American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [33]
The more individualized recommendation for adults is 0.8 gram of protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. You can calculate your daily protein need using the following formula. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds:
• To get your weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 (140 ÷ 2.2 = 64 kilograms).
• To find out how many grams of protein you need each day, multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.8 gram (64 × 0.8 = 51 grams of protein).
There are 4 calories in each gram of protein. To find out how many calories of protein you should consume each day, multiply your daily gram allowance of protein by 4 calories (51 × 4 = 204 calories of protein). Based on your weight, you should get about 51 grams, or 204 calories, of protein each day. You can easily reach this target if you eat one 3-ounce serving of meat, poultry, or fish; consume a cup of yogurt; drink an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk; and enjoy a handful of nuts each day. A 3-ounce serving of meat, fish, or poultry is about the size of your palm.
Fat
Your body uses the fat that naturally occurs in food to store energy and carry certain vitamins through the bloodstream. The structural units of fat, called fatty acids, are also used to make hormones. Fat makes you feel full, adds flavor to foods, and makes foods feel smooth in the mouth. It’s what makes ice cream taste creamy on your tongue, and it makes cakes and other baked goods soft.
Each type of dietary fat or oil is comprised of a combination of fatty acids, including smaller or larger amounts of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Some fats—especially monounsaturated fats (found in foods such as olive oil, canola oil, avocados, and nuts) and plant sterols (found in some soft margarines)—are good for you. However, some fats are harmful. Saturated fats (found in meat and full-fat dairy products) and trans fats (found in stick margarines and some commercially baked goods) produce the buildup of fatty deposits in blood vessels that can lead to heart disease. Try to avoid or limit these fats; replace them with healthy, plant-based fats.
Comparing Protein Sources
Food Serving Size Total Protein (Grams)
Meat, Poultry, and Fish
Chicken breast (skinless) 3 ounces 27
Beef (lean) 3 ounces 26
Pork (lean) 3 ounces 26
Turkey (roasted, light meat) 3 ounces 25
Lamb (lean) 3 ounces 24
Salmon (baked or broiled) 3 ounces 23
Tuna (canned in water) 3 ounces 22
Sardines with bones (canned in oil) 3 ounces 21
Shrimp 6 large 10
Dairy Products and Eggs
Cottage cheese (low-fat) 1 cup 28
Yogurt (nonfat, plain) 1 cup 13
Yogurt (low-fat, with fruit) 1 cup 10
Milk (whole, 1%, skim) 1 cup 8
Cheddar cheese 1 ounce 7
Mozzarella cheese (part skim) 1 ounce 6
American (pasteurized, processed) 1 ounce 6
Egg 1 large 6
Grains, Legumes, and Nuts
Lentils (cooked) 1 cup 18
Kidney beans (red) 1 cup 13
Tofu, firm 4 ounces 13
Chickpeas (canned) 1 cup 12
Peanut butter (smooth) 2 tablespoons 8
Oatmeal, plain 1 cup 6
Cashews 1 ounce 5
Peanuts (dry-roasted, unsalted) 1 ounce 5
Bread, whole wheat 1 slice 3
Bread, white 1 slice 2
Vegetables
Peas (boiled from frozen) 1 cup 8
Broccoli, chopped (boiled from raw) 1 cup 5
Potato, baked with skin 1 5
Corn, kernels (cooked from frozen) 1 cup 5
Try to consume less than 20 to 30 percent of your total calories from fat. (Infants and young children need a larger proportion of fat—25 to 40 percent of total daily calories.) Also, choose your fats wisely. As few of your calories as possible (less than 5 to 10 percent of total calories) should come from saturated fat and trans fats. Trans fats are found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are used in many margarines and shortenings to make liquid oils hard at room temperature. Trans fats may be even more harmful to the heart than saturated fats.
Trans fats are often used in packaged baked goods such as cakes, cookies,