Daily Protein Requirements

Many people seem curious about how much protein they should be eating every day. Although there are many diet and nutrition sources that will give you different values for these numbers, there is a basic rule of thumb for your daily protein needs that can be simply calculated.

According to the Food and Nutrition Board that establishes the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), you should consume 0.36 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds you consume 64.8 grams of protein daily – 180 X 0.36 = 64.8

The Food and Nutrition Board also states that 15% of your daily calorie intake should come from protein. For example, if you consume 2000 calories a day, 300 of these calories should come from protein sources.

Eating enough protein is part of a healthy diet, whether you are a long-distance runner or a librarian. But if you consume too much protein, or are on a diet, such as the Atkins Diet, that involves eating a lot of protein, you can do more damage than good for your health. Over the short-term, too much protein in your diet will result in water loss from the body, but over the long-term excess dietary protein can lead to many other serious health conditions.

Following the protein daily dietary guidelines to the right will help you to ensure you are consuming enough protein for all of the important functions that it does in your body. This table gives a helpful list of the protein and its percent calories that is contained in many common foods. As you can see, protein doesn’t have to come from animal sources so even vegetarians and vegans can get enough protein to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowances.

Protein Packed Recipe:

This is one of my favorite recipes and is absolutely packed full of protein while being low in calories. I use sushi grade tuna and sear the steak on the grill for only 15-20 seconds on each side. If you are a fan of tuna sushi then this kind of tuna tataki is to die for. If you don’t like eating raw fish, then cook it through as the recipe describes. It is delicious either way.

Asian Tuna Steaks

• 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. orange juice, (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1-1/4 tsp. sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. sodium-reduced soy sauce
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated, or 1-1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tbsp. scallions (green onions), chopped
• 1 lb. (454g) tuna steak (at least 1-inch thick)

Directions:

In a stainless steel bowl or plastic resealable bag, combine first 6 ingredients. Add the tuna and let marinate for 20 minutes. Broil or grill the tuna 6 inches from the heat source for 4-5 minutes per side. Cook until desired doneness is reached.

Per serving: calories 173, fat 6.3g, 34% calories from fat, cholesterol 53mg, protein 25.8g, carbohydrates 2.2g, fiber 0.2g