Are You Eating Enough Protein? Know Your Daily Protein Requirements

Not just the quantity but also the quality of protein you eat is very important. A dietician shares tips on how to include adequate protein in your diet.

The building block of life, protein is present in every cell of the body. Around 18-20 per cent of our body weight is shared by proteins. Despite the importance in the daily diet, the majority of the Indian population suffer from protein deficiency, says Ritika Samaddar, Chief Dietician, Max Healthcare, Saket, New Delhi.

As per a survey by the Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB), about 73 per cent of urban rich are protein deficient and 93 per cent of them are unaware of their daily protein requirements.

The dietician says, "Children have higher requirement due to growth, building a strong immunity and prevention of infections. As adults we need proteins for muscle strength, helps in weight loss, besides building immunity and being the basics for all cells. For elderly population, protein is very essential to prevent sarcopenia ( muscle loss) and also helps in faster and quicker recovery post illness."

So what's the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein requirement? Ritika Samaddar says it defers with age, sex, activity pattern and the state of health.

How much protein you should eat every day?

Here's is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein given by National Institute of Nutrition, India (NIN) 2020.

AGE GROUP You may like to read	PROTEIN
MEN	55G
WOMEN	45-50G
CHILDREN (1-3YRS) 4-9YRS	10-15G 15-25G
CHILDREN BOYS10-12 GIRLS 10-12YRS	31.8G 32.8G
BOYS 13-15 GIRLS 13-15YRS	44.9G 43.2G
BOYS 16-18 YRS GIRLS 16-18YRS	55.4G 46.2G
*NIN SUMMARY OF RDA FOR INDIANS -2020

According to Ritika Samaddar, the proteins daily requirement (RDA) for an average Indian adult is 0.8-1.0 g per kg body weight (50-60 g of protein per day). Taking in 15-20 g of high-quality protein per meal can help meet one's daily requirement, which means 1/4th of the plate should be filled with protein in every meal, she adds.

Best sources of proteins

The quality of protein one eats is also very important. And according to Ritika Samaddar, poultry like Chicken, duck, turkey and eggs are the best source of bioavailable proteins and are termed as complete proteins since all the dietary essential amino acids are abundantly present in them.

"Complete protein sources like chicken, turkey, duck and egg are high on quantity and quality and 100 per cent digested. They are packed with the goodness of healthy proteins, fats and micronutrient, and its high protein content makes it a great immunity boosting food. Besides being an excellent source of protein, they are also loaded with micronutrients like vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Zinc, Iron, selenium," the dietician elaborates.

How to ensure that you have adequate protein in your diet? The expert suggests including a source of protein in every meal. She recommends, "Start your day with a healthy breakfast and include an egg daily or milk. Main meals should include some protein food like lentil or chicken/turkey /duck. Also snack on protein rich foods."

So, the focus should be not just on the quantity but also the quality of protein you take.