We all know how important protein is to any diet, especially the diets and lifestyles of those who hit the gym or exercise on the regular. There are serious risks that can come to your body if you don’t take on enough protein, due to the fact that protein is vital for many physiological functions, such as keeping your cells in good working order and building muscle and bone. Different types of people require different amounts of protein within their diet depending on their lifestyle. For example, the average man between 19 and 50 years old requires 60g of protein per day and the average woman between 19 and 50 years old requires 45g daily. This varies depending upon age, gender, body type, level of activity and other important exceptions such as pregnancy and breast-feeding women who require a little more, usually between 51g and 56g daily.
There are a wide range of places that you could get your protein from before you consider supplementation. We always say that supplements should only ever be a part of a healthy diet and lifestyle – not a replacement for real food! We’ve put together a list of the interesting places you could find good sources of protein:
- Milk and dairy products
- Eggs
- Pluses – such as beans, chickpeas and lentils (blend of pluses may complete all types of amino)
- Nuts and Seeds
- Soya products
- Fish/Seafood
- White-meat poultry
Be sure that if your way of getting extra protein is through supplements, replacements and cereal bars, be sure that there is at least 6g of protein on the label, and of course – look out for how much sugar and fat is in each!
