Protein

What is protein?
Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids. Your body makes some amino acids. These are called nonessential amino acids. Other amino acids must come from the foods you eat. These are called essential amino acids. A protein with all the essential amino acids is considered a higher quality or complete protein. Animal sources of protein such as meat, milk and eggs are complete proteins.

The source of protein can be important. A protein lacking one of more essential amino acids is considered to be an incomplete protein. Plant sources of protein don't contain all the essential amino acids your body needs and are considered incomplete proteins.

Why do we need protein?
• Growth (especially children, teens, pregnant women)
• Tissue repair
• To make essential hormones and enzymes in the body
• For energy if other energy sources, like carbohydrates, are not available

How much protein do we need?
• Most Americans get plenty of protein.
• You only need about 15-20% of your daily calories from protein. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most healthy adults (The RDA for growing children, adolescents, and pregnant women is greater) is approximately 50-60 grams of protein per day.

Common protein sources in the diet.
You can see how easy it is to get the recommended amount.

Food source	Grams of protein
4 ounces grilled chicken breast	34
4 ounces broiled lean steak	27
1/2 cup cottage cheese	14
1 cup cooked kidney beans	13
2 tablespoons peanut butter	8
8 ounces milk (1% fat)	7
4 ounces tofu	7
1 egg	6
4 ounces cooked pasta noodles	6
2 slices whole wheat bread	5

                                   
How can I be sure I am getting enough complete protein?
You can still get all of your essential amino acids from vegetable or plant sources if you eat a variety of plant-based foods.

Updated 2010