Download The Power of Protein - Jackson County Sheriff

The Power of Protein
Protein helps your body build and repair itself. It keeps you strong and energetic.
Protein also helps with a variety of jobs in your body, such as fighting disease!
Adults need about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.
You might need a little more protein if you are pregnant, recovering from an illness, or if
you are involved in intense strength training or exercise. Kids need more, too!
Divide your weight by 2.2 (to get how many kilograms you weigh).
Multiply that by 0.8 to get your protein needs.
Example: An adult who weighs 150 pounds:
150 divided by 2.2 = 68 kilograms
68 multiplied by 0.8 = 54½ grams
About 54½ grams of protein would be healthy for this person.
When we think protein, we think beef or pork. They have about 15-20 grams in a
3-ounce serving (the size of a deck of cards). But beef and pork can have
10+ grams of artery-clogging saturated fat in a 3-ounce serving, too.
Instead of always choosing meat for protein, try these high-protein foods:
Nuts and seeds (1 ounce—a small handful—has up to 6 grams of protein)
Peanut butter (2 tablespoons have 7 grams of protein)
Fish (3 ounce serving has 20 grams of protein)
Beans (half a cup has 7+ grams of protein)
Eggs (one medium has 5 grams of protein)
Some of these foods have unsaturated fat—healthier for your heart than the
saturated fat in meat. Even healthy fat can make you gain weight if you eat too
much, so watch your portion sizes of all foods that are high in fat.