Protein - The Eating Well Podcast

UPDATED LINK! Protein! #002 Michelle and Steve Introduce the topic and take listener questions! Michelle gives a little perspective on our use of protein. Meal replacement shakes that we're both using that have about 16g of protein each. Michelle explains what Protein is, why it's important and what "essential" amino acids are. We discus why choosing the best source of protein for your needs is important, all sources are not equal. Can vegetarians get complete nutrition if they don't eat any meat products? My Odeo Channel (odeo/9e2d24aa997fa6a0) Audio question from Amaro -- San Diego, CA

"...How much protein should I get each day? And what are some good choices?"

- Thanks Amaro! Most people are going to need 50-60 grams of protein. You should talk to your doctor and find out for sure. Some people have specific protein intake needs. What is the "Grand-daddy Supreme" source of protein? Soy Isolate. Good Sources of Protein:

- 6 ½ oz can tuna, packed in water (44 g) - 1 cup of tofu (20g) - 6-8 oz of fish (42-56g) - 1 ½ cup of nonfat yogurt (16g) - 4-6 oz chicken or turkey (28-42g) - 1 cup of beans (14g) - 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (28g) - 2-5 oz soy "veggie" burger(13g) - 4 oz of lean pork or ham (28g) - 4 oz carton of egg substitute (12g) - 4 oz lean ground beef, 90% fat free (24g) - 4 egg whites (12g)

Try Fish - Without frying Steve complains about his lack of fish-cooking skill Michelle offers up the following suggestion:

- Nice cut of 'whitefish' on tin foil - Light mist of your favorite low-calorie butter spray - Some oregano - Some lemon slices - Wrap it all up so the steam doesn't escape too much - Stick it on the grill for about 10 minutes

Steve remains less than optimistic but resigns to his need for more fish in his diet. Eggs for good protein? Try an egg substitute or egg whites. Beans! Beware of the sodium and exercise some portion control. Dairy Sources such as cheese may not be good options but used sparingly, everything is better with cheese! Tofu, Tempeh and other soy foods are great! Michelle really likes the Morning Star Farms brand chicken nuggets. Other products? White fish, salmon, unprocessed poultry, Morning Star Farms soy products, any yogurt w/o added sugars, canned beans w/o added salt or fat. Check the Label! Food labels also can be helpful if you're trying to moderate your sugar intake. The nutrition panel lists the amount of sugars in grams (4 grams is equivalent to 1 teaspoon) in a serving of the food. Note that this amount includes sugars that are present naturally in the food (such as lactose in milk and fructose in fruit), as well as sugars added to the food during processing. If you're interested in finding out whether a sweetener has been added to a food, check the ingredient listing. Terms such as "sugar (sucrose)," "fructose," "maltose," "lactose," "honey," "syrup," "corn syrup," "high-fructose corn syrup," "molasses," and "fruit juice concentrate" are used to describe sweeteners added to foods. If one of these terms appears first or second in the list of ingredients, or if several of them appear, the food is likely to be high in added sugars. E-mail question from Kim -- New York

"Can you please explain [or] talk about ketone metabolism [and how] low carb diets aim to achieve it. How long does it take the average person to convert to ketone metabolism and how does it burn fat? What kinds of foods have carbs but can be healthy and beificial in a low carb diet?"

- Thanks Kim! Ketosis information. Also: .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}