Okay, so here's how my experiment went: I wrote down everything that went into my mouth all day long (almost, I had one bite of Justice's PBJ and didn't bother to count that). I did eat better yesterday than I normally do, but not drastically. All the things I ate were things that I normally eat, it's just that since I was writing them down, I tended to eat less of them. I think it was very good for me, so I'm doing it again today. In case you didn't catch yesterday's conversation, I was trying to see if I could get the recommended amount of protein without drastic measures. Here's how I did:
Breakfast:
1 hard boiled egg: 6 grams protein, 5 grams fat, 70 calories
1 3/4 cup Oatmeal Squares Cereal: 10.5 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 368 calories
1 cup skim milk (yes, I actually measured it before I poured it over my cereal): 8 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 80 calories
Snack:
1 medium banana: 1 gram protein, 0.5 gram fat, 100 calories
8 honey wheat pretzels: 2 grams protein, 1 gram fat, 110 calories
Lunch:
1 medium carrot: 1 gram protein, 0 grams fat, 30 calories
1 can tuna (packed in water, but drained of course), 22 grams protein, 2 grams fat, 100 calories
1 TBS Light Mayo: 0 grams protein, 5 grams fat, 50 calories
1 TBS Sweet Pickle Relish: 0 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 15 calories
1 1/2 cup V8 juice: 3 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 75 calories
16 Honey Wheat Pretzels: 4 grams protein, 2 grams fat, 220 calories
Snack:
1 medium apple: 0 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 72 calories
2 Werthers Original Candies: 0 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 46 calories
Dinner:
Ham and Cheese Sandwich:
2 slices whole wheat bread: 4 grams protein, 1 gram fat, 140 calories
1 slice American Cheese: 3 grams protein, 6 grams fat, 70 calories
Ham: 10 grams protein, 2.5 grams fat, 80 calories
Butter: 0 grams protein, 7 grams fat, 60 calories
Desert:
5 marshmallows: 0 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 113 calories
1 graham cracker: 1 gram protein, 0.5 grams fat, 55 calories
1 1/2 cup milk: 12 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 120 calories
1 stick of gum: 0 protein, 0 fat, 5 calories
Grand Totals: 87.5 grams protein (61 of them were complete proteins), 37.5 grams fat, 1979 calories
Conclusion: It wasn't that hard to get the RDA of protein for myself. I didn't eat anything that I don't eat on an at least semi-regular basis anyway. Since I was keeping track, I did tend to eat healthier than I normally would, with less snacking. But, all in all it wasn't a drastic change at all.
Figuring out how much protein I need, seems to be harder. The articles I've read vary widely. I think it just varies a lot depending on your size, your gender, your activity level. For me, I read ones that said 50 grams to 120 grams, and even one crazy one that said 270 (but I think that was intended for a male body builder.) Too much protein can be a problem too. Your body has a harder time breaking it up, so it can be hard on your kidneys. No, I'm no expert AT ALL. I'm not sure how much I need, but 80 FOR ME sounds like a good middling number.
Oh and BTW, those honey wheat pretzels are my new favorite snack. I love them way much!
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2 comments:
links!! i want links!! to your research. and it's a totally good exercise to keep a food journal. it does look like it's a lot easier to get protein than i thought, which is awesome. thanks again renae!
Oh sure it's easy to get all that protein when you eat almost 2000 calories a day! Try doing that with 1200-1400! Ok, you shouldn't actually try that since you are still nursing and all ;)
I did think it was interesting how much protein the oat cereal had, even without the milk! I will have to remember that for when I go back to eating cereal in the morning (my non-diet breakfast).
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