Why are American women obsessed with protein?
Count those macros!
A while back, we had a friend staying with us in Italy from the States. At breakfast time, she requested a protein-rich breakfast. We didn’t have anything at the house, and we were running off to a tour, so she asked to stop at the panificio nearby.
“You won’t find anything there except cornetti”, I warned her.
“Why not?” she replied, “How do Italians get their protein?”
I paused. How do I explain to her that the LA girlies eating meat sticks and protein shakes are an American wellness trend and not a global standard? American marketing companies have caught on, and more and more seemingly innocuous products like chips and granola bars will be slapped with the label “high in protein”. On the other hand, you will not see an emphasis on protein consumption in Italy. My Italian nutritionist was shocked when she heard I had a savory breakfast of eggs or a protein smoothie. Most Italians eat a small biscuit or nothing at all. While there are many differences between the American and Italian diets, protein consumption seems to be a line of demarcation.
I was curious to know what the “official” recommendations are, so I took a look at the government groups from the United States (Myplate from the US Department of Agriculture or USDA) as well as Italy (Centro di ricerca Alimentari e Nutrizione) are publishing about nutrition.
American Recommendations Encourage Protein Consumption
The actual recommendations from USDA’s “MyPlate” do show a daily protein goal that Americans should be hitting. MyPlate also states that “many Americans get the right amount of protein needed from meat, poultry, and eggs, but do not meet the recommendations for seafood or nuts, seeds, and soy products.” It would be useful to further define how Americans should be getting their protein sources. At the moment, the recommendations do not specify.
MyPlate suggests that adult women should be eating 5-6 ounces of protein per day. This is about about 45-50 grams of protein, depending on the protein source. They give examples: “1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, etc.”
This does not go over well with the gym girlies, like Morgan, the American personal trainer below, who states it’s enough protein to “feed a squirrel”. If you’re trying to build muscle or lose weight, Morgan recommends eating “0.8-1.0g [of protein] per pound of lean body mass”. Lean body mass averages between 60-90% of total body weight, so the average American woman would need 92 - 120 g of protein. I checked these recommendations with the National Academy of Sports Medicine who recommend a daily protein intake of between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight if you’re trying to lose weight (123 - 169 grams of protein per day for the average American woman). This is over 3 times the recommended 50 grams from USDA.
The protein trend in the United States started when “counting macros” became a popular form of dieting. “Eating your macros” or “tracking macros” means counting your macronutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins) under these general guidelines.
Carbs: 45%–65% of total calories
Fat: 20%–35% of total calories
Protein: 10%–35% of total calories
In a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s 50-175g of protein per day. To give you an example of how much 175 g of protein is, it’s 3 oz of canned tuna, a plain Greek yogurt, 4 eggs, 100g of beans, 100 g of quinoa, 100 g of nuts, 1 serving of protein powder, and 2 ounces of cooked salmon. All in one day!
Italian Recommendations to Not Specify Protein Goals
I consulted CREA’s 2018 nutritional guide, and it did not have specific protein goals nor did it separate the recommendations for men and women. Under the section “More Whole Grains and Legumes” there is a recommendation to eat legumes as a source of protein. They recommend “increasing the consumption of legumes (beans, chickpeas, and lentils) both fresh and dried, alternating them with animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, milk, and derivatives), always taking care to limit the addition of oils and fats.”
Here is a look at the overall suggested portion and serving size. I’ve translated this from Italian and highlighted the daily suggestions in purple.
While this certainly seems balanced (I love the allowable 2 cornetti per week), there is no way you could “meet your Macros” following these recommendations. Here it seems that the Italian and American federal recommendations are similar: a quick eyeball of the recommendations above adds up to about 50 g of protein per day.
Research on Protein and the Impact on Women’s Health
There has also been a rise in information suggesting that women should pay more attention to their protein intake because it can help improve hormonal imbalances present in women, such as endocrine disruption through PCOS, thyroid disease, or menopause. The other benefits of increased protein intake for women include preventing disease, building muscle mass, and helping to get a better night’s sleep. Dr. Jolene Brighten NMD, FABNE, a nutritionist and women’s health expert, recommends the following protein goals for women:
Pregnancy: 1.1 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight
Postpartum: 1.1 to 1.3 grams per kilogram of body weight
General health: 1.1-1.4g of protein per kilogram of body weight
Perimenopause and menopause: 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of IDEAL body weight
Building muscle mass: 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight
For the average size American woman, this means about 84 - 169 g of protein per day. Meanwhile, I saw a nutritionist here in Italy for an endocrine-related disease, and there was no mention of specific protein goals. Instead, she focused on eliminating sugar and lowering my glycemic index by incorporating enough leafy green vegetables, whole grains, fish, and legumes.
Protein Consumption Comes Down to Personal Preference
American women who count macros eat sausage patties for breakfast, deli meat for lunch, and eggs for dinner to meet their protein goals. Meanwhile, in Italy, women are living a life of moderation. Personally, I have found that eating more protein in the morning and for lunch leads to more stability throughout the day and fewer blood sugar crashes, but 50 - 75 grams of protein per day with varied sources is fine by me. I also love the ritual of a weekly coffee and cornetto. I’m in Italy and can’t give that up! How much protein you want to consume can be driven by your health goals and your tastes. What do you think? Which side of this health trend do you fall on?
Exciting news: I was published in one of my favorite Substacks, Supernuclear! This publication offers suggestions and guides on how to create a coliving community. Check out my case study here!
If you liked this read, check out, “You’re probably eating way too much protein”. Plus, my mom friends tell me that Italian pediatricians start babies on solids by offering full meals instead of one food at a time (American style). Worth more investigation!
My pet peeve in life is people who go to other places/cultures and expect to not have to adapt at all. They expect to meet all of their preferences from their culture. The worst offenders are people who talk to you about their random diet like you should know what they mean. “I’m on keto, do you have anything keto-friendly?” No idea. How about you figure it out?
I’d also say that the craziest protein obsessed people are the ones (mostly men, it seems) on an all-meat diet. 🙄
This was so interesting, all I know is that I feel better eating more protein, about 100g a day. could it be that our carbs and wheat is full of gmos and highly processed with sugar? Maybe. I loved reading this with the global perspective. I remember my time in Italy and did eat a decent amount of meat, I was, though, living with my cousins who own a butcher shop!