Protein

I don't really like the method of counting calories or keeping track of the number of times I eat a certain food group for a few different reasons. I think it is hard to keep track, it can be confusing and discouraging, it makes eating a chore for me, my views of food gets tainted, but most importantly, I feel that it is unnecessary. If you eat a balanced diet you will get all the nutrients our bodies need! What I like to focus on is trying my best to make sure that every time I eat throughout the day, whether it is a meal or a snack, I try to make sure that I am balancing my intake of carbs, proteins, fats, sugars, fruits, vegetable, grains, water, etc. If you have the same problems as I do with counting foods, I encourage you to try to forget about the numbers and think more about balancing your intake. See if that helps how you feel about the food that you eat!

The reason I said all that is because I was thinking about protein recommendations, and I have learned that the most important thing about protein is that we are eating protein evenly throughout the day. I think that is a good rule for every food group, but especially protein! It is very common for us American's to have very little to no protein for breakfast and lunch and then to have a major part of our protein intake at dinner. Because of the way that our bodies digest and utilize protein it is most beneficial to have our protein spread out throughout the day.

The way our bodies use protein reminds me of my favorite household chore... dishes! If you use a plate and put it in the dishwasher right after, then doing the dishes is simple, but if you let all your dishes pile up in the sink for a couple days... then when you load the dishwasher it will take a long time and you will probably run out of room in the dishwasher.
Our bodies are the same with protein use. Our bodiess need protein to function, but if it is given too much at one time, there won't be room for it, and it will have a difficult time processing it as protein. It is then stored the same way carbohydrates are stored which is fat. This can all be avoided if we spread out our protein intake! Show your body some love by spreading out your protein intake!

If you have questions about what foods are high in protein, check back in a couple of days. I will post a list of some good meal and snack options!