Download UTM EatWell

Images courtesy http://www.morguefile.com/
Brought to you by your UTM Health & Counselling Centre
UTM EatWell
What is Protein?
Protein is one of the three major nutrients, along
with carbohydrate and fat, that fuels our body.
Dietary protein is digested into amino acids, which
are the building blocks our body uses to build and
maintain muscle, skin, hair, connective tissue and
important chemical messengers like enzymes,
neurotransmitters and hormones.
How Much Do You Need?
Protein needs depend on age, gender, health
status, activity level and fitness goals. For
example, young adults, pregnant women, and
weight-training athletes require higher protein
intakes. Current dietary guidelines from the
Institute of Medicine* recommend that protein
make up a proportion of the calories you eat each
day:
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fat
10% -35% of total calories
45% - 65% of total calories
20% -35% of total calories
This translates to 30 – 105 grams of protein per
day for an adult who eats 1,200 calories a day, for
example, or 50 - 175 grams of protein for
someone who eats 2,000 calories a day.
Estimating
Your Protein Needs
If you don’t know how many calories you consume
in a day, an easier way to estimate your protein
needs is to use the Recommended Daily
Allowance (RDA)*.
The RDA for protein is 0.8 grams of protein for
every kilogram of body weight, for an average,
healthy adult (age 19-70) who is not a trained
athlete:
Weight in pounds x 0.8 =
2.2
average daily protein needs
Note: 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
So someone who weighs 155 pounds
(70.5 kg) should consume approximately
56 grams of protein per day
(70.5 kg x 0.8 = 56 grams protein).
Protein recommendations for endurance and
strength trained athletes range from
1.2 - 1.7 g/kg (0.5-0.8 g/lb.) body weight per day.
These recommended protein intakes can
generally be met through diet alone, without the
use of protein or amino acid supplements.
Weight in pounds x 1.7 =
2.2
athletes daily protein needs
UTM Health & Counselling Centre www.utm.utoronto.ca/health Phone: 905-828-5255
How Much
Do You Need to Eat?
Even someone with the highest protein needs,
say a 225 lb. wrestler aiming for increased
weight and muscle mass, can get enough
protein from basic foods without needed
expensive protein shakes or powders:
225 lb.
2.2
x 1.7 = 174 g protein/day
Breakfast
1 large bagel
45 mL (3 T.) peanut butter
55 g (1 c.) Kashi® cereal with 300 mL (1⅓ c.) milk
Fruit
= 40 g protein
-----------Lunch
2 sandwiches (4 slices bread) with 100 g lean roast
beef
Salad, sprinkled with 60 g (½ c.) sunflower seeds
300 mL (1⅓ c.) chocolate milk
= 50 g protein
----------Supper
225 g (8 oz.) cooked salmon
300 g (3 c.) cooked pasta noodles
Green beans sprinkled with 30 g (1/4 c.) almonds
200 g (1 c.) yogurt with fruit
= 75 g protein
----------Snack
50 g (1 ½ oz.) cheese with crackers
= 10 g protein
Daily Total = 175 g protein
Which Foods
Contain Protein?
Each of these choices provides
approximately 10 grams of protein**:
 35 - 50 g (1 – 2 oz.) cooked meat, fish
or chicken
 2 small eggs or 4 egg whites
 75 g (2 ½ oz.) tofu, regular or firm
 150 g (5 oz.) soy “veggie” burger
 175 mL (⅔ c.) cooked legumes (beans
or lentils) or hummus
 60 g (½ c.) nuts or seeds
 45 mL (3 T.) peanut butter, almond
butter or cashew butter
 300 mL (1⅓ c.) white or chocolate milk
 400 mL (1⅔ c.) soy beverage
 235 mL liquid meal supplement (e.g.
“Boost®” or “Ensure®”)
 30 g (1/2 c.) skim milk powder
 50 g (1 ½ oz.) cheese
 75 g (⅓ c.) cottage cheese, ricotta
cheese, or paneer
 200 g (about 1 c./8 oz. or 2 small
containers) yogurt
 300 g (10 oz.) kefir
 4 slices bread or 1 large bagel
 55 g (1 c.) Kashi® (Go Lean, Go Lean
Crunch or Honey Almond Flax)
cereals
 150 g (1 ½ c.) cooked pasta or egg
noodles or 450 g (3 c.) cooked rice,
quinoa, or rice noodles
Note: Almond or rice beverage are not good sources of
protein, you’d need to drink 2.4 L (80 fl. oz.) almond or rice
milk to get 10 g of protein.
References
*Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate. Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids,
Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2002/2005). This report may be accessed via www.nap.edu
** Health Canada. Nutrient Value of Some Common Foods. Ottawa: Health Canada, 2008.
Students can make an appointment with the Health & Counselling
Centre’s Dietitian for a personalized assessment of protein and other
nutrient needs.
Call (905) 828–5255 to make an appointment. Free for UTM students!
2
UTM Health & Counselling Centre www.utm.utoronto.ca/health
Phone: 905-828-5255