Common protein mistakes...and how to fix them

We’ve all heard it a million times...I’ve said it a million and one times… “If you want to lose weight (or easily maintain a healthy weight), eat plenty of lean protein and veggies.”  Veggies are pretty easy, lean protein not so much.

I talk to women ALL. THE. TIME. who are confused about what lean protein actually is.  Spoiler alert: it’s not peanut butter!   Peanut butter is a fat - with a tiny bit of protein thrown in.  In fact, many meat products (think bacon, sausage, hot dogs, some cured meats) are actually more fat than protein.

Here’s a quick diagram to show you some of the common culprits:

So how do you decide if something is a protein source, a fat source, or both?  Flip over the package and read the label. Since fat is twice the calories of protein, you want it to have half the grams of protein for it to be considered an equal source.  For example, the label off the greek yogurt in my fridge reads this way:

Protein: 22g, Fat: 4.5 g

Start with the protein: it has 22g.  Now, look at the fat...we want it to be approx 11g or less.  At 11g we would have a food source that is roughly equal protein and fat.  Anything less than that (it has 4.5g) shifts the food source to more heavily protein.  Make sense?

For example, a bacon label:

Protein: 5g, Fat: 9g

Following our rules, we would want the fat to be 2.5 grams for it to equal the protein.  But in fact, the fat is actually almost twice that of the protein...which makes bacon 4x more fat than protein!

Can you still eat things that are part fat and part protein?  Of course!  Just know that you may need to adjust the fat or protein in that meal or the one following.  But, paying attention to these simple guidelines can make the difference in your weight loss journey.  If you're unsure, the less it looks like it's original form the more likely it's not lean protein.  Bacon = not lean protein, pork loin = lean protein.