Your One-Stop Nutritionist Guide To Protein

There is a lot of buzz about protein in the nutrition world these days. It's an important part of any healthy diet and essential whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain your weight, build muscle or whatever your goals. If you have no idea what protein is, want to know how much of it to eat or need suggestions of the best places to get it, here are the facts and a guide to my favorite protein products on the market.

What is protein, anyway?
Protein is most likely not a foreign term to you. We hear about it a lot. It is one of three macronutrients (along with carbohydrates and fat) that are the basic and essential components of every diet. Eating enough of the right protein is very important to your health . It keeps you satisfied for longer, boosts your metabolism, helps stabilize blood sugar and can help prevent mood swings. It is really important that you eat protein at every meal because it will keep you from struggling with hunger and a lack of energy, and it is imperative for growth (especially for children), tissue repair and immune function. Plus, protein is essential post-workout because it helps repair, maintain and build lean muscle mass, especially after a workout when you have been effectively breaking down muscle.

How much protein should I eat in a day?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA: the amount of a nutrient you need to meet the basic nutritional requirement) is just 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight (so for a 140 pound person, that would be about 50 grams per day). But that number is really the bare minimum and meant for people who are totally sedentary and not active. For those of you exercising and running around all day, research shows you should really be getting closer to twice the RDA, which amounts to about 15% to 25% of your daily calories.

What are the best sources of protein?
It's best to choose lean protein like fish, turkey, chicken, egg whites and lean beef. They should be grilled, steamed, broiled, baked or poached, not fried or breaded. Cheese can be a tricky source of protein, since a bit of cheese as big as your thumb can have about 100 calories and who's ever stopped at a piece as big as your thumb? Not easy. I wouldn't worry about some shaved cheese on a salad, but skip those big old bricks of aged cheddar! In general, your protein at lunch and dinner should be about the size of an iPhone5 (or up to two for men). For breakfast, choose protein-rich options like Greek yogurt, eggs or egg whites and smoothies made with protein powder

Some Favorite Protein Products
It can be hard to find protein-packed products that don't break the bank or cause a thickening waistline, so I scoured market shelves to find only the best, tastiest and most nutritious products out there that are a good source of protein. See some of my favorites below. For a complete list of my favorites (and where you can find them), check out my guide on bestowed.com . And rest assured, my selections are 100 percent impartial -- none of the brands featured paid to make my list.

• Applegate Organic Turkey Burgers
• Banza Chickpea Pasta
• Wild Planet Albacore Tuna Single-Serve Pouch

• Evol Egg white, Veggie and Cheese Scramble Cup
• Siggi's Plain Non-Fat Yogurt
• Convenient Nutrition Oats n' Protein

• Forte High-Protein Gelato
• Buff Bake Chocolate Chip Protein Peanut Butter

• The New Primal Beef Sticks
• Back to Nature Cashew Almond Pistachio Mix

• RXBAR Whole Food Protein Bar
• 22 Days Nutrition Goji Mate Firecracker Energy Bar

Heather Bauer, RD CDN is a nationally recognized nutrition expert, author, and entrepreneur. She has published two best selling diet books; The Wall Street Diet and Bread is the Devil and is the founder of Bestowed , the leading product ratings and reviews site built specifically for health-conscious consumers.