For an average person, 10 percent of calories should come from protein (about 50 grams daily). If you're looking to build lean muscle, that figure can go all the way up to 20 percent.
Of course, you can't eat all protein all of the time. It's important to balance out your intake with healthy fats and whole-grain carbohydrates.
What are some healthy sources?
Eggs, lean meats, nut butters, beans, protein powders and bars can all help you fulfill your daily need. Bison is a great option for a lean meat that resembles beef, because it is much lower in fat and contains the same amount of protein.
Keep in mind, with powders and bars, you have to be careful with the amount of sugar those products contain.
If you're a vegetarian or vegan, there are also plant-based options for getting your protein needs. Soy, lentils, whole grains such as brown rice, and even vegetables are viable sources.
Listen in as Sarah Tuff Dunn, award-winning health, fitness and nutrition writer, joins host Lisa Davis to explain why your body needs protein, as well as which sources are the best.
Keep in mind, with powders and bars, you have to be careful with the amount of sugar those products contain.
If you're a vegetarian or vegan, there are also plant-based options for getting your protein needs. Soy, lentils, whole grains such as brown rice, and even vegetables are viable sources.
Listen in as Sarah Tuff Dunn, award-winning health, fitness and nutrition writer, joins host Lisa Davis to explain why your body needs protein, as well as which sources are the best.
Sarah Tuff Dunn is an award-winning health, fitness and nutrition writer based in Vermont. She writes for a variety of national publications, and her work has appeared in the New York Times, Women’s Health, Men’s Journal and Time Magazine, among others.