The Importance Of Protein In Your Meal Plan

 It’s probably not news to you that protein is an important part of your diet.  

Fitness gurus and healthy eating enthusiasts love to talk about their protein intake – it’s not unusual to hear them talking about how much protein they’re eating, which protein sources are the best, or whether or not they’re taking supplements. Protein is an essential macronutrient in any diet that needs to be eaten every day since your body can’t store extra, so it’s no wonder it’s such a hot topic!  







If you’re new to meal prepping (or if you’re just looking for a quick refresher) here’s how you can flawlessly incorporate protein into your healthy meal plan.  

What exactly is protein?  

First, a quick run-down. The reason that protein is so important in the health and fitness community is because it helps to build and repair muscle. Your body uses protein as its “building blocks” for all of your tissues. 

When you work out, your muscles develop microtears, and protein repairs them and causes your muscles to grow bigger. Therefore, if you’re working out a lot (link: If You’re Serious About the Gym) and want to see the physical results of it, you need to be eating adequate protein to help you recover and grow.   

What kind of protein should I eat? 

There are two different kinds of proteins in food: complete and incomplete proteins. Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids. Your body does not make some of these amino acids on its own, so they need to come from your food. Whether or not a protein is a “complete” source depends on how many amino acids are in it.  

Complete proteins generally come from animal sources, such as meat and dairy, although there are some exceptions. Incomplete proteins tend to be in plant-based protein choices. For example, legumes and wheat are all good sources of plant-based protein, though they might not be “complete” sources. 

It’s good to mix up your protein sources. If you are strictly plant-based, you should be combining different vegetarian/vegan protein choices to eat a well-balanced diet. For example, rice and beans on their own are not complete, but combining them will give you all the essential amino acids your body needs.  


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