Think you know everything there is to know about protein? You might want to think again.
Today, we’re breaking down the truth about protein with one of the world’s leading experts, Dr. Stuart Phillips from McMaster University. If you’ve ever wondered how much protein you actually need, whether timing matters, or if plant protein is as good as animal protein, you’re about to get answers backed by decades of research.
Get ready to challenge everything you thought you knew about this essential nutrient.
THE PROBLEM: PROTEIN CONFUSION IS EVERYWHERE
Social media is absolutely flooded with protein advice. Every fitness influencer has a different opinion. Every diet guru claims to have cracked the code. And meanwhile, you’re standing in the grocery store aisle wondering if you should buy that protein-fortified cereal or just stick with eggs.
Here’s what makes this so frustrating: protein matters—a lot. But the information out there ranges from oversimplified to completely misleading. You’re told you need protein for muscles, but what about everything else? You hear about the “anabolic window” after workouts, but is that even real? Plant protein, animal protein, protein bars, protein shakes—where do you even start?
Better Today is here to guide you through the science of protein, cutting through the noise to give you practical, evidence-based answers you can actually use.
Advice Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided here is for general educational purposes and should not replace personalized advice from a registered dietitian or healthcare provider, especially if you have existing health conditions.
WHY PROTEIN MATTERS SO MUCH
Let’s start with the basics: why does protein matter in the first place?
Protein Is Literally Building Your Body
The biggest thing people appreciate is that your muscles are made up of protein. But actually, when you look at just about every tissue in your body, it’s made up of protein. Even bone is 40% protein by composition, specifically collagen. Your skin, your heart, literally everything.
And here’s what most people don’t realize: protein turns over in our bodies. All the structures that we have, we’re regularly tearing them down and then building them back up. It’s almost like constant maintenance of the protein structures—like stripping down your engine in a car and building it back up.
The bottom line is that this process isn’t 100% efficient. We lose a little bit of the amino acids—they’re the building blocks—and we need to replace them. Dietary protein is how we get those amino acids.
You could be stuck on a desert island, and if you had fat and carbohydrates, that’s just fuel. But without protein, you would die. You literally cannot survive without it.
WHAT IS PROTEIN, REALLY?
So what exactly is protein?
The Building Blocks: Amino Acids
Protein is made up of individual amino acids. Amino acids are basically the building blocks. There are 20 of them. Nine of them are what we consider to be essential amino acids. In other words, our bodies can’t make them, so we need to ingest them. The other 11 we can make in various degrees.
When you string these amino acids together, they form a chain. And it’s the various combinations of these 20 amino acids, along with some folding, that make proteins distinct.
Different Proteins, Different Jobs
We could get a structural muscle protein, but insulin, which is a hormone, is also a peptide chain. So proteins come in different forms with different functions throughout the body:
- Some are structural (like muscle tissue)
- Others are signalling molecules
- Others are hormones
- All are essential for how your body functions
Your Body Can’t Tell the Difference
Here’s something crucial that’s lost on a lot of people: when we go to the store, we don’t buy protein—we buy food. When we ingest food that has protein in it, our bodies break it all down to its constituent amino acids, and then we absorb it.
Your body literally has no idea if you ingest protein from tofu as a plant source or chicken as an animal source. The protein goes into your stomach, gets broken down, and when we absorb it, it’s actually down to the amino acid level.
There’s no distinction as far as your body is concerned whether that protein came from tofu or from chicken. Your mouth can tell the difference, sure, but your body? It just sees amino acids.
THE STORAGE PROBLEM: WHY YOU NEED PROTEIN DAILY
Here’s why we need to think about protein intake every single day: we can’t really store it.
Obviously, there are stores of protein within our muscles and tissues, but not usable stores like fat or like glycogen from carbohydrates.
Use It or Lose It
Unlike fat, which we have an abundant ability to store, and unlike carbohydrates, which we have limited capacity to store in our liver and muscles, there’s no way to store protein. You don’t have a little protein pouch. Your biceps don’t just store protein for later use.
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU REALLY NEED?
This is where things get interesting—and controversial.
The RDA: Minimum Effective Dose
Current recommendations, at least in Canada (and until recently in America), sit at 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
Let’s put that in perspective: for the average 70-kilogram person, that’s about 56 grams of protein per day. A 100-gram serving of fish or chicken has about 30 grams of protein. So, according to the RDA, one decent-sized chicken breast would give you most of your daily protein needs.
But Here’s the Problem
This RDA is designed to prevent disease—it’s essentially the minimum effective dose rather than what we need for optimal health.
Think about it like this: we established the minimum amount of vitamin C to prevent scurvy, and that’s awesome. But then we recognized that smokers need a little bit more, and if you got a little bit more, your immune function was improved. So the guidelines were bumped up because we recognize that there are benefits.
It’s exactly the same with the protein RDA. That’s the amount to offset the deficiency in about 97% of the population. But is offsetting deficiency really what we’re after? Probably not.
The Optimal Range
If we’re going to optimize health, protein intake should be somewhere between 1.2 and 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Now, most people eating a typical Western diet actually hit this range. But there are groups of people who don’t:
- Older people (whose teeth might be bad, who are lonely, who don’t like to cook for themselves)
- People in food-insecure environments
- People in hospitals
- Anyone not getting enough total calories
And here’s the double problem: as you get older, not only are you eating less food, you’re often eating worse food—the whole “tea and toast” phenomenon we see in medicine. It’s protein-devoid.
THE PROTEIN MARKETING PROBLEM
Here’s something critical we need to address: protein is now appearing in everything, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.
Protein Jumped the Shark
There’s no halo around protein. Adding it to something doesn’t automatically make it healthy. Protein Pop-Tarts, protein-fortified junk food—these aren’t good ideas just because they have protein.
Real Food First
Dr. Phillips is a big advocate of real food. People ask, “Why not a protein bar?” Look, if you’re in a pinch, go for a protein bar. But if you’re regularly smashing protein bars as your way of getting protein, that has some room for improvement.
What protein fortification has done is add monetary cost to value-added products, almost all of which are ultra-processed.
The Golden Rule
Shop around the outside of the grocery store and try to avoid the middle aisles.
If there’s anything we can all agree on, it’s pushing back against ultra-processed foods—even if they’re protein-fortified.
YOUR PRACTICAL ACTION PLAN
Let’s make this actionable. Here’s what you need to do:
Action Step 1: Calculate Your Protein Target
Take your body weight in kilograms and multiply by 1.2 to 1.6. That’s your daily protein goal in grams.
For a 70kg person: 84-112 grams of protein per day.
Action Step 2: Focus on Whole Food Sources
Build your meals around:
- Lean meats, poultry, fish (if you eat animal products)
- Legumes, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh (plant sources)
- Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs
- Whole grains that contribute protein
Avoid relying on protein bars, protein-fortified processed foods, and ultra-processed options.
Action Step 3: Distribute Protein Throughout Your Day
Don’t worry about the exact timing around workouts. Instead, aim to include a good protein source at each meal. This ensures you’re hitting your daily target and providing your body with steady amino acid availability.
Action Step 4: Prioritize Plants
If your plate looks down and it’s mostly real food with more plants than animal products, you’re probably doing great.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Protein is essential—literally. You can’t survive without it, and you can’t store it. Every tissue in your body depends on it, and you need to consume it daily.
The RDA of 0.8g/kg is too low for optimal health. Aim for 1.2-1.6g/kg instead.
Timing around workouts? Far less critical than total daily intake.
Plant vs. animal protein? Both work. Choose based on your health goals, environmental values, and personal preferences.
Real food beats protein-fortified processed foods every single time.
Most importantly: consistency beats intensity. Going to the gym regularly and eating adequate protein throughout the day—that’s the foundation. Everything else is just fine-tuning.
TOP BOOKS TO GO DEEPER
1. “The Complete Guide to Protein” by Dr. Stuart Phillips
Learn directly from one of the world’s leading protein researchers. Phillips breaks down complex science into actionable nutrition strategies for building muscle, maintaining health, and optimizing protein intake across the lifespan.
2. “Eat to Beat Disease” by Dr. William Li
Li explores how specific foods, including protein-rich options, activate your body’s health defense systems. His research-based approach shows how dietary choices affect everything from immunity to longevity.
3. “How Not to Die” by Dr. Michael Greger
Greger examines the science behind plant-based nutrition, including comprehensive coverage of plant protein sources and their role in preventing chronic disease. Essential reading for understanding protein beyond just muscle building.
4. “Bigger Leaner Stronger” by Michael Matthews
Matthews provides an evidence-based approach to building muscle and losing fat, with extensive coverage of protein requirements, timing, and supplementation for people serious about body composition.
5. “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan
While not exclusively about protein, Pollan’s exploration of food systems helps you understand where your protein comes from and make informed choices about animal vs. plant sources for health and environmental reasons.
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