Protein: The Powerhouse Nutrient

Protein is a powerhouse nutrient.

I hopped on my FB live show “The Mommapreneur Minute” yesterday and gave all the deets on protein, so I thought I’d share them here as well. In the Mommapreneur Minute (every Wednesday at 12:20 pm) I give you 1 simple strategy, that you can implement today, to see better productivity and more energy!

Most people have heard the word protein but are not always sure (1) where they can find it and (2) how much they need. So let me break it down for you.

Protein is a Macronutrient

It is a macronutrient. Macro meaning that we need to get lots of it in our diet (relative to vitamins and minerals which we call micronutrients). How much protein you need over the course of a day varies based on your age, activity level and body weight. But it’s roughly 0.87g/kg. So if you’re a 150 pounds that works out to roughly 130 grams per day.

You’re likely thinking, well that’s nice, but what does it mean?

No worries, my busy mommapreneur I’ll show you, step-by-step.

Eggs are a great source of protein and an easy snack

What does protein do for us?

First let’s review what it does for us.

Protein serves lots of functions in our body. Primarily, it’s important for muscle and tissue repair. It’s also a source of energy (yes, please) and plays a vital role in maintaining hormone, enzymes, blood and antibody function. (Hello immunity booster!). It also helps transports nutrients throughout the body and maintain our fluid balance. So you can see that it’s a key player in our health and wellness.

Another big benefit of including enough in our diet is that it allows us to feel full longer or improves our satiety after a meal. It does this by helping regulate the blood sugar which in turn also keeps our energy more consistent and helps with managing our weight as well. (Win-win!).

Where should we include protein in our day?

Ideally, you should have some at every single meal and snack. At a meal aim to include 20-25 g of protein and about half of that 10 g at a snack. Here are some examples of 20-25 g of protein (I’m not talking about the weight of the food here but how much protein you’ll get in the portions — see below).

20-25 grams ( 3-5 oz) ( a meal size portion) looks like:

2- 3 eggs
4 oz tuna, salmon or crab meat
4-5 slices of nitrate free deli meat
2 Tbsp of nut butter
1 scoop of protein powder
4 oz of chicken, steak or pork
1 cup of cottage cheese
1 cup of greek yogurt
2 chicken / turkey jerky sticks

10-15 grams (a snack size portion) looks like:

½ scoop protein powder
1 Tbsp of nut butter
1 egg
1 chicken/turkey jerky stick
2 oz canned salmon, tuna, crab meat

The goal over the course of a day for an average female is to consume 130 g. So this could look like 1 meal (25 g protein) + 1 snack (15 g protein) + 1 meal (25 g protein) + 1 snack (15 g protein) + 1 meal (25 g protein) + 1 snack (15 g protein) which equals: 120 grams (+/- the small amounts of protein from other foods). So as you can see, in order to meet our protein needs it’s key to include a protein at each meal and snack.

I challenge you to start with this simple strategy to increase your energy (and thus productivity). Include a protein at every meal and snack and comment below to let me know how it feels! I guarantee you’ll have less hungry and improved energy.

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Get Ready to Learn:

✨Why consistency is the EASIEST way to keep your energy in check.
✨What 2 SPECIFIC nutrients get YOU ENERGIZED and keep you energized!
✨The # 1 SECRET to staying energized (hint: it involves your eyes being closed)
✨And why EXERCISE actually improves your energy and how to squeeze it into your busy day.