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May 21, 2005
The Protein Challenge
I said that I'd figure out how much protein an AL woman might be eating on any given day, in order to refute the charge that my diet is unusually high in protein. So I created a non-vegetarian ad lib woman and DWIDPed one of her days. Let's call her Cindy, shall we?
For breakfast, Cindy eats:
2 slices of bacon
1 hard boiled egg
1 glass of 1% milk
1 glass of orange juice
cup of coffee with half and half
For lunch Cindy eats:
a turkey sandwich on white bread
a container of fruit yogurt
For dinner Cindy eats:
grilled chicken
baked potato with butter and sour cream
salad with spinach, romaine, tomatoes and green pepper, olive oil dressing
a half cup of vanilla ice cream for dessert
glass of wine
That's not a freakishly high protein low carb diet. If anything, I'd say I'm being nice to Cindy by having her eat that well. I mean, how many people eat only a half cup serving of ice cream? And I didn't put any mayo on her sandwich, nor did I force her to eat blue cheese dressing on her evening salad that she thinks makes her so healthy, sitting there next to a white baked potato dripping with not overly large servings of butter and sour cream. Her portions of meat are not particularly large. She had a hard boiled egg and two slices of bacon for breakfast, not a three egg omlet with sausage or an Egg McMuffin. Cindy didn't have beef jerky or pork rinds for an afternoon snack, nor did she nibble on the bagels with cream cheese that were served at her morning meeting. Cindy could do a lot worse... most people do.
Here is Cindy's nutrition info:
Food List : AL Protein Game.FLS
DATE : 05/21/05
Num. Foods : 20
Food #1 : Pork, cured, canadian-style bacon, grilled 2 slices
Food #2 : Milk, lowfat, fluid, 1% milkfat, with added vitamin A 80 cals, about 1 cup
Food #3 : Turkey, all classes, meat and skin, cooked, roasted 100 g
Food #4 : Yogurt, fruit, low fat, 9 grams protein per 8 ounce 130 cals -- 6 oz
Food #5 : Bread, white, commercially prepared, toasted 2 slices
Food #6 : Coffee, brewed, prepared with distilled water 1 cup
Food #7 : Cream, fluid, half and half 30 g in the coffee, 39 cals
Food #8 : Chicken, broilers or fryers, back, meat and skin, cooked, roasted 150 g
Food #9 : Spinach, raw 50 g
Food #10 : Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw 30 g
Food #11 : Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, November thru50 g
Food #13 : Olive oil 1 tablespoon
Food #14 : Potatoes, baked, flesh and skin, without salt 1 baked potato
Food #15 : Frozen desserts, ice cream, vanilla 1/2 cup, 66 g
Food #16 : Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, red 6 oz
Food #17 : Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled 1 hard boiled egg
Food #18 : Orange juice, California, chilled, includes from concentrate 1 cup
Food #19 : Cream, sour, cultured 1 spoonful on the potato
Food #20 : Butter, with salt 1 pat on the potato
NUTRIENT TOTALS:
Abs. Values %RDA/SA
Calories 1882.94__cal 94%
Protein 108.69__gm 198% RDA
Total Fat 89.47__gm 138%
Sat. Fat 32.66__gm 163%
Mono. Fat 34.48__gm 119%
Poly. Fat 13.93__gm 209%
Carbohydrate 132.93__gm 44%
Fiber 11.29__gm 38%
Cholesterol 618.06__mg 206%
Vit. A 4862.42__IU 97% RDA
Vit. B6 2.28__mg 143% RDA
Vit. B12 3.28__mcg 164% RDA
Vit. C 129.52__mg 216% RDA
Vit. E 4.97__mg 62% RDA
Thiamine 1.24__mg 113% RDA
Folacin 231.63__mcg 129% RDA
Riboflavin 1.81__mg 139% RDA
Niacin 24.26__mg 162% RDA
Panto. Acid 6.46__mg 129% SA
Calcium 730.91__mg 61% RDA
Copper 1.21__mg 60% SA
Iron 10.74__mg 72% RDA
Magnesium 246.28__mg 88% RDA
Manganese 2.22__mg 74% SA
Phosphorus 1293.29__mg 108% RDA
Potassium 3167.67__mg 158% RDA
Selenium 43.13__mcg 78% RDA
Sodium 1292.30__mg 54% SA
Zinc 10.94__mg 91% RDA
Tyrosine 5.31__gm 553% RDA
Lysine 12.19__gm 1694% RDA
Phenylalanine 6.07__gm 632% RDA
Leucine 11.64__gm 1213% RDA
Valine 7.73__gm 921% RDA
Methionine 3.92__gm 1305% RDA
Cystine 1.86__gm 619% RDA
Tryptophan 1.68__gm 931% RDA
Threonine 6.37__gm 1327% RDA
Isoleucine 7.17__gm 996% RDA
P:C:F = 23:34:43
Cindy's diet is low protein as a percentage of Calories, but that's cause there's so much gaky carb and saturated fat calorie laden food in her day. Her total protein grams are 108.7.
My freakishly high calcium day on which I ate my normal weekday diet but added in more yogurt to up my calcium and ward off the osteoperosis nightmares comes in at 78.75 g protein.
On days when I eat meat in addition to eggwhites and yogurt/cottage cheese, I sometimes go higher. But I almost never go above 100, and on days when I eat meat I usually am not having my brewers yeast, which takes 16 g of protein out of the total.
Here is my total for today. I went out to eat with my mom at the Ruby Tuesday's salad bar, where I guessed at portions on things like fruit and tomatoes. It was really fabulous. I had a glass of cabernet with dinner, and then decided to walk to town to my favorite little bar/restaurant to have a glass of pinot noir later in the evening. I really enjoy taking myself out alone, and bringing some reading material. It's like a Saturday night date with myself.
Anyway, tonight I made the forty-five minute walk, and just as I arrived at my destination, the Gypsy Saloon, it started to rain! I had to call my mom and get her to rescue me in the car... thank heaven for moms! It may seem that I spend a lot of time with my mom, and indeed I do, but we are more like sisters or best friends than like mother than daughter. She is one of the most entertaining people I ever hang around, and it's nice to know that there is one person on earth who still has to love me even though I spent nine months fanatically quoting a man I had never met. That's what moms are for!
So today was relatively low protein: take that! And keep in mind that the calcium is a little higher (about 10% of the RDA higher) cause I'm scared to modify the food in DWIDP to fit my brand of yogurt.
Food List : 5-21-05.FLS
DATE : 05/21/05
Num. Foods : 12
Food #1 : Egg, white, raw, fresh a cup
Food #2 : Flax oil teaspoon
Food #3 : Cottage Cheese Lowfat Light and Lively 80 cals
Food #4 : Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw a lot
Food #5 : Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, November thru May average 100 g ish
Food #6 : Pepper, banana, raw a lot
Food #7 : Peppers, sweet, green, raw 100 g ish
Food #8 : Fruit salad, (peach and pear and apricot and pineapple and cherry), canned, light syrup, solids and liquids 1.0 servings
Food #9 : Olives, ripe, canned (jumbo-super colossal) 12
Food #10 : Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, red 2 glasses of wine
Food #11 : Yogurt, fruit, low fat, 9 grams protein per 8 ounce 1 container
Food #12 : Grains, Tabouleh a big scoop that I probably over counted
NUTRIENT TOTALS:
Abs. Values %RDA/SA
Calories 1097.24__cal 55%
Protein 50.15__gm 91% RDA
Total Fat 30.12__gm 46%
Sat. Fat 9.64__gm 48%
Mono. Fat 15.83__gm 55%
Poly. Fat 3.02__gm 45%
Carbohydrate 109.90__gm 37%
Fiber 13.17__gm 44%
Cholesterol 59.03__mg 20%
Vit. A 10454.83__IU 209% RDA
Vit. B6 0.95__mg 59% RDA
Vit. B12 1.28__mcg 64% RDA
Vit. C 235.86__mg 393% RDA
Vit. E 8.38__mg 105% RDA
Thiamine 0.46__mg 42% RDA
Folacin 155.99__mcg 87% RDA
Riboflavin 1.75__mg 135% RDA
Niacin 4.76__mg 32% RDA
Panto. Acid 1.88__mg 38% SA
Calcium 760.48__mg 63% RDA
Copper 0.97__mg 49% SA
Iron 9.55__mg 64% RDA
Magnesium 155.13__mg 55% RDA
Manganese 3.13__mg 104% SA
Phosphorus 602.37__mg 50% RDA
Potassium 1995.31__mg 100% RDA
Selenium 59.88__mcg 109% RDA
Sodium 2042.22__mg 85% SA
Zinc 2.80__mg 23% RDA
Tyrosine 4.56__gm 475% RDA
Lysine 10.06__gm 1397% RDA
Phenylalanine 5.67__gm 591% RDA
Leucine 10.33__gm 1076% RDA
Valine 6.86__gm 816% RDA
Methionine 3.45__gm 1149% RDA
Cystine 1.83__gm 611% RDA
Tryptophan 1.50__gm 831% RDA
Threonine 5.55__gm 1155% RDA
Isoleucine 6.09__gm 846% RDA
So there. I win.
Well, until MR comes back with some more evidence.
I know there's a danger in challenging the King of the Zonies to a contest of this sort, but I can't resist. I understand that I eat *enough* protein for a 258 pound man (let's call him Cindy's husband, Jack) but I bet Jack is eating way more protein than that! Cause most meat eaters eat way way way too too much protein. I think the lowfat vegans were right about that one. MR?
As the 80's band Scandal once so aptly put it:
"Hit me with your best shot."
Posted by april at May 21, 2005 9:56 PM
Comments
that is great information.
Posted by: sudeepta at June 6, 2005 12:46 PM