Healthy Eating Protein

Protein foods

Healthy Eating Protein - What is it?

The Science


Is it complete?


For example, when you eat black beans or pinto beans with rice, such as is often found in Mexican cuisine, you are obtaining a complete protein. The beans and rice complement each other, in that each has some of the essential amino acids and when eaten together, they provide all of the essential amino acids. It is generally believed by nutritionists that it is not necessary to eat these complementary proteins at the same meal.

Here is a list of complementary proteins, that is proteins that when eaten together become complete.

Legumes... with Nuts

Legumes... with Grains

Legumes... with Seeds

Legumes... with Dairy

Grains... with Dairy

Nuts/Seeds... with Dairy

Nuts/Seeds... with Legumes

Dairy... with Nuts/Seeds and Legumes

Rule of thumb for Healthy Eating Protein

Complete Proteins = Mostly Animal proteins  

Incomplete Proteins = Plant Proteins


If you are interested in this subject, please click on this link for more information .

Fun Fact about healthy eating protein: A tiny grain called "quinoa" (pronounced keen-wah) is one of the few plant sources of complete protein. It comes in a red and a white variety and can be cooked to make a hot cereal or used in place of bulgar in some recipes. It is also becoming more popular as an ingredient in wheat-free pastas.

The Scoop

The answer to the question of what is protein is simple--you are! If you take away the fat in your body and the water in your body, what is left--your bones and muscles and tissues and hair and skin and fingernails and toenails and hormones and enzymes are mostly protein. Wow! When you think of it like that, you can see how important it is to eat healthy protein.

When we talk about protein in our diets, we are mostly talking about meat, eggs and dairy products. Another way of saying this is, generally, most of the protein in our meals comes from the main course.



In addition, there are some plant foods that are significant sources of healthy eating protein. These are the legumes, grains, some vegetables, nuts and seeds.


Many of the foods you eat have some protein in them, but those foods listed above, are a significant source that will make it easier for you to fulfill your daily healthy eating protein requirements.

Fun Fact about Healthy Eating Protein: Your body actually reuses the protein from the cells of your gastrointestinal lining when they are sloughed off (about every three days) and replaced with news ones. This allows you to have protein available from another source besides the food you eat. What an amazing creation we are!

How much do I need?

The Science


150 ÷ 20 = 7.5 7.5grams x 7 = 52.5grams


2400 calories x 30% = 720 calories


After twenty years, the USDA has modified their visual representation for eating healthy from the familiar pyramid to a simpler concept called "MyPlate." This newer model shows a dinner plate divided into four portions for Protein, Vegetables, Fruits and Grains, with a side of Dairy.

The Scoop

Okay, so you’re not a mathematician, you’re a foodie, and you do not want to sit around doing equations to find out what you should eat. Suffice it to say, that if you live in a developed country such as the USA, it is more likely that you are getting too much protein than not enough.

When you consider that most foods have some protein and many foods, as listed above, have significant protein, if you are eating three square meals a day, you are probably getting enough protein. However, if you live in an underdeveloped country, protein deficiency may be a real concern. People in poor countries struggle to meet the minimum requirements for protein.


What is a serving?

If you misplaced your meat scale, the usual guideline for visualizing meat servings is that the portion should be the size of a standard deck of playing cards. (Just imagine how many servings are represented by that platter-sized prime rib served at your favorite restaurant!)


In addition, most health experts recommend that, whenever possible, choose a leaner or low-fat version of the significant protein sources. For more about this subject, click on this Fats link.

MY TWO CENTS about Healthy Eating Protein

When you think about how meat should fit into your meal planning, you may want to think of it more as a side dish than a main course. Rather than eating mostly meat, with a few veggies on the side, try eating lots of veggies with a bit of meat on the side.

It does not take a lot of meat to get your protein allotment from a meal, plus you can also get some protein from other parts of your meal--bread, rice, dairy products, eggs or legumes. This is a far more balanced way to look at your diet, and could have a beneficial effect not only on your health, but also your budget!

Caveat about Healthy Eating Protein: Even if you eat a lot, if you eat mostly “junk foods” -- foods with little or no nutritional value-- you are putting yourself at risk for protein deficiency.

Why do I need protein?


Fun Fact about Healthy Eating Protein: In order to build muscle, you have to injure the muscle, usually by working out with weights or by doing some other form of strenuous weight-bearing exercise, and then, when the body rebuilds it, the muscle gets bigger! Is that where the expression, “no pain, no gain” comes from?

In addition, protein is a major component of enzymes, antibodies, and hormones. These are chemicals that play a major role in many processes in the body that, among other things,digest your food, fight disease and allow you to enjoy a healthy sex life.




What if I don’t get enough?

You have probably figured out by now that protein is an important nutrient. For that reason, if there is not enough protein in your diet, it will have a noticeable effect on your health, from being susceptible to infections to actually wasting away.

Severe protein deficiency is most often associated with starvation and malnutrition and is a major cause for concern in developing nations, especially among children. In developed countries, severe protein deficiency is mostly associated with those in extreme poverty or those suffering with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa. Severe protein deficiency can lead to death.

What happens if I eat too much?



What do I need to remember about healthy eating protein?

Nearly everything you eat has some protein in it, but to be healthy, you need to eat several servings a day of the significant sources such as meat, dairy, eggs and/or certain plant foods. This is particularly important for children, pregnant women and athletes.

Healthy Eating Protein - The Secret

The secret is really no secret at all. Moderation. Eat some protein foods at each meal. Eat protein from a variety of sources. In the case of animal protein, concentrate on the leaner or low-fat types. Just for fun, investigate some of the protein foods from plants.

That’s it! Eat and be healthy!

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Science of Protein 
Shii's Question... What is protein made up of? Suzy's Answer... Hi, Shii! Great question and one that is basic to understanding good nutrition. …

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