Healthy diets need to contain a balance of fat, some carbs, and protein (but probably more protein than you may be getting.)
Nutritionist Tammy Karni said your lean body mass in grams is roughly how much protein you should aim for, which may be about 30-40 grams per meal.
“People are undereating protein, especially as we age, it is more and more difficult to keep up our muscle mass,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Terri-Ann Samuels from The Urogynius Center in Bellaire said as more women opt for plant-based diets, she’s noticing they’re lacking another critical nutrient.
“One of the most common scenarios we’re dealing with is like a lot of women aren’t consuming meat. So, when we do a full panel and look at all their levels, you know, they’re working harder, exercising and doing all the right things and their iron is a two. If your iron is two out of 300, you’re going to feel tired. You’re going to feel exhausted. You’re going to feel depressed,” Dr. Samuels said.
“Plant-based protein does have a place in your diet. Absolutely,” Karni explained. “It’s very important to control the amount of carbohydrates that you’re eating in your diet and every source of protein comes with a load of carbohydrates. So, it’s very difficult to have just plant protein without a lot of carbs.”
Karni says she recommends clients eat at least 30 grams of protein per meal.
Which is about equal to:
- Four ounces of chicken
- Five ounces of salmon
- Five eggs
- One cup cottage cheese
- Four cups of quinoa
- Half cup of peanut butter
- One cup of sunflower seeds
Karni said most people still aren’t getting enough.
“Not one of my clients - when they come to me - nobody’s eating enough protein!” Karni said. “But I make sure that they get 30 grams of protein, some vegetables, low glycemic carbs and so that’s kind of like I balance it. But protein is super important.”
As we age, more protein and more resistance training is important to maintain muscle mass. That will keep you strong and help prevent falls as you get older.