Dietary Protein: Why You Need It Every Day

Protein is in every cell of the body. We need protein from food to build and maintain our bones, muscles and skin.

Where it comes from

We get protein from:

• meat;
• dairy products;
• nuts;
• certain grains and beans.

Complete and incomplete proteins

• Complete proteins come from meat and other animal products. They supply all the amino acids the body cannot make for itself.
• Incomplete proteins: most plant proteins lack some of them. Eating a variety of plant proteins every day gives your body all the amino acids it needs.

How much, and how often

Getting enough protein matters, and you need to eat it every day, because the body does not store protein the way it stores fat or carbohydrates. How much you need depends on your age, sex, health and how physically active you are. Most Americans already get enough protein.

Sources

• MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Dietary Proteins." https://medlineplus.gov/dietaryproteins.html
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.