PROTEIN DISTRIBUTION
Protein is an extremely important macronutrient I have spoken about in the past, and recommendations for person to person differ based on sex, age, Illness/health status and goals/building muscle. And for vegans and vegetarians its important to have quality sources of proteins (complete proteins).
The Recommended Dietary intake for protein is:
>For the average adult the RDI is about 1 gram of protein per body weight in kg
>For pregnancy and lactation, RDI is about 1-1.2g of protein per body weight in kg
>For adults training heavy loads or aiming to build more muscle mass , RDI is 1.5-1.8g of protein per body weight in kg
>For people aged 70+ or people with an illness or wound the RDI is also 1.5-1.8g of protein per body weight in kg
You may not like to count your grams of protein a day so an easier way to ensure you are getting enough protein is to evenly distribute your protein throughout the day at every meal, across 3-4 meals.
Many people eat small amounts of protein throughout the day and leave their protein to the end of the day, eg: fruit and toast for breakfast, a cheese sandwich for lunch, and a massive 1/2 a kilo steak or other protein at dinner to meet their protein needs.
This may work and be preferred for some people however it can lead to people failing to reach their overall requirement for protein, it may also lead them to over eat throughout the day, and it will also not favour protein synthesis or anabolism.
Research shows that eating protein at each meal is important for stimulating muscle growth, preventing muscle loss during activity.
.A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that muscle synthesis was 25% higher when protein was evenly distributed across meals rather than loading it up during any one meal. Needs are again dependant on activity, age, sex and other factors, but a good rule of thumb is to aim for about 25-30 grams of protein per meal.
The consumption of a moderate amount of high-quality protein 3 times a day provides a more effective means of stimulating 24-h muscle protein synthesis than the common practice of skewing protein intake toward the evening meal.
Here are some easy vegetarian meal ideas that will provide you with ideas on how you can evenly distribute your protein intake throughout the day.
Breakfast:
Baked beans on toast
Protein pancakes
Porridge with greek yogurt and or protein powder with nuts, seeds and berries
Eggs on toast
Omelette with veg and cheese
Greek yogurt with granola and berries
Wholegrain cereal with milk (dairy or soy) and greek yogurt with berries
Tofu scramble on toast
Lunch:
Falafel wrap with cheese, hummus and tahini and greek yogurt sauce
Burrito bowel with a mix of back beans, red kidney beans, pinto beans, cheese and veg
Mixed wholegrain/ancient grain salad with lentils/pulses and greek yogurt sauce and halloumi cheese
Tofu or tempeh salad
Pasta with chickpeas and veg
Toasted sandwich with tofu or beans
Snack:
Yogurt with muesli and berries
hummus with veg sticks and wholegrain crackers
Milky coffee or drink (dairy or soy milk)
Muesli/protein bar
Dinner:
Lentil spaghetti bolognese
Textured vegetable protein spaghetti bolognese
Tempeh poke bowel
Tofu or tempeh stir fry
Fried rice with tofu or tempeh and egg
Protein is filling and will help you reach satiety after a meal, so having it through out the day may help you stay fuller for longer and reduce snacking.
Remember daily total protein intake is important but so is the amount of quality protein at each meal; Ensuring each meal has a quality source of protein will help you reach your overall daily total protein intake.
Studies:
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 144, Issue 6, June 2014, Pages 876–880, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.113.185280
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 150, Issue 7, July 2020, Pages 1845–1851, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxaa101
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 144, Issue 6, June 2014, Pages 876–880, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.113.185280