More Nutrition: Protein!

Learning About Proteins

By Jessica 

Health Class

           

What is protein? The best sources of protein are found in beef, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as black beans and lentils. Protein makes sure to maintain, build up, and replaces tissues all throughout your body. Your strong muscles, your organs, and your immune system are mostly made up of protein. When your body ingests foods that contains protein the digestive liquids in your intestines and stomachs start going to work. They break the proteins down into basic units called amino acids. The acids can be reused to make the proteins in your body needs to maintain muscles, bones, bloods, and body organs. Of the 22 amino acids, your body makes 13 of them without even thinking about it! Your body can’t make the other nine acids, but you can get them by eating certain foods. It is essential you eat these foods to stay healthy. You can’t get all these proteins from dairy alone, you need to vary the proteins you eat. Maybe have some nuts and milk one day and meat and eggs the next. Certain combinations like red beans and rice will give you one type of acid but alone they just are food. You can figure out how much protein you need a day by how much you weigh. Each day kids need to eat about 0.5 of protein for every pound you weigh. To figure out how much protein you need, multiply you weight in pounds times 0.5 or you just take your weight and divide by two. Now have fun choosing foods you like and offer protein to fuel your body!