Protein Packs a Punch

Benefits of Protein in a Healthier Diet

Why do many athletes love high-protein foods? They know they need protein to support their heavy training for cardio endurance and muscle growth. But if you're not running marathons or trying to build huge biceps, is protein important? The answer is yes.

Protein is an essential building block for muscle, blood, skin, hair, and nails. We need it for muscle repair, for building natural immunities, and for proper growth and development. For active people, protein is also important for recovering from a vigorous workout. Protein helps the body repair small tears in muscle caused by intense exercise, and it also provides energy during long workouts. Every cell in your body depends on protein, which is why it's important to get your recommended allowance every day (especially if you're trying to lose weight). Plus, foods that are high in protein help you feel more full compared to eating the same amount of starch, sugar, or fat.

How much protein you need depends on how much you weigh and how active you are. In a 2,000-calorie diet, the Daily Value for protein is 50 g. But if you're highly physically active, an athlete, or following a low-calorie diet, you might need a higher protein intake (up to 50 percent to 100 percent more than the average person). As a general rule of thumb, use the following equations to see what you need:

• Average protein recommendation: (.36 g) x your body weight (lbs) = grams of protein per day
• Higher protein recommendation: (0.68 g) x your body weight (lbs) = grams of protein per day

Finding a Smarter Source

Protein comes from plant foods such as grains and beans, and also from animal sources such as milk, beef, pork, chicken, and fish. But the highest-quality protein comes from eggs. In fact, the quality of egg protein is so great that scientists typically use eggs as the standard to measure protein quality in other foods.

All Egg Beaters® varieties are good sources of protein, but Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites take eggs to the next level, keeping the high-quality protein but taking out fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. For a quick and convenient source of protein, make Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites part of your protein plan.