Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!
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​tl;dr Today, we’re going to dive deeper into the new, hot, dietary fad; the label finding its way onto all health foods (and non-health foods); and seemingly the answer to all of society’s problems (or is it?)... protein! What is it, how much do you need, and where to get it, all in a power-packed protein edition of TGIM!
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Protein is the only macronutrient (things our bodies need a LOT of to function) that we use as building material. Consider it our scaffolding or infrastructure. Fat and carbs, the other macronutrients, are primarily used as fuel. We don’t have stores of protein like we do of fat, so we require a steady daily intake.

Protein makeup:
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​Protein is made up of amino acids. There are 20 standard amino acids, which are broken down into essential and non-essential types. The essential amino acids are those that our bodies do not produce, so we must obtain them from food. And non-essential, as you can probably wisely deduce, are those that the body can make.
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“Complete proteins” then contain all nine essential amino acids. These are typically found in meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, and soy.
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“Incomplete proteins” are missing or low in one or more amino acids. For my vegetarians out there, this is why you need to be more diligent about your protein sources. Things like beans, lentils, rice, oats, nuts, seeds, and vegetables must be balanced to make up for the deficit of the other source.
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​Protein functions: the heavy hitters.
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​The builder: The amino acids that make up protein repair muscle fibers broken down during exercise, enabling growth and recovery.
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​The filler: Protein keeps you full better than carbs and fats. It suppresses ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and boosts peptide YY, keeping you fuller longer.
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​The inferno: Digesting protein burns 2-6x as much energy (calories) as digesting carbs or fats. Your body literally has to work harder to digest protein (burning calories effortlessly!).
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​The anti-aging effect: Adequate protein (paired with strength training) preserves bone density and slows muscle loss as we age.
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​So how much do we really need?
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​I know, I know… protein feels so overdone at this point. It’s in our milk, our Poptarts, our Doritos, I mean, where does it end!?
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But I’ll give you what the FDA recommends, and then what is shown to be optimal.
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The updated federal guidelines advise 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For all my US friends, that’s like taking approximately 50-75% of your weight and having a gram of protein for each pound. (ie if I weigh 130lbs, the federal guidelines recommend I eat 71-94g of protein.)
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While these guidelines are better than the prior, which recommended 0.8g/kg, they are still not adequate for most individuals.
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To maintain general health, muscle mass, bone density, and optimize aging (not to mention athleticism and strength), it’s best to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. (ie if I weight 130lbs, it’s optimal to eat at least 130g of protein per day.)
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Don’t shoot the messenger.
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​Where to find protein?
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​OMG how am I ever going to eat that much protein!?
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A common dilemma. But I assure you, you can do it and enjoy it.
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As with all nutrition, it’s better to prioritize whole food sources and then supplement as needed. As we defined before, prioritize complete sources of protein like chicken breast, canned tuna, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs. You can also add plant-based sources like tempeh, edamame, lentils, black beans, and hemp seeds.
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While it would be ideal if we could all get all of our protein from these sources, life is busy, unexpected things happen, and sometimes we need something quick. For bigger individuals requiring 200+ grams of protein, it can be a tremendous volume of food that requires very deliberate meal timing. Plant-based eaters and older individuals may also benefit from some supplementation to hit their goals.
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In these cases, using protein supplements may help individuals hit their goals or stay consistent. Whey and casein proteins both have the most evidence to support muscle protein synthesis. Soy protein is the best plant-based option. Pea protein is not a complete protein source but a good choice for those avoiding dairy and soy. And collagen is an incomplete protein and nearly useless for muscle building, but does support joint and tendon health and skin elasticity when taken with vitamin C.
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As with most things in life, it’s not a black and white answer, but what works best for you.
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​Protein myth busters:
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911 What about my kidneys!?: Relax, your kidneys are fine. High-protein diets are very safe and well-studied in individuals with baseline healthy kidneys.
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​Your body can’t use more than 40g of protein at once: Your body absorbs essentially all of the protein you eat. Our bodies are way smarter than we are. There’s no “waste” above a magic threshold number. Larger amounts are just used more slowly or for energy instead of muscle building.
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​Plant protein is inferior: Plant protein has lower “digestibility scores” on average, but this can be compensated for by eating more of them and varying the sources. It takes a lot more work and planning to eat a complete protein profile with plant sources, but where there’s a plant-based will, there’s a plant-based way. I mean, Popeye did it.
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​More protein=more muscle: Sorry, meatheads, it’s not an infinite direct correlation. Resistance training stimulus matters more than protein quantity beyond the optimal protein recommended range.
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​Please prioritize your protein!
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​Whether you’re trying to be a hybrid athlete (iykyk), a grandma who wants to pick up her grandchildren, aesthetically pleasing Joe Schmoe, or really just live your best life. Find a way to prioritize your protein.
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Start by just getting a general idea of how much you eat in a day. Write it down in a notebook, download the free version of MyFitnessPal or a similar app, and get to logging for a week. Also, ChatGPT or Claude will make your life SO EASY if you utilize those tools.
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Once you have a baseline, start working on adding snacks and meals in your rotation that you genuinely enjoy (maybe some Greek yogurt bowls, a nice chopped chicken salad, or adding some cottage cheese to your eggs). You want to work your way up to the recommendations we outlined earlier. And add supplements if you need!
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Meet yourself where you’re at and build from there. Make some easy swaps where you can tolerate: a slightly lower-fat ground beef makes a huge difference in your macros. A slightly higher protein yogurt, or swapping a candy bar for a protein supplement snack.
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And if you need help on where to start or where to go, please reach out, this is my jam! I also have a free Nutrition Workbook for you if this resonated with you.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Hidden Brain, “You are Not Ordinary.”
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With that, I hope you learned a thing or two about protein and, more importantly, have an action you’re going to take first thing tomorrow (or today!) to increase your protein intake.
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Until next time,
Shannon