Protein — one of our macronutrients along with fats and carbohydrates — has gained a lot of popularity in recent years.
Diets such as Paleo, Whole30 and Atkins all focus on increasing protein and reducing carbohydrates, leading the public to believe protein is the most important macronutrient.
But is this true? In this column, we’ll review the science of protein and determine how much we really need.
First, what is it?
As a category, protein foods encompass a wide range of items, including animal products such as dairy (yogurt, cheese, milk), eggs, meats (poultry, beef, pork, lamb, fish/seafood), along with legumes (beans), whole grains, nuts/seeds and soy products.
