The Power of Protein

by admin
Powerful Nutrient

Protein is the superfood when it comes to weight loss. The benefits of Protein:

  • It fills you up and keeps you from getting hungry in between meals, so you’ll eat less
  • It’s highly thermic, which means your body actually uses calories to digest it – e.g., if you ate 100 calories of chicken, 30 calories would be used to digest it, so effectively you’ve only consumed 70 calories.
  • It helps your muscles repair and grow as protein is the building blocks for muscle
  • It slows the rate at which sugar hits your bloodstream, which is important for weight loss as it lowers the GI of a meal or snack

What does protein do in the body?

Protein plays various parts in the body including development and fix of muscle and tissue along with providing compounds, chemicals and fundamental amino acids. Absence of protein can prompt muscle squandering, laziness and unhealthiness.

How much protein do we need?

We need approximately 1 gram of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day eg 60 kg female would require 1 gram x 60 = 60 grams of protein per day. A higher requirement is needed for the young, athletes and in some illnesses.

What are the best sources of protein:

  1. Animal Products – Chicken, Lean Beef, Lamb, Turkey, Pork, Fish, Eggs (chicken breast & fish are best as they have the least fat)
  2. Protein Powders and bars
  3. Tofu
  4. Dairy – Milk, yoghurt, cheese
  5. Nuts & Seeds
  6. Beans & Lentils – chickpeas, baked beans, kidney beans etc.
FoodWeightProtein gramsCarbs gramsFat gramsCalories
Tuna in Brine95 g13.6g4.6g1.6g87
Chicken Breast150g42.901.2186
Lean sirloin Steak150g (size of palm)36.202.9173
White Fish (Bassa)150g23.602.7119
Lean Roast Beef150g48.805243
Lean Pork Chops150g33.503160
Lean Lamb leg150g37.1011249
Firm Tofu200g23.4014.4246
Low-fat ham100g1442.896
Low-fat cottage cheese125g15.55.53.3118
Salmon in Brine100g20.308155
Whole Egg1 (50g)604.972
Egg Whites4160060

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