This video, titled "New Protein Recommendations EXPLODE!" by Dr. Deb Ford, discusses how new dietary guidelines emphasize a much higher protein intake than previously recommended. Dr. Ford explains that the old guidelines (0.8g per kilogram of body weight) were only meant to prevent deficiency, not to promote health. The updated recommendations are 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, spread throughout meals, for optimal health, metabolic stability, and even anti-aging benefits for all ages, especially older adults and children. She also gives practical examples of how much various foods contain 30 grams of protein and shares her personal high-protein breakfast routine.
Key Takeaways
1
For decades, protein has been misunderstood, undervalued, and underprescribed in dietary guidelines.
2
The previous protein recommendation of 0.8g per kilogram of body weight was only to prevent deficiency, not to promote optimal health.
3
The new dietary guidelines recommend 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily for thriving, not just preventing deficiency.
4
Lean muscle, supported by adequate protein, is crucial for blood sugar stability, insulin sensitivity, hormone production, immune resilience, brain health, and fat loss.
5
To calculate your daily protein needs, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms, then multiply by 1.2 for the low end or 1.6 for the high end of the recommended range.
6
Older adults need more protein per kilogram of body weight, not less, due to anabolic resistance, and should aim for the higher end of the recommended range.
7
Protein has the highest thermic effect among macronutrients, stimulates muscle synthesis, doesn't spike blood sugar, and reduces appetite and improves satiety hormones.
8
Aim for about 30 grams of protein per meal, with specific portion sizes provided for various animal and plant-based foods.
9
Protein needs to be spread throughout the day to keep the amino acid pool fed frequently, which is important for protein synthesis.
10
Adequate protein intake is especially important for children's brain development, growth, and immune resilience, and for older adults to prevent frailty, preserve independence, and maintain cognitive health.
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0:05
Welcome to today's nutrition. I'm Dr.
0:08
Deb Ford, Doctor of Clinical Nutrition,
0:10
and registered dietician. The last 10
0:13
years or so, right here on Today's
0:15
Nutrition, I've been bringing you latest
0:17
research on nutrition, metabolism, and
0:20
healthy aging, translating it into real
0:23
practical advice you can use every day
0:26
in your life. Because nutrition should
0:29
not be confusing. It should not be
0:31
extreme and it shouldn't make you feel
0:34
like you're failing. So my goal every
0:37
week is simple. To help you lose weight
0:40
in a healthy way, feel great in your
0:43
body and slow, yes, even reverse the
0:47
aging process by working with your
0:50
physiology, not against it. Last week, I
0:54
talked a lot about the new inverted food
0:57
pyramid. It truly turned that pyramid
1:00
upside down and taking a fresh look at
1:04
what is right for our population where
1:07
the majority of Americans are
1:09
metabolically unwell and sick. For
1:13
decades, we were taught our diets needed
1:16
to be high in grains, to fear protein,
1:19
fear fat, count calories. Very
1:22
disappointing results, metabolic chaos.
1:26
Today, I'm going to dive deeper into the
1:29
need for protein and give some real hard
1:33
suggestions on how we need to get enough
1:37
daily and how to do that. I know I've
1:40
struggled to get what is recommended and
1:43
I have some tips for us a little more
1:46
mature in the audience that need help
1:48
with that. So, grab a cup of organic
1:50
coffee, take a deep breath. Let's dig
1:52
into the science made simple so you can
1:55
feel confident fueling your body in a
1:58
way that supports health, vitality, and
2:02
longevity. And yes, trim a little bit
2:05
off that waistline while you're at it.
2:07
This is today's nutrition and we're
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getting started now.
2:12
If I had to name one nutrient that's
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been misunderstood, underprescribed, and
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undervalued for decades, it would be
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protein. Not carbs, although I love all
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the phytonutrients and our vegetables
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and our fruit and our herbs and our
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spices and our nuts and our seeds. Love
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that. And not fat, although I love my
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avocados. Super healthy olive oil,
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coconut oil, butter and nuts. Love them.
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But protein
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named for the word primary in Greek.
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They knew it way back that it should be
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number one. And what's fascinating is
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the new dietary guidance is finally
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saying right out loud how many of us in
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clinical practice have known for years
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that protein is not optional. It is
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foundational. For decades, the
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recommendation was merely 0.8
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g per kilogram of body weight. That
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number wasn't meant to keep you feeling
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energetic, strong, lean, mentally sharp,
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or metabolically flexible. It was
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designed to prevent deficiency,
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malnutrition.
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Okay. But my dear friends, preventing
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deficiency is not the same as promoting
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health. That goes with protein. That
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goes with all your vitamins. We want
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optimal.
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From the 1990s to now, we have a long
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overdue correction. So, let me ground
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this in history for a while. Back in the
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'9s, that was when I was in my dietetics
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undergrad, protein was treated as an
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accessory. never the star of the show.
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Carbohydrates dominated the plate.
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Grains were the foundation. We were told
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to have six to 11 servings every day.
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Back then, I knew if I did that, you
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would be bouncing me down the street and
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creating hormone havoc. But the
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guidelines were protein that something
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you add in around the edges. But
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clinically, that model did not work. I
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watched people lose muscle as they aged,
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struggle with fatigue and weakness, fail
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at weight loss despite eating less and
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becoming more insulin resistant every
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year. Meanwhile, feeling hungrier and
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feeling like a failure. Almost always
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when we look closer, protein intake was
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inadequate, especially in women, in
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children, and older adults. So when
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these updated guidance from the dietary
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guidelines for America began emphasizing
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significant higher protein intake, I
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smiled and thought it's about time. We
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are changing from preventing deficiency
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to a thriving standard. So what has
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happened? This is the recommendation.
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Now we're going to go 1.2 to 1.6 6 g per
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kilogram of body weight every day. Every
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meal we have to have some protein with
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the emphasis on nutrientdense real food
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and a shift away from minimums towards
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optimal. And it's not for bodybuilding.
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No, it's not a fad. This is for all of
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us. It is metabolic medicine. Lean
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muscles
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mean health. Blood sugar stability, that
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means everything. That's
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anti-inflammatory, that's anti-aging, is
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everything. Insulin sensitivity,
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keeping that insulin low is going to
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also help reduce risk of cancers.
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Hormone production, immune resilience.
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Your immune system is built on protein
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and brain health. More protein,
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healthier brain, better blood sugar,
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aging healthfully, and resiliency,
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and oh yes, fat loss because muscle is
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metabolically active tissue 24/7, 365.
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Okay, now let's do the math. Pounds to
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kilograms made simple because I want to
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make this practical, not confusing. So
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when you leave here, you're going to
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know how much protein you need every
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day. I wish they just put it in pounds
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because none of us think in terms of
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kilogram. Our scale weighs in pounds. So
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to convert pounds to kilogram, you
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simply divide by 2.2.
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150 lb adult, young adult, that's going
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to be 150 / 2.2, 68 kg. Now on the low
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range, that is 1.2 g. That's going to be
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the low range that's 82 kg. on the
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higher range, 1.6 g per kilogram, 109 g
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of protein every day. Now, that's not
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excessive. That's appropriate.
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Now, we're going to talk 180 lb adult.
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180 lb divided by 2.2 82 kg. So, if we
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do the lower end, 1.2 2 g per kilogram.
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That is 98 g of protein a day. On the
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low end, on the high end, 1.6, that's
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131 grams of protein a day. This level
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is incredibly protective during weight
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loss and aging, which we all are now.
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120 lb older adult, 120 lb divided by
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2.2, 2, that's about 55 kg. Protein
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range, 1.2 g per kilogram, that's going
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to be 66 on the low end. 1.6 g per
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kilogram, 88 on the higher end. And
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here's something really important. Older
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adults need more protein per kilogram,
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not less. And this is kind of tricky
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because their appetite is usually less.
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It's because older people have anabolic
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resistance. We do not build muscle
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easily. So we have to aim for the higher
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level that's more fitting for older
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people. So why does protein come first
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especially for metabolic health? Because
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it is unique among the macronutrients.
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It has the highest thermic effect
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meaning it burns more calories than fat
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or carbs when you eat it. It stimulates
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muscle synthesis for growth and repair
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like nothing else. It does not spike
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blood sugar. It naturally reduces
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appetite and it naturally improves
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satiety hormones like GLP1 and P Y. When
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protein is low, blood sugar swings
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increase, insulin stays high. Muscle is
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broken down and metabolism slows. That's
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why people say, "I hardly eat anything
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and I keep gaining weight." They're
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undereating protein and maybe
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overstimulating insulin with carbs.
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So, we need to have somewhere about 30 g
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per meal. More if you're bigger, but
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samples of 30 g of protein would be four
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extra large eggs. And those are
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excellent for breakfast rich in choline
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for brain health. For poultry, this goes
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for most meat. It's going to be about 4
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and a half ounces of any cooked chicken
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or turkey breast. That's going to be
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about 30 grams. When you look at it,
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that's going to be a little bit bigger
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than the size of a deck of cards. Little
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bit bigger is going to get you the 4 and
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12 o. Seafood, you want about 5 ounces
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because some of that weight's going to
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be that good healthy fat, the omega-3s
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that are really good for your heart and
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your brain. So, we're going to go a
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little bit higher when it comes to
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seafood. Red meat, 4 ounces, iron rich,
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zinc rich, really good. Now, dairy,
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going to take a little bit more. 1 and
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1/2 cups of cottage cheese or 1 and 1/2
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to two cups of Greek yogurt. That's
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where you're going to get your 30 g.
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Now, plant-based, it's going to take
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about 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked lentils
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or two cups of cooked black beans to get
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your 30 g. But beware,
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plant proteins come packed with a heck
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of a lot more carbs. So, portion and
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pairing are probably going to be better
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for blood sugar. They are going to spike
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blood sugar. And I know this for me
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because I only can have them if I'm
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super active. soybased, of course,
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non-GMO,
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but we're going to go with about 5 to
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six ounces of tempeh or about 10 ounces
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or that's pretty much a block of firm
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tofu. Now, if you're going to try to get
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it from your nuts and seeds, it's
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possible, but it's harder and it's not
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something I'd recommend. You're going to
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need about a half a cup of almonds and
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that comes with a whopping 400 to 450
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calories. great example why protein
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density matters because I don't like to
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get my protein from nuts because the
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calories are just way high and it makes
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more sense to put nuts in the fat
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category for calories sake. Calories do
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count sometimes
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or we have protein supplements. A scoop
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of plant protein powder is going to be
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about 20 to 25 gram. And now we've got
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the new supplement, Perfect Amos, which
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it just is here at the perfect time
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because one scoop or five tablets of
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perfect aminos is equivalent to 29 g of
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whey protein with virtually no calories.
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I love it. It's clean and it's even
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vegan. Wow. Now, why does protein need
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to be spread throughout the day? Because
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we are doing protein synthesis all the
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time. We need to keep that protein going
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in. The amino acid pool needs to be fed
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frequently. This is really important for
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women, older adults, children, or
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anybody with insulin resistance. That
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brings me to breakfast, the meal where
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protein is often missing. We have
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bagels, we have toast, we have cereal,
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which has become the norm for far too
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long. So, here's my little tip for my
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personal fast breakfast with 60 g of
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protein and about 220 calories. Yes,
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that's how I get enough protein,
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especially in the morning, without
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feeling stuffed. And let me be clear. I
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have struggled with getting enough
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protein and this helps me clear that
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hurdle effortlessly, easily, and I feel
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great. 60 g. Okay, so this is what I do.
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Starting with one to one and 1/2 scoops
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of my heavenly protein cleanse shake. Or
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you can do trouvi. One to one and a half
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scoops. So you're going to get about 20
13:43
grams of protein there. Clean, easily
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digested protein base. Then I use a
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scoop of collagen and I use either
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Neutrif Falls or Nature's Plus that has
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1 through 10 of the peptides for the
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whole body. That's going to add another
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10 g of protein that supports healing of
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joint and skin and gut lining and hair
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and heart and you name it. It puts us
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together. And then I do the perfect
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aminos. Either one scoop or five
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tablets. I think everybody can benefit
14:16
from perfect aminos. 29 grams of whey
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protein, virtually calorief free, no
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insulin spike. It is totally absorbed
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within minutes. No digestive burden, no
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heaviness, no nothing. And it keeps me
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feeling satisfied, not stuffed, and it
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keeps me going all morning or longer.
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That is protein efficiency.
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Why does protein work? Why does that
14:43
approach work? because it's triggering
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muscle protein synthesis. It's
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stabilizing blood sugar. It's keeping
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insulin low, which is going to keep the
14:55
fat burning. It's also preserving lean
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muscle and supporting mitochondrial
15:01
health. Cuz I don't want to be
15:03
overloaded with calories. But with this
15:06
way of doing it, you burn fat
15:08
efficiently, you stay mentally sharp,
15:10
and you avoid digestive stress. really
15:14
important for midlife women who are
15:16
trying to lose fat without losing
15:19
muscle. Protein quality matters, not
15:23
just quantity. So, we can get that from
15:25
poultry and seafood and eggs and meat
15:28
and beans and lentils and everything I
15:30
talked about because protein foods
15:33
deliver more than just protein. They
15:36
deliver iron and zinc and good source of
15:39
B vitamins and choline for the brain and
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omega-3 for the heart and the brain and
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selenium for your thyroid and your
15:45
immune system and torine for your heart
15:47
and glycine all the amino acids. Meat is
15:51
a perfect delivery system. So when
15:55
protein intake is inadequate, the entire
15:58
metabolic orchestra plays out of tune.
16:02
special focus here for children and
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older adults. I'm especially grateful
16:08
for the new guidelines when it comes to
16:10
children and older adults because our
16:12
children are at a very vulnerable time
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and need protein for their brain
16:18
development, for proper growth, for
16:20
immune resilience.
16:23
Undering protein in children can
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contribute to stunted growth, frequent
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infections, impaired brain development,
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fatigue, poor concentration,
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irritability.
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They're good kids that just need
16:39
nourished. Older adults, we need more
16:42
protein to prevent frailty, to preserve
16:45
independence, to maintain balance and
16:48
strength, and to protect cognitive
16:51
health. undereating protein in older
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adults contributes to weakness and falls
16:57
and metabolic decline and loss of
17:00
independence.
17:02
So the shift you can see is long
17:04
overdue.
17:06
Protein is metabolic medicine. We go
17:10
from what was the minimum we needed to
17:13
survive to what the human body needs to
17:17
thrive. Those old guidelines led us to
17:20
be the sickest developed country in the
17:22
world. And we want to turn that around
17:24
to be the beacon of health. As we wrap
17:27
up today, I want to leave you with a
17:29
simple truth. Protein is not a trend. It
17:33
is not extreme. And it's not just for
17:35
athletes. Protein is foundational for
17:39
everything. for your blood sugar
17:41
balance, for your muscle preservation,
17:43
your metabolic health, and healthy
17:46
aging. Aging means keeping a strong
17:50
mind, muscles, bones, everything. We
17:54
need protein for all of that. For
17:56
decades, we were taught to eat less,
17:59
fear protein, and blame ourselves when
18:01
our body didn't respond. Today, finally,
18:04
the science confirms what many of us
18:07
felt all along. The body wasn't broken.
18:10
It was undernourished. So, start where
18:12
you are. Prioritize protein at every
18:16
meal. Aim for adequacy. You don't have
18:19
to be perfect, of course. And remember,
18:22
when you nourish your body in a way that
18:25
honors your physiology,
18:28
weight loss becomes easier, energy
18:30
returns, and aging slows. This has been
18:35
today's Nutrition with Dr. Deb bringing
18:37
you research made practical so you can
18:40
feel better, live stronger, and thrive
18:43
at every age.
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New Protein Recommendations EXPLODE!
Deb Ford DCN RDN
37 views
Feb 1, 2026
18:46
For decades, we were taught to build our diets on grains, fear protein, fear fat, and count calories—often with disappointing results- metabolic chaos. Today, I am diving deeper into the need for protein and give some suggestions on how to get enough in daily. I know I have struggled to get what is recommended and I have some tips for us more mature in the audience. So grab a cup of coffee, take a deep breath, and let’s dig into the science—made simple—so you can feel confident fueling your body in a way that supports health, vitality, and longevity.