Guy's Guide to Better Nutrition

One of the challenges men face is getting the right balance between meats and other healthy foods. Meat is a good source of many nutrients (protein and iron, for example), but a poor source of other equally important nutrients (like fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients).

A good rule of thumb is to make sure the amount of vegetables on your plate is at least the same as the meat on your plate.

Another tip is to consider meat as a flavoring ingredient, rather than a main ingredient. Some chopped meat can significantly improve the flavor of other foods, making them more palatable.

What about Protein?

While it’s true that you need more protein when you are exercising or building muscle, you don’t need that much more. Most men eat enough protein when inactive to satisfy the needs of the body even if you were gaining muscle. Thus you don’t need to increase your protein that much. I have spoken with trainers who recommended 200 grams of protein a day to everyone. This is an expensive way to get carbs. All the excess protein that your body can’t use just gets converted into carbohydrate (which you also need, but can get from other sources)!

A good rule of thumb for effective body building is 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight, or just 125 grams per day for a 180 pound man. You wouldn’t need 200 grams of protein until you weighed 285 pounds with low body fat. This applies only to the very top percentage of competitive body builders, which is probably why it is the amount people imitate.

In contrast, the average sedentary male needs only 56 grams of protein a day, or 0.4 grams per pound. A 3 ounce deck-of-card-sized hamburger will provide 22 grams. A cup of milk provides 8 grams. If you had a meatless burrito for lunch, it would provide 21 grams in a half cup of black beans; more from the cheese and meat if they are included.