Jenifer La and Alyssa Langer

May 26, 2015

Phoenix House: Protein (key) outline
Materials: flip chart, stand, handouts, label activity
ALYSSA Slide 1 Introduction: Hi everyone, we are Alyssa and Jen and we are Keene State
Dietetic Interns here today to talk about protein in our diets. We would like this to be an open
discussion so please feel free to ask questions.
ALYSSA Slide 2: Objectives
1. Participants will be able to understand why it is important we have protein in our
diet.
2. Participants will recognize recommended intake of protein.
3. Participants will be able to name different sources of protein including
complete/animal and incomplete/plant.
ALYSSA Transition/Icebreaker: Match the food to the # of grams of protein you think it
contains
Teaching/Lesson Content: via Flipchart
JEN Slide 3: What is protein?
One of the main macronutrients we need in our body
Provides cell/tissue growth and repair
Sources of protein
meats, poultry, and fish
legumes (dry beans and peas)
tofu
eggs
nuts and seeds
milk and milk products
grains, some vegetables, and some fruits (provide only small amounts of protein
relative to other sources)
Plant-based Protein--Because some vegetarians avoid eating all (or most) animal
foods, they must rely on plant-based sources of protein to meet their protein
needs. With some planning, a vegetarian diet can easily meet the recommended
protein needs of adults and children.
JEN Slide 4: Why do our bodies need protein in the diet?
Proteins are part of every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies
Body proteins are constantly being broken down and replaced. The protein in the foods
we eat is digested into amino acids that are later used to replace these proteins in our
bodies.
Proteins are made up of amino acids. Think of amino acids as the building blocks.
There are 20 different amino acids that join together to make all types of protein. Some of
these amino acids can't be made by our bodies, so these are known as essential amino
acids. It's essential that our diet provide these.

4 calories per gram

ALYSSA Slide 5-6: Animal-Based vs Plant-Based proteins

Animal-based protein source is one that provides all of the essential amino acids. You
may also hear these sources called high quality proteins.
o Animal-based foods; for example, meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese are
considered animal-based protein sources.
o Positives: Contain all the essential AA
o Negatives: Dont contain much nutrition aside from protein and sat. fat (ie
lacking fiber, phytonutrients)
o Cost: Tend to be pricier
o Environment:
30% of the worlds total ice-free surface is used to support chicken, pigs,
cattle
The highest total of livestock-related greenhouse-gas emissions comes
from the developing world, which accounts for 75% of the global
emissions from cattle and other ruminants and 56% of the global
emissions from poultry and pigs.
The most climate-friendly meats comes from pigs and poultry, which
account for only 10% of total livestock greenhouse-gas emissions while
contributing more than three times as much meat globally as cattle. Pork
and poultry are also more efficient for feed, requiring up to five times
less feed to produce a kg of protein than a cow, a sheep or a goat.
Of all agricultural land in the U.S., 87 percent is used to raise animals for
food. Thats 45 percent of the total land mass in the U.S. About 260
million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to create cropland to
produce feed for animals raised for food. The meat industry is directly
responsible for 85 percent of all soil erosion in the U.S.
The worlds cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the caloric
needs of 8.7 billion peoplemore than the entire human population on
Earth.
Plant-based protein source is one that is low in one or more of the essential amino acids.
o Example:Seeds, nuts, cereals, grains, legumes
o Positives: Provide a variety of other nutritional benefits besides just protein
(fiber, vitamins)
o Negatives: Do not contain all of the essential amino acids so you have to mixand-match different plant-based proteins to achieve all the necessary amino
acids (similar to the concept of eating the rainbow w/fruits and veggies--goal is
to eat variety so you can be sure youre obtaining all the diff vitamins/minerals
the diff fruits/veg contain)
Strict protein combining is not necessary; it is more important to eat a
varied diet throughout the day.
recommend eating a variety of unrefined grains, legumes, seeds, nuts,
and vegetables throughout the day, so that if one food is low in a
particular essential amino acid, another food will make up this deficit
Complementary Proteins: are two or more plant-based protein sources
that together provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids.
Example: peanut butter on whole wheat, rice and beans, split pea
soup w/cornbread, mac n cheese (whole wheat pasta), hummus
Legumes in the center

Nuts and Seeds + Legumes

Grains + Legumes
o Cost: typically cheaper than purchasing meat
o Environment: On average, land requirements for plant protein production are
1/10th of the land requirements for animal protein, and producing 1kg of grain
protein requires approximately 1% the amount of water necessary to produce 1kg
of animal protein.
o Adopting a vegetarian diet is one option to increase the amount of water
available to grow more food in an increasingly climate-erratic world, according
to scientists. Animal protein-rich food consumes five to 10 times more water than
a vegetarian diet.
o the meat-based diet requires more energy, land, and water resources than the
lactoovovegetarian diet. In this limited sense, the lactoovovegetarian diet is more
sustainable than the average American meat-based diet
Water Resources:
Producing 1 kg of animal protein requires about 100 times more water than producing 1 kg of
grain protein (8). Livestock directly uses only 1.3% of the total water used in agriculture.
However, when the water required for forage and grain production is included, the water
requirements for livestock production dramatically increase. For example, producing 1 kg of fresh
beef may require about 13 kg of grain and 30 kg of hay (17). This much forage and grain requires
about 100 000 L of water to produce the 100 kg of hay, and 5400 L for the 4 kg of grain. On
rangeland for forage production, more than 200 000 L of water are needed to produce 1 kg of
beef (30). Animals vary in the amounts of water required for their production. In contrast to beef,
1 kg of broiler can be produced with about 2.3 kg of grain requiring approximately 3500 L of
water.
Air Pollutants
Production of animal protein is responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 9%
of human-induced emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and 37% of emissions of methane (CH4).
ALYSSA Slide 7--Cost Comparison
30.88oz Muscle Milk chocolate powder: $24.99, $6.45/8oz serving
Boneless ribeye steak: $10.99/lb, 3oz serving =$2.06
Clif builders vanilla almond protein bar: $1.69
Ground beef patties: $6.49/lb, 4oz patty=$1.62
15.2 oz Naked juice protein zone smoothie: $2.99, per serving $1.50
12 oz box of quinoa: $6.49, half cup cooked ( cup dry)=$1.30
9oz Thinly sliced deli turkey sandwich meat: $2.99, 3oz serving=$1.00
10oz bag whole almonds: $5.49=2oz=$1.00
12 oz firm tofu: $2.00, 4oz serving=$0.67
1 lb bag of dried brown rice: $1.19, $0.37 for cup dried ( cup cooked)
1 dozen eggs: $1.89, 2 egg serving=$0.31
15.5 oz can of beans: $0.75, cup serving=$0.20
16 oz bag of dried beans: $1.39, $0.18 for cup
28 oz jar peanut butter: $2.99, 1 oz/2TBS serving=$0.11
12 oz frozen steam-in-bag edamame: $1.49, 10 pods serving=$0.10
*food safety
dont store beans in can, store meat/eggs properly
JEN Slide 8: Protein recommendations -

daily protein needs depend on your health and activity level.

Women should consume 46 grams of protein daily, and men need 56 grams, as long as
theyre not involved in athletic activities.
optimum amount of protein per meal for muscle building -- about 30 grams; Your
muscles won't use more than 30 grams of protein consumed at one meal, according to the
researcher's report in the September 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic
Association.
For power and endurance athletes, protein recommendations range from 84 grams to 119
grams daily for men and 66 grams to 94 grams for women, according to the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics.
If youre trying to build muscles, youll stimulate 24-hour muscle protein synthesis by
consuming your protein at several meals throughout the day, reports a study in the
Journal of Nutrition in June 2014.
Before your body can absorb proteins, digestive enzymes in your stomach and small
intestine break them apart into amino acids. As amino acids come into contact with the
lining of your small intestine, transporters carry them through the intestinal lining, where
two things can happen: They can gain access to your bloodstream or they can be used by
tissues in your gut. Whichever path they take, proteins are now successfully absorbed.
In addition to your overall health, several factors influence the absorption rate. Protein
drinks are absorbed more rapidly than protein consumed with fiber-containing foods
because fiber slows down nutrient absorption.
most adults in the United States get more than enough protein to meet their needs. It's
rare for someone who is healthy and eating a varied diet to not get enough protein.
In general, it's recommended that 1035% of your daily calories come from protein.

Sample menu (to help give a better picture of what 46-56g of protein looks like, spread
out through the day)
o Women: 12g of protein/meal + 10g of protein for snack
o Men: 15g of protein/meal + 11g of protein for snack
Breakfast: 2 large egg scramble, toast (~12gm protein)
Lunch: 2.
5 oz grilled chicken salad w/ 1 oz shredded cheese (~ 20gm protein)
Dinner: cup cooked black beans with cup brown rice, roasted
sweet potato (11g protein)
Snack: 2 TBS hummus and 1 cup baby carrots (3g)
TOTAL: 46g
JEN ACTIVITY: Meal makeover-have participants write down usual meal (either bfast, lunch,
or dinner). Well provide a list of common protein sources and their grams of protein. Participants
will then add up how much protein theyre typically getting from that meal. They will then write
down (and well discuss as a group) whether theyre getting too much or too little protein, and if
so, what switches they could possibly make.
JEN Slide 10: High-protein diets
Paleo animals filled with antibiotics and no longer grassfed- what are we getting in our diet
now that we didnt get then; research legumes and toxicity ; modern diseases anthropologists looked at mummies all around the world and despite age, everyone had atherosclerosis
Proponents of the Paleo diet follow a nutritional plan based on the eating habits of our
ancestors in the Paleolithic period, between 2.5 million and 10,000 years ago.
Before agriculture and industry, humans presumably lived as huntergatherers: picking
berry after berry off of bushes; digging up tumescent tubers; chasing mammals to the

point of exhaustion; scavenging meat, fat and organs from animals that larger predators
had killed; and eventually learning to fish with lines and hooks and hunt with spears,
nets, bows and arrows.
Most Paleo dieters of today do none of this, with the exception of occasional hunting trips
or a little urban foraging. Instead, their diet is largely defined by what they do not do:
most do not eat dairy or processed grains of any kind, because humans did not invent
such foods until after the Paleolithic; peanuts, lentils, beans, peas and other legumes are
off the menu, but nuts are okay; meat is consumed in large quantities, often cooked in
animal fat of some kind; Paleo dieters sometimes eat fruit and often devour vegetables;
and processed sugars are prohibited, but a little honey now and then is fine.
Plus to this diet: cuts down on processed foods that have been highly modified from their
raw state through various methods of preservation. Such processed foods often offer less
protein, fiber and iron than their unprocessed equivalents, and some are packed with
sodium and preservatives that may increase the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
But the Paleo diet bans more than just highly processed junk foodsin its most
traditional form, it prohibits any kind of food unavailable to stone age huntergatherers,
including dairy rich in calcium, grains replete with fiber, and vitamins and legumes
packed with protein.
Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and many other "modern" diseases, the reasoning
goes, result primarily from the incompatibility of our stone age anatomy with our
contemporary way of eating.
Atkins:
o The Atkins Diet holds that eating too many carbohydrates especially sugar,
white flour and other refined carbs leads to blood sugar imbalances, weight
gain and cardiovascular problems. To that end, the Atkins Diet restricts
carbohydrates and encourages eating more protein and fat. However, the Atkins
Diet says it is not a high-protein diet.
o Like many diet plans, the Atkins Diet continues to evolve. It now encourages
eating more high-fiber vegetables, accommodates vegetarian and vegan needs,
and addresses health problems that may arise when initially starting a low-carb
diet.
o

ALYSSA Slide 11: Activity: Jeopardy

True/False

Animal vs Plant Based

Proteins

The better buy

Fill in the blank

Most
Americans
dont get
enough
protein in
their diet

Cheese and mushroom

omelet

Snack: Naked juice protein

zone smoothie vs bowl of
steamed edamame

___-based protein has a more

negative environmental impa

The paleo
diet
emphasizes
a lot of
protein and

Garden salad and hummus

Breakfast: Clif protein bar vs

omelet

Name 4 good sources of

protein we talked about.

no
processed
foods.
Our body
can utilize
up to 40
grams of
protein
before it
turns into
fat

Roasted rell pepper stuffed

with quinoa and black bean
mixture

Dinner: Brown rice, broccoli,

and tofu stir-fry vs ribeye steak

There are ___ different amin

acids that make up all
proteins.

ALYSSA Closing/Handout/Call to Action: Thank you for your attention and participation this
afternoon! We hope, now that you have a better idea of what to look out for, youll pay more
attention when shopping and try to look for the whole grain words we discussed, especially since
you know all the great health benefits these foods have!
PASS OUT EVALUATION (for Alyssa only)
Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-paleo-diet-half-baked-how-hunter-gathererreally-eat/
http://www.hannaford.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=tofu&ieDum
myTextField=&productTypeId=P&x=0&y=0
http://science.time.com/2013/12/16/the-triple-whopper-environmental-impact-of-global-meatproduction/
http://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/how-does-eating-meat-harm-the-environment/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/487366-how-many-grams-of-protein-can-body-absorb-in-onesitting/
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/pdf/webinars/ProteinContentofFoods.pdf
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php