The Food Guide Pyramid recommends 2 to 3 servings each day of foods from this group. The total amount of these servings should be the equivalent of 5 to 7 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish per day.

Table of Contents for Protein Introduction Food Guide Pyramid Review What You Will Learn What is Protein What Proteins Do Building Blocks Called Amino Acids Amino Acids in Protein Foods That Give Proteins Nutrition Labeling What Counts as a Serving? How Much Protein Do You Need? Summary Review questions Back to Nutrition Curriculum Lessons

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Nutrition Labeling of Meat and Poultry Products:

Nutrition labeling is mandatory for most processed meat and poultry foods, such as chicken franks, meat burritos and pepperoni pizza. Single-ingredient, raw meat and poultry products, such as ground beef, chicken breasts and whole turkey, are subject to a voluntary nutrition labeling. According to the guidelines of the voluntary program, supermarkets can use labels or point-of-purchase materials, such as brochures, posters and signs, to provide nutrition information.

Nutrition Labeling of Protein:

Protein is required on nutrition labels. The amount of protein in one serving of the product is given in grams (g). However, the nutrition labels do not have to provide information on the % Daily Value for protein. The % Daily Value for protein is optional on the nutrition label.

How Many Servings from the Meat and Beans Group Do We Need Each Day?

The Food Guide Pyramid recommends two to three servings each day of foods from this group. The total amount of these servings should be the equivalent of five to seven ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish per day.

What Counts as a Serving from the Meat and Beans Group?

• Count two to three ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish as a serving. A three-ounce piece of meat is about the size of an average hamburger, or the amount of meat on a medium chicken breast half.
• Count one-half cup of cooked dry beans or one egg as one ounce of lean meat.
• Count two tablespoons of peanut butter or one-third cup of nuts as one ounce of meat.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

You need to balance protein you eat with losses from the urine, feces, skin, hair, nails and from other ways. This maintains the body in a steady state of protein balance.

If someone is growing, pregnant or recovering from an illness or surgery, that person needs to eat more protein in order to produce new tissues. That person's needs for protein increases. You need to also get the amount of calories your body needs in order that amino acids are not used for energy. Your body prefers to use calories from carbohydrate and fat for energy and save calories from protein for important bodily functions

Dietary Reference Intakes were introduced in 1997. It includes the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). Each nutrient is being studied and recommended intake revised or updated based on current research. At present, the Recommended Dietary Allowance of protein for adults is 50 g, based on 10 percent of a 2,000 calorie reference diet. The following chart shows the amounts of protein needed daily for different calorie levels:

Calories	1,600	2,000	2,200	2,500	2,800	3,200
Protein (g for grams)	46g	50g	55g	65g	70g	80g

Review of Food Guide Pyramid:

Write down the answers to these questions:

1. Which food groups are good sources of protein?

2. Where in the pyramid are they located?

3. How much protein do you need each day?

4. What are inexpensive sources of protein?

5. What tasty ways can you prepare legumes?

Web Sites to Visit:

www.eatchicken.com - Healthy recipes and general information about chicken.

Beeftips.com - Information on Beef Safety, Low-Fat Ways to Cook Beef, and Lean and Healthy Beef Recipes.

Beef Nutrition Information and Fact Sheets

Pork Nutrition Facts, Recipes, and Cooking Tips

American Egg Board - Information on Egg Facts, Food/Nutrition, Egg Recipes, and Egg Safety.

Summary

In this lesson, you learned that protein is one of the three nutrients that supplies calories. Your body prefers to use the protein calories for its important work and use calories from carbohydrates and fat for energy.  Protein helps build and repair all body tissues, regulates body processes, helps form antibodies to fight infection and supplies energy. The milk group and meat and beans group of the Food Guide Pyramid include foods that provide complete or high quality protein. The bread and cereal group and the vegetable group provide sources of incomplete protein. Pair plant proteins to maximize the protein value.  Plan your meals around plant foods that include legumes, rice, whole-wheat breads, vegetables and fruits and round them out with low-fat animal foods. Follow the Daily Food Guide.