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We all know we need protein to complete a well balanced diet and to provide us with the strength and energy we need each day. Lately, protein powder has made it much more accessible to get your daily serve with the ease and variety it provides. Protein shakes, smoothies, bars and balls have been created to fit into our busy lifestyles.

But with this great, convenient way of instantly adding protein to our diets, do we really know how much protein we are supposed to have per day? And are all protein powders the same? Is protein powder healthy? As protein powder is still an emerging supplement, with so many varieties on the market, a lot of us still don’t really know much about it.

How Much Protein Do We Need Per Day?

The Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest that on average adult females should be consuming 2 servings (500–600kJ per serve) per day. Men on the other hand are recommended to have 3 serves (500-600kj per serve) per day. For instance, one serve of protein could be 80 grams of raw poultry, 100 grams cooked fish, 65 grams of cooked red meat, 2 large eggs or a 30 gram scoop of protein powder.

It’s important to realise that your body can only break down 5 – 9 grams of protein per hour and any excess that is not burned for energy is converted to fat or excreted. So as much as protein is a very important part of your diet, it’s important to consume it moderately like everything else.

Types of Protein

There’s plant based protein and meat based protein. What really matters about these two types of protein is that they both provide us with the nine amino acids that cannot be manufactured by the body and must be supplied by the food we eat. Animal protein typically provides these amino acids in sufficient amounts while plant amino acids are more difficult to get in sufficient amounts.

That is something to consider when purchasing protein powder. Plant based protein powders like hemp, rice, and pea are not typically complete sources of protein because they do not contain the entire range of essential amino acids. Whey protein powder on the other hand typically offers the full range of essential amino acids your body needs.

This doesn’t mean that one or the other is better, but rather with that understanding you can balance your preferred protein powder with your regular whole food meals to achieve complete sources of protein per day.

Is Protein Powder Healthy?

A consumer report investigation has found low to moderate levels of lead, arsenic, and mercury in many well-known protein powders. Many other protein powders contain processed soy, artificial sweeteners, sugars, artificial flavours and colours, and synthetic nutrients that are not easily absorbed by the body.

At Vive Health we understand the importance of clean, healthy food and supplements and we make sure all of our protein such as our All Natural WPC/WPI shake and our Raw Slim & Tone have no artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours, or preservatives. Protein powders can be thought of like a supplement. The high quality ones can be beneficial in some cases, but they are never a replacement for a well-balanced whole food diet.

For all of November, all of our Natural Protein will be on special at 15% off. You can trust Vive Health as your organic food source and health clinic. If you would like to be kept up to date with all Vive specials feel free to register your account on our website.