The what, why and how much of protein!

Remember, you’ve got three macronutrients - carbohydrates, fat and protein. The body can’t make these - we must eat them, every single day.

I often joke that protein is like the middle child of macronutrients. Now I say this as a loved and well-adjusted middle child ;-)

Unlike carbohydrates and fats, protein can be a little forgotten or overlooked…. but protein is required for muscle growth and recovery, fat loss/ weight management, energy, hormone production, mood, and so much more!

If you’re thinking… “where the heck do I start when it comes to protein?”, I hear you. Here’s a cheat sheet with the top 4 things you can do TODAY to understand what protein and how much to have, to suit your needs and goals!

Tips for meeting your protein needs

1. Calculate how much protein YOU need to each per day

Most adults need to eat 1-1.5 grams of protein x kg of body weight per day.

You need good quality protein at every meal to regulate blood sugar levels, maintain energy, support concentration, aid muscle growth & recovery, support fat loss/management, promote health hormones, support bone health, promote healthy thyroid function and for general health.

For example, a 70 kg adult will need 70-80 grams of protein a day.

As a general guide, most women benefit from 25-30 grams of protein per meal.

2. Increase protein in the first half of the day

A lot of us lack good quality protein in the morning – here’s some protein-loaded breakfast ideas to get you fuelled

Protein-loaded meal ideas and recipes - click here

Protein brekkie bliss ball recipe

3. Focus on your post-exercise meal

If there’s one place to start, it’s here - this is the most important meal of the day for anyone that exercises.

Try to eat at least 10 grams of protein within 30 minutes of exercise. However, most people need more than this and thrive when they consume approximately 15-30 grams of protein in their post-exercise snack/meal for performance, recovery, metabolic health and sustained energy levels in the following 12 hours!

4. Find 10 mins a week

Just 10 minutes of prep per week can have a big impact on your health
Whether you boil some eggs or make some bliss balls (like the salted caramel bliss balls here & cake batter bliss bills ), you can start the week with protein-rich snacks on-hand!

I hope this helps you understand how much protein you may need to thrive!