I have also been altering our way of eating. In my studies to better myself in my line of work, I have discovered many flaws in my thinking...in America's thinking. For one, meat. Do we really need as much meat as we think? The answer is no. We tend to take in way too much protein from meat sources when there are other healthy alternatives that is not only healthier for our bodies, it is healthier for the environment also. Don't get me wrong, I love a juicy chicken breast, just in moderation.
On our plates, typically we have a meat, veggie, and starch, right? Which item is the biggest? To keep my thought going, I am going to assume you said meat ;). Our protein usually comes from meat and a lot of it. Unused protein gets stored in our body as FAT!! Yucko, right?? Proteins are made up of Amino acids. There are 22 amino acids. 13 are within our body naturally and we need 9 from other sources. A complete protein (such as animal or fish based foods) supplies these essential amino acids. An "incomplete" protein lacks one or more of these 9 amino acids and these proteins are generally from plants. WE can make these plant sources a complete protein by combining grains with legumes( dried beans with corn, tofu, with brown rice, or peanut butter and bread). The amount of protein needed daily just depends on each person. I will give you the formula to determine this amount:
Step 1: Take your weight in pounds and multiply by .45 (this converts your lbs into kg)
Step 2: Take your weight in kg and multiply by .8
This final number is how many grams of protein you need daily
i.e- 110lbs x .45=49.5
- 49.5 x .8= 39.6 grams of protein per day.
One cup of diced chicken has ~44 grams of protein.
So, with this being said...and possibly boring you to death, I will be somewhat focusing on meatless recipes. They are still family approved and yummmoooo!!
Enjoy,
April
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