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I guess this kind of vague blowback was inevitable with the excesses of a country embracing protein.
But the math for me is straightforward.
1.5-1.6 grams of protein/kg of bodyweight is a good place to start.
For the average Indian that’s between 70-120 grams of protein.
Consuming between 1200-2400 calories of food a day, protein accounts for a mere 20-25 percent of your total calorie intake. That’s not a wild number now is it?
What you eat to get to that 70-120 is the issue. The idea that dal and rice can get you there isn’t quite accurate.
You’re going to need 2-3 cups of lentils or dal a day to get to 16-30 grams of protein. And I’ve tried eating that much. It’s not the most comfortable experience.
When wheat and rice are staples, accounting for 30-40 percent of our daily calorie intake, it gets much harder to get to that 70-120 grams of protein through dal, toned milk and eggs without blowing past our daily energy intake threshold.
That said, sodium loaded protein chips, dates-filled protein bars and sucralose-laden protein shakes aren’t the optimal way to get to your daily protein target.
If I pay a premium for protein or foods processed to improve protein content, I don’t do it for taste or convenience. I pay for more protein per serving. Or as few calories as possible to consume 10 grams of protein. As someone who likes bread, kombucha, ice cream, cheese, eggs and coffee, I need my other dairy sources to be lean. So I consume Skyr and ultra-filtered milk, which have next to no fat and see protein content go up from 35 percent of calories in skimmed milk to 50 percent. Fewer calories, more protein.
The game for better quality of life is to stay lean and strong. The lean part needs muscle and awareness of calorie intake. The strong part needs protein and training. Processed dairy is the simplest tool to enjoy all the benefits of dairy without consuming too many calories.