Nutrition nuggets: protein

Sheila Hautbois, PA-C, is a physician assistant with a master’s in public health who is also a certified health education specialist and a certified lifestyle educator. A lifestyle medicine specialist, Sheila provides personalized health coaching and patient education with the goal of preventing, treating and reversing chronic disease.

Sheila is part of the Inova 360° Concierge Medicine team, offering a high-level, personal service approach to healthcare with a focus on better total health. 

Stephanie Roberts, MPH, RDN, CHC, is a registered dietitian. She leverages her public health background to support clients with culturally relevant and evidence-based nutrition education. Stephanie’s goal is to support each of her client’s individualized journey by creating obtainable goals and celebrating success along the way.

Stephanie is part of the Inova Well team, where she takes a whole-human approach to wellness.

Fact or fiction? Eating meat and protein supplements like powders or bars is necessary to consume enough protein in a day.

Fiction. Whether you are looking to gain muscle mass, lose excess weight or even maintain your current physique, protein is a key component of a balanced diet. Protein is vital for many functions of the body, from helping build strong bones and repairing tissues, to fighting infections. While some may think that it is necessary to eat meats like chicken, pork and beef along with protein powders or bars, there are a variety of ways to consume quality protein.

Protein is comprised of 20 building blocks called amino acids. The human body produces 11 of these amino acids. We must get the other nine, called “essential amino acids,” from food we eat. Foods that contain all nine of these amino acids in sufficient quantity are considered “complete proteins.” Aside from chicken, pork and beef, other complete animal proteins include fish and shellfish, dairy products including Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, and eggs.

Healthy and tasty plant-based complete proteins exist. Plant-based proteins are a great addition to our daily diet, since they can be an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Plant-based complete proteins include:

• Soy products such as tofu, edamame and tempeh
• Versatile grains including quinoa and amaranth
• Hemp seeds, chia seeds and nutritional yeast

Here’s a quick and easy plant-based breakfast: chia pudding. Combine one cup of any milk with four tablespoons of chia seeds. Stir gently and refrigerate overnight. Then, stir in some berries and a teaspoon of nut butter just before eating.

You can combine incomplete plant-based proteins to obtain all nine essential amino acids. These are called complementary proteins.Complementary proteins can be paired at one meal or even within the same day. Some examples include:

• Whole grains with beans: black beans with brown rice or hummus with whole wheat pita
• Nuts or seeds with whole grains: peanut butter on whole wheat bread
• Beans with nuts or seeds: a salad with black beans and walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds

In general, try to have a good source of lean protein at each meal. While the minimum general recommendation is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight, protein needs might be larger for some people based on age, gender, weight, activity level and health status.

Your Inova 360° Concierge Medicine healthcare team is ready to discuss protein and other nutrition topics with you. To schedule an appointment with Sheila Hautbois for guidance and support with optimizing your lifestyle, please contact your Inova 360° Concierge Medicine physician. To schedule a session with Inova Well registered dietitian Stephanie Roberts to discuss personalized nutrient goals and meal planning, call 571-472-1440. Stephanie has evening session slots on Wednesdays for members.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can benefit from a personalized approach to your health and becoming a member, contact Inova 360 Concierge Medicine.