There’s a protein push. It’s added to everything these days \u2014from pancakes to latte foam \u2014but has anyone stopped to ask, “Do we really need all this protein?”<\/p>\n
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. \u2014 It\u2019s almost impossible to find an edible product right now that has not added protein to its contents. Everything from pancakes to Pop-Tarts and pretzels now boasts the protein boost you get from eating them. And you\u2019ll find no shortage of protein experts on the internet. A quick search of Instagram or TikTok will reveal endless recipes and tips you didn\u2019t even know you needed.<\/p>\n
It’s obvious protein is having a moment, but has anyone thought to ask, do we really need all this protein?<\/p>\n
“I’d say it’s very rare for me to see someone that’s under-eating protein,\u201d says Park Nicollet Registered Dietitian Ryan Weiler.<\/p>\n
While most of us are getting enough protein in our regular diet, he says it’s the variety and when it should be consumed.<\/p>\n
“Our animal-based products, they’re going to have different vitamins, minerals like iron, zinc and say beef, and then thinking about plant-based proteins, you’re going to get different antioxidants and fiber. So just try to mix and match,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The guideline is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, but who really deals in kilograms? So Weiler says your weight in pounds divided by 2.2. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, that\u2019s about 68 grams of protein a day. But make sure you are getting it throughout the day at every meal. Can you eat too much protein? Weiler says if you don’t have kidney disease, most of us can handle a high-protein diet. \u00a0And its benefits are huge. Protein helps build muscle, but it’s also good for hair, skin, nails and all the enzymes in our bodies. And it’s important when you are trying to lose weight, too.<\/p>\n
“I think a lot of folks just with their health goals are making protein much more of a priority and the marketplace is just kind of meeting where they are at,\u201d says Weiler.<\/p>\n
Minnesota is also trying to make protein a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect that global demand for protein will rise by 50% by 2050,\u201d says Joanne Berkenkamp with MBOLD protein Catalyst. MBOLD is A coalition of big food and Ag companies like General Mills, Schwan\u2019s, Target, Cargill and the University of Minnesota.<\/p>\n
She says it’s not just consumer demand here in the U.S. driving this. As the global population grows, so will the need for protein, which will put a strain on our land, water and climate.<\/p>\n
“Our aim is really to create scalable, sustainable solutions for proteins that will benefit farmers, consumers, businesses, and the environment over the long term,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
A tall task, but she says Minnesota is already a leader in producing protein, so now it\u2019s time to be the leader in sustainability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There’s a protein push. It’s added to everything these days \u2014from pancakes to latte foam \u2014but has anyone…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":262418,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[102,6636,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-262417","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}