Always Feeling Hungry? Eat more protein!

"I'm ALWAYS hungry! Nothing ever 'fills me up' or 'satisfies me.' Ugh! What should I do?"


This was me a few months ago. It's also the way many individuals feel today. Thanks to larger portion sizes in restaurants plus a constant "food oriented" culture, individuals feel they have to eat more in order to satisfy their hunger.


But what you might not realize is that you can feel more full by eating foods with high protein content. 


Protein keeps you feeling full and regulates your appetite because it takes longer to digest than carbohydrates.


But, how much protein should I eat? 
Before we address some sources of protein and a sample diet, it is necessary to answer the question: how much protein should i eat?


According to the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) an average male should intake 56 grams of protein and an average female should intake 46 grams (http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html)


If you are sedentary, the recommendation simply calculates to 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram. You can find your weight in kilograms by going to http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/pounds-to-kilograms.htm


If you are bad at math, like me, then you can go to the following site to figure out how much protein you should intake: http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/protein.asp


So which foods are good sources of protein? The sample matrix (obtained from http://espn.go.com/trainingroom/s/1999/1104/151285.html) provides sample sources.

Food	Serving	Grams of Protein	Calories
1 egg white	white of 1 egg	3.5	17
1 egg	1 large	6	80
lean ground beef, cooked	3 ounces	21	214
roasted chicken breast without skin	3 ounces	26	150
broiled top round beef	3 ounces	26	180
salmon	3 ounces	23	157
cheddar cheese	1 ounce	7	110
low-fat yogurt	1 cup	10	160 (sugared)
skim milk	1 cup	8	86
tuna	3 ounces	25	111
baked beans	1 cup	14	175
lentils	1 cup	18	231
pasta	1 cup	5	160
bread	2 slices	6	160
tofu	1/2 cup	10	94
cottage cheese	1/2 cup	14	82

Final Tips:

• Attempt to incorporate at every meal, including snacks. For example, eat a bowl of oatmeal and have a cup of skim milk for breakfast. Then, eat some Almonds for a mid morning snack. Have a lean protein and some Greek yogurt or other yogurt for lunch, and so on.

• Remember to ask your doctor if it's OK for you to start eating more protein. 

• If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor, as high protein may lead to additional problems.

Further Reading:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2211063/feeling_constantly_hungry_find_out.html?cat=5


So remember, if you always feel hungry just eat more protein and stick to lean sources of protein. Always stay active and eat happy!


Thanks for reading!


- Asif Fasih