Page 100 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

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THE GREAT PROTEIN MYTH

nough with the bender. That is, the years-long bender of
beef jerky chewing, whey powder slugging, power bar
Echomping, and otherwise fixating on our daily acquisition
of protein. This national obsession stems quite understand-
ably from a trio of sub-myths, which together I call the Great
Protein Myth. Let’s debunk them one by one.

WE THINK WE NEED MORE PROTEIN THAN WE DO.
The recommended daily protein intake for a healthy adult is
46 grams for women and 56 grams for men. For context, you
can easily get 27 grams of protein from half a chicken breast,
20 grams of protein from a serving of Greek yogurt, 15 from a
serving of black beans, 6 from an egg, and 3 from a handful
of almonds. Protein malnutrition is a serious problem for mil-
lions of people around the globe, but not for the average adult
in developed countries like the United States.

WE GET A LOT MORE PROTEIN THAN WE THINK.
Adult males in the United States eat about 100 grams of protein
per day, according to a 2015 analysis of data from the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. That’s almost twice
the recommended amount. Females consume less than males
do on average but still greatly exceed the necessary amount
each day. (The two main exceptions—the only groups more
likely to need more protein than they’re eating—are teenage
girls and the elderly.)
Going overboard on protein is a big waste of your time,
energy, money, and calories. Since meat in particular is an

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