Third Session Study Guide 3
Third Session Study Guide
Lesson Three
(Amino Acids Part 2)
If we look at plant foods and the protein in them (as a % of calories) there is an abundance of protein. Here as some examples of protein in plant foods as % of calories:
| Brown rice 9 | Oatmeal 15 | Whole wheat flour 16 |
| Black beans 27 | Corn 11 | Kidney beans 27 |
| Peas 28 | Potatoes 8 | Sweet potato 7 |
| Asparagus 42 | Broccoli 42 | Carrots 10 |
| Lettuce 40 |
All the plant proteins have all the essential amino acids.
Animal foods:
| Beef 53 | Chicken 46 |
| Pork 29 | Salmon 43 |
Dairy products:
| Whole milk 21 | Skim milk 39 | Human milk 5* |
| Cheddar cheese 25 | Cottage cheese 68 | Egg 32 |
Notice the amount of protein in human milk. It is interesting that at the time in our life that we grow the quickest (from birth to three to six months) we only need 5% protein in our food. Everyone agrees that Mother’s milk is the very best food for babies. Can we safely say that the food that is provided especially for us is correct?
With the recommended amount of protein in mind, let’s consider the amount of protein is some typical diets. We don’t lose much protein in a day because that is not our body’s first choice for fuel. (This is based on a 2000 calorie adult diet.)
| PROTEIN | (GRAMS/DAY) | (% OF CALORIES) |
| Daily protein loss | 3 grams | less than 1% |
| Minimal requirements | 20-30g | 4%- 5% |
| Breast fed infant | 3-12 g | *5%-6.5% |
| Asian diet | 40-70g | 8%-14% |
| Western diet | 75-160g | 15%-32% |
| Zone diet | 150g | 30% |
| South Beach Diet | 100-250g | 20%-50% |
| Atkins Diet | 150-350g | 30%-70% |
Excess protein has to be metabolized and gotten rid of by the liver and kidneys so those organs are overworked. Excess protein can actually result in some loss of kidney function over a lifetime.
Lesson Three Questions:
1. Is there abundant protein in all plant foods?
2. How much protein is in human milk?
3. How does the protein in human milk compare to the WHO recommendations?
4. Which diets are closest to these recommendations?
