Many people are concerned about getting more protein in their diets. However, according to the 2020-2025 dietary guidelines for Americans, most of us hit close to the recommended target amount for protein. However, many Americans do not meet the recommended amount of protein from specific protein subgroups. This means that getting enough protein isn’t an issue; it’s getting protein from a variety of sources.
Here, we break down what those subgroups of protein are, and which types of protein many Americans don’t get enough of.
What Are the Three Subgroups of Protein?
The dietary guidelines for Americans identify three protein subgroups. It’s recommended to get enough protein from each subgroup in order to take in the nutrients your body needs. You should aim to eat a rainbow of fruits of vegetables, and the same goes for protein — you want to get variety every day. Here’s a more in-depth look at each of the subgroups.
Meat, Poultry and Eggs: Meats include beef, lamb, pork, goat and game meats (bison, deer, moose, elk), while poultry includes chicken, Cornish hens, duck, turkey, goose and game birds (ostrich, pheasant, quail). Eggs include chicken eggs, which is the most popular but can also include other birds’ eggs. Dietary guidelines recommend these foods come from fresh, frozen or canned sources and that meat and poultry should be lean or low fat to keep the saturated fat content under control.
Seafood: This group includes finfish and shellfish like mussels, scallops and shrimp. This group provides beneficial fatty acids include EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from fish like salmon, tuna and sardines which are high in healthy polyunsaturated fats.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least eight ounces of seafood per week based on a 2,000-calorie diet. When pregnant or breastfeeding, women can benefit from eight to 12 ounces per week. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend that women who might become pregnant, are pregnant or are lactating, and young children, eat seafood choices that are lower in methylmercury. Examples of seafood that are lower in methylmercury include anchovies, black sea bass, catfish, clams, cod, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, hake, herring, lobster, mullet, oyster, perch, pollock, salmon, sardine, scallop, shrimp, sole, squid, tilapia, freshwater trout, light tuna and whiting.
Nuts, Seeds and Soy Products: Nuts and seed include tree nuts, peanuts, nut butters, seeds and seed butters, while soy includes tofu, tempeh and products made from soy flour, soy protein isolate and soy concentrate.
Beans, peas and lentils, and milk and dairy foods also provide protein. Because beans, peas and lentils can be considered a vegetable or protein in your meal, they’re not called out as a protein group per se. With milk and dairy foods, it’s recommended to get three servings per day and categorized as their own group.
Which Types of Protein Should You Try To Get More Of?
About 75 percent of Americans meet or exceed the recommended amounts for meat, poultry and eggs, according to the 2020-2025 dietary guidelines for Americans. However, almost 90 percent don’t meet the recommended amounts for seafood and more than 50-percent don’t meet the recommended amounts for nuts, seeds and soy.
As most Americans aren’t meeting their recommended amount for seafood, it’s important to find ways to add it into your diet. Tinned fish is one simple way you can quickly add seafood.
Tinned salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and rainbow trout are all available out of cans. Top tinned fish over a salad, make a tuna or salmon salad, enjoy sardines on crostinis or upgrade your avocado toast with all sorts of tinned fish. You can also find a wide variety of fresh and frozen fish at local markets. Check your local market for frozen single-serving fish fillets (like salmon) that you can heat and eat, or pre-cooked single servings you can just serve and eat.
When it comes to nuts, seeds and soy products, you can easily make a DIY trail mix, and top hot cereal or salads with chopped nuts or seeds like chia or sunflower.
Bottom Line: Be mindful of where you get your protein. Most Americans could add more seafood, nuts, seeds and tofu to their regular rotation. This can help create a more well-balanced diet inclusive of more nutrients to help keep your health.