CATS Team Nutrition

The University of Arizona

What is protein?

Protein is an important part of life and nutrition; it is the substance that composes a large portion of your bodys structure. Proteins are made up of amino acids arranged in different combinations. Next to water, protein is the most abundant substance in the human body. It is part of all body cells and is a vital building block in the growth, maintenance and repair of the body tissue. Why do I need protein in my diet?

Of the 20 amino acids that make up the proteins of the body, 9 are known as essential amino acids. These cannot be made by the body fast enough to meet its needs for growth and maintenance, so they must be obtained through your diet. Therefore, it is important for you to know how much protein you need. How much protein do I need?

The amount of activity you exert in a day determines how much protein you need in your daily diet. Below is an equation to help calculate how much protein you should have in your diet. 1. Determine your protein activity factor: Recreation/Sedentary Light Daily Muscle Use Runners/Heavy Body Sports = 0.4 grams/lb. of body weight = 0.5 grams/lb. of body weight = 0.6 - 0.9 grams/lb. of body weight

2. Calculate grams of protein needed each day: (Body weight) x (Protein activity factor) = ___ Should I use protein supplements? Ex. 150 lbs. x 0.5 grams/lb. = 75 grams

It is quicker and easier to take a protein supplement than to buy and prepare food sources high in protein. However, protein supplements do not stimulate your bodys processes as much as whole foods, and they are not cost effective. For example, a glass of milk contains nearly three times the amount of amino acids of three supplement tablets and costs half the price. What are some major sources of protein?

On the back of this flyer is a chart that shows the sources of protein. For more information on protein for a healthier diet, contact: Gale S. Begeman, R. D., C. S. C. S. Nutrition Counselor Campus Health Service Email: begeman@health.arizona.edu Phone: (520) 621 4550 The University of Arizona

Meats/Poultry/Fisha /Nuts
Chicken/turkey breast (skinless) chicken (with skin), fried cod salmon canned tuna (in water) steak pork loin hamburger patty battered fish sausage bacon hot dog Bologna Deli chicken/turkey slice Nuts average of various

Calories
140 218 89 118 150 225 225 220 210 150 100 180 73 28 170

Serving Size
3 ounces 3 ounces 3 ounces 3 ounces 61/2 oz can 3 ounces 3 ounces 3 ounces 3 ounces 3 ounces 3 slices 1 dog 1 slice 1 oz slice 1 oz ~ cup

Protein (grams)
26 30 19 17 30 21 22 22 20 21 7 5 3 6 7

Dairy/Eggs
skim milk 2% milk egg hard cheese (cheddar, Colby) semi-soft cheese (string, mozzarella) cream cheese - regular cottage cheese 1% fat flavored yogurt low fat frozen yogurt ice cream 90 120 75 114 80 50 82 250 115 133 8 ounces 8 ounces 1 egg 1 ounce 1 ounce 1 Tbsp cup 8 ounces cup cup 8 8 6 7 7 1 14 8 3 2

Starches, Grains//Vegetables
peanut butter kidney beans baked beans refried beans Soy nuts minestrone soup/ lentil soup hummus brown rice white rice fried rice baked potato bagel bread pasta bean burrito veggie burger Snac bar / Luna bar Tofu raw, regular / firm Soy products -Read label for values 180 94 170 238 130 120/135 105 220 240 270 156 270 80 80 370 70 180/180 94/182 varies 2 Tbsp 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 1 cup 3 Tbsp 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 medium-31/2in. 1 large 1 slice cup 1 burrito 1 burger 1 bar cup varies 8 6 5 7 11 5/10 3 5 5 5 3 8 3 3 13 8 12/10 10/20 varies

a 3 oz. of meat, Pountry, fish is about the size of a deck of cards and contains, on average, 21 grams of protein