How to Be a Conscious Eater

23

THE GREAT PROTEIN MYTH

E

nough with the bender. That is, the years-long bender of

beef jerky chewing, whey powder slugging, power bar

chomping, and otherwise fixating on our daily acquisition

of protein. This national obsession stems quite understand-

ably from a trio of sub-myths, which together I call the Great

Protein Myth. Let’s debunk them one by one.

WE THINK WE NEED MORE PROTEIN THAN WE DO.

The recommended daily protein intake for a healthy adult is

46 grams for women and 56 grams for men. For context, you

can easily get 27 grams of protein from half a chicken breast,

20 grams of protein from a serving of Greek yogurt, 15 from a

serving of black beans, 6 from an egg, and 3 from a handful

of almonds. Protein malnutrition is a serious problem for mil-

lions of people around the globe, but not for the average adult

in developed countries like the United States.

WE GET A LOT MORE PROTEIN THAN WE THINK.

Adult males in the United States eat about 100 grams of protein

per day, according to a 2015 analysis of data from the National

Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. That’s almost twice

the recommended amount. Females consume less than males

do on average but still greatly exceed the necessary amount

each day. (The two main exceptions—the only groups more

likely to need more protein than they’re eating—are teenage

girls and the elderly.)

Going overboard on protein is a big waste of your time,

energy, money, and calories. Since meat in particular is an

Stuff That comes from animals 89

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