fat. I found the sweet spot is sticking to 20 to 30 grams of protein, although we also recommend checking with your doctor, particularly if you're managing medical conditions like kidney disease.
Nicole: Yes, and another thing to address is all protein is not created equal.
Dr. Cederquist: Definitely not, Nicole. Some protein sources are very high in fat, and they end up providing too many calories, like a very fatty burger. And many plant-based proteins are incomplete proteins, which means they do not contain all nine essential amino acids we need to get through foods.
Dr. Cederquist: Plant-based sources like soy, nuts, seeds, and quinoa offer protein and other beneficial nutrients. However, plant-based proteins are lower per serving in protein, and the amounts needed to reach the 20 to 30-gram threshold naturally increases calories, fats, and carbs, so it's important to be really aware of what you're taking in.
Dr. Cederquist: For example, if you tried to get your 20 to 30 grams of protein from peanut butter, you would need three to four servings, which would give you 21 to 28 grams of protein, but 48 to 60 grams of fat and 570 to 760 calories, which is too much fat and too many calories, especially for weight loss.
Nicole: Plant protein just doesn't offer the same amount of protein as animal protein does, but it's still possible to reach protein targets without overdoing calories.
Dr. Cederquist: And it's essential to meet your daily protein intake in whatever way works best for you in the long run. And truly, if you want to be healthy, age well, age strong, have increased energy, lose weight, manage hunger and cravings, and sleep well, adequate protein is a must.
Nicole: Yes!
Dr. Cederquist: That's what bistroMD focuses on protein and why we're so passionate about sharing this with you today.
Nicole: Yes, definitely. And we are so thrilled that you were able to join us today. Until next time, make it a protein-filled day!