Why is protein consumption so important?

Proteins are the building blocks for the cells in our bodies. There are many reasons why proteins are important to consume one reason is that protein contains essential amino acids.

Proteins are large molecules made up of smaller chemicals called amino acids. Humans need 20 different amino acids in order to produce all the proteins in our bodies. We can synthesize 10 of the amino acids, but the other 10 either cannot be made or not made in a sufficient quantity to be of any use. These 10 “essential” amino acids which must be obtained from food are: threonine, lysine, methionine, arginine, valine, phenylalanine, leucine, tryptophan, isoleucine and histidine. The 10 we can make are glycine, alanine, serine, cysteine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, glutamine, tyrosine and proline. (Source: thedietchannel.com)

Protein is such an important part of our bodies that it pays to take it seriously. We need the right amount and the correct kinds of protein to function at our best. A balanced diet will meet all our protein needs.

In order to determine your daily protein requirement as an adult multiply your weight by .55 to learn the number of grams of protein you need to eat daily.

Use these calculations to learn how much protein your children need to eat daily. Don't forget the healthy fats (nuts, avocado, milk, cheese, meats) and complex carbohydrates (beans, legumes, cereals, pasta, sprouted breads) in your diet, these are very important as well.

Ages 1 to 3 - 0.81 grams (child's weight in pounds x 0.81 = daily grams of protein)
Ages 4 to 6 - 0.68 grams
Ages 7 to 10 - 0.55 grams

Limiting Sugar in Your Kid's Diets: Eat Dinner For Breakfast

Parents who wish to limit sugar in their children's diets are looking for foods higher in protein and healthy fats for breakfast. If you lose the sugary cereals and pancakes five days a week, what else can you offer?

One morning, you may creatively offer left overs from dinner for breakfast, you might be surprised when chicken teriyaki appeals to your four year old. Here are some refreshing options you might try for breakfast in your home along with two delicious recipes from EatWellBeWell.org.

• Roast turkey and cheese roll-ups
• Chicken Stir-Fry
• Powerhouse Pizza
• Chicken Satay
• Vegetable Quesadilla
• Grilled Chicken Tacos
• Sloppy Chicken Joes
• Tuna salad in “scoops” tortilla chips
• Greek pasta with tomatoes and white beans
• Soft tacos with organic beef
• Pasta with pesto shredded zucchini and carrots
• Tortilla Soup
• Crustless Spinach Quiche

Sloppy Garden Joes

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 pound extra lean ground turkey or chicken
1- 8 ounce can no salt tomato sauce
1 -15 ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed
1-8 ounce can mushrooms
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
pepper to taste
8 whole wheat buns

Directions:
1. Sauté onions, carrot, green pepper, and ground turkey or chicken in a pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, barbecue sauce, and pepper, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Uncover and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until thick.
5. Serve on toasted or plain buns.

Powerhouse Pizza

Ingredients:
12-inch unbaked pizza crust, homemade or store-bought
3/4 cup pizza sauce
1 cup grated low fat mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise or on the diagonal
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onions
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400» F.
2. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
3. Spread the pizza sauce over the crust.
4. Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
5. Top with sliced mushrooms, zucchini, red peppers, and onion.
6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is nice and brown and the center bubbly.
8. Serve warm.

Research shows that children who eat healthy foods for breakfast concentrate better in school and experience less variability in their daily moods. Here are some sites to help you in your quest.

www.eatwellbewell.org/
www.mypyramid.gov/
www.nutritiondata.com/
www.calorieking.com/
www.allrecipes.com/

Protein and Children

Yesterday at the Dietary Conference of the Arizona Department of Health Services we had a great discussion on how much protein our children need each day.

As a general rule, between 10 percent and 15 percent of your total calories should come from protein. So, as an adult, if you consume 2,000 calories per day, at least 200 should come from protein, or about 50 grams.

You should try to eat around one gram of protein per one kilogram of body weight, or around 0.4 grams per pound. An easier way to figure this out in your head is to take your weight, divide it in half, and subtract 10.

How does this apply to children. Protein requirements depend on a child's age and weight. For example, the average 4-6 year old preschooler requires about 22 grams of protein a day, while an older 7-10 year old requires about 28 grams of protein a day.

Many children eat sugary foods such as cereal and pop tarts for breakfast when they really would benefit better from a serving of protein with a complex carbohydrate for breakfast. Good Sources of protein include:

Milk
Soy Milk
Eggs
Cheese
Yogurt
Peanut Butter
Lean Meats, Fish, and Poultry
Beans, Tofu, Lentils, and other Legumes
Whole grains, including bread and pasta
Nuts and Seeds

So for breakfast consider serving:

Peanut butter on sliced apples or Asian pears
Almond butter on whole grain toast
whole grain cereal with organic skim milk
Chicken and brown rice with small pieces of cooked vegetables such as carrots or asparagus
Mixed berries with organic yogurt
Buckwheat pancakes with bananas or berries
Melted cheese on whole grain toast
Organic macaroni and cheese
Turkey meatballs with organic tomato sauce

It's easy and fun to feed children protein to fuel their school days, consider reading:

Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children by Ann Cooper, Lisa M. Holmes, Mehmet C. Oz.
The Healthy Lunchbox by American Diabetes Association, Marie McClendon, Cristy Shauck, Marie McClendon, Cristy Shauck

http://www.chefann.com/blog/
http://www.eatwellbewell.org/
http://www.angrymoms.org/