Protein supplements are easily available and often considered a 'must' when you start a new health or exercise programme to increase the lean protein you're eating. But do we really need them if we’re already eating a balanced diet of healthy foods?

In regular food, we primarily get protein from sources such as lean meat, fish, seafood, dairy products and eggs. You can also get it in beans and legumes.

What is protein?

Protein acts as the building blocks for your body. Your skin, hair, nails, muscle tissue… Having adequate amounts of protein in your diet helps your body to repair and ‘build’ itself – regardless of whether you exercise or not.

If you’re not having enough, your body can’t do this as efficiently, so if you’re putting the hard yards in at the gym you’re running the risk of losing some of the muscle you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Do I need more protein?

We should be having around 1.5 times our body weight (kgs) in grams of protein per day. For example, if you weigh 65kgs, you should be having around 97.5 grams of protein per day. This isn't exact, as your protein requirements will depend things such as your ability to digest it, the activities you're doing and your metabolism.

Now, it's important to remember that 100 grams of steak doesn’t equal 100 grams of protein as the meat will contain other things such as water, fat and carbohydrate as well.

As a rough idea, you’ll get around:

• 30g of protein from a 100g serving of lean steak or a chicken breast
• 16g of protein from a cup of legumes
• 7g from a 150g pottle of yoghurt
• 7g from 200ml/1 glass of trim milk

Although dairy foods are a good source of protein, products such as cheese contain high levels of fat so it’s not ideal for you to consume large quantities of it. The other side of it is that lean, high protein foods tend to be more expensive and may add additional calories from carbohydrates and fats that you may not want to add to your diet, so it may be more cost effective (and calorie effective) to take a protein supplement instead. Powders can also be a convenient way of adding protein into drinks.

If you're getting everything you need from your food, you may not need a protein supplement so take all of the above into consideration if you’re thinking about using them.

Kiwis actually generally have a fairly high protein diet, however, you will likely benefit from taking a protein supplement if you’re doing any kind of weight/strength training, you’re eating a mostly plant-based diet or you’re a competitive athlete.

For a balanced diet, women should typically be having around a palm of protein-dense foods in each of your daily meals along with a cupped handful of carbohydrates, a thumb of healthy fats and a fist of vegetables (see our portion size guide explained here).

Can protein help with weight loss and maintenance?

Very much so! We previously mentioned protein helps maintain and build muscle tissue, and an increase in muscle helps to burn calories faster so it makes sense to ensure you're eating enough protein.

Protein also helps you feel full for longer which can aid in weight loss and management as it curbs your appetite.

What type of protein powder should I get?

Whey used to be pretty much your only option. Whey is the liquid by-product created when milk curdles, and accounts for around 20% of the protein content in animal milk (the other protein content is casein which is also available in supplement form). There are different types of whey protein, the main two being:

Whey Protein Isolate (WPI)  – is virtually fat free so is the best for trying to achieve weight/fat loss, but is also therefore usually more expensive. It usually has more than 90% protein concentration and minimal carbohydrate.

Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) – has less than 90% protein concentration and can be as little as 20%, which is why this is the most common type of supplement. The less protein content it has, the cheaper it will often be so beware of seemingly good deals as you may just be paying for more carbs in the form of lactose, or milk sugar.

Recently there has been an increased demand for plant-based options, so you can now find protein supplements from sources such as peas, soy and hemp.

Tips when looking for protein powder

Not all protein powders are created equally! Some are better quality, while some may be mixed with a higher amount of carbohydrates. Some are designed to help you build lean muscle, while others are designed to help you put on weight – the type of protein powder that suits you depends on your personal goals.

Aim to look for a protein powder that contains 60-85g of protein per 100g – the higher the better – and make sure you read the label thoroughly to ensure you’re buying the right product. Some protein powders also mix with water or milk better than others, so get a sample if possible and try it out first.

How do I use protein powder?

Add a scoop to a breakfast or smoothie to bolster it with a little extra protein, mix it with water, yoghurt or trim milk, stir a scoop into your porridge, use it in baking or make dessert sauces out of it.

If you don’t want the flavour to overpower a food you’re mixing it with, buy vanilla protein powder.

If you are exercising, most nutritionists and personal trainers recommend that you should have some kind of a meal with protein and some carbohydrate within 30 minutes of a workout, so a protein shake is ideal for this.

One key mistake when using protein powder is when people take them as an extra in addition to their main meals and snacks. Remember that protein shakes also contain calories – even more so when combined with trim or full fat milk. Take this into consideration and if you’re not trying to put weight on, use your protein powder mixed in with another food during one of your meals or snacks, or use it instead of a snack.

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