Protein is an essential part of every person’s diet because it helps to build and maintain your muscles, organs and tissues. Most foods contain some protein, but the richest sources are meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts and beans/lentils. You know that protein is an important part of the diet, but are you curious to know your family’s protein needs? Are you wondering how to break up these numbers throughout the day into meals and snacks?

Guess what? It's easier than it sounds! All you need to determine your child's recommended daily protein is their weight. If you haven't checked lately, go ahead and weigh them. Then take a look at the following chart for the first of three steps to making sure your child is getting enough protein.

Step 1: Calculating daily protein needs

Here's a calculator to help you out.

Step 2: Track eating habits for three days

If you are unsure about how much protein you or your child is eating, I would suggest keeping a three-day food diary. Try to choose three days which are most typical for your family, and this should include two weekdays and one weekend day to be accurate. Look at the Nutrition Facts label on each consumed food, and write down the amount of protein in the food. (Be sure to consider the serving size as listed on the Nutrition Facts label. If the serving size is 12 crackers, and your child only eats six, you need to remember to cut the protein intake by half.) If you are eating out or your food label does not contain information, check out the USDA's nutrition information website to find nutritional information for a wide variety of foods. Then add up the total amount of protein from three days, divide by three, and this will be your average daily protein intake.

To get you started on your food diary, here are some average amounts of protein in common foods:

• 1 cup whole/skim milk or yogurt = 8 grams protein


• 1 ounce (or 4 cubes the size of dice) cheese = 7 grams protein


• 3 ounces meat = 21 grams protein (or the size of a deck of cards)


• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or the size of a ping pong ball) = 7 grams protein)

And here's a printable diary in PDF format you can download from MealsMatter.com. In this diary format you could use the "notes" field to log protein.

Step 3: Make adjustments as needed

Those same ingredient labels can help you identify foods you might turn to if you realize that members of your family are not getting enough protein. Rather than running to the health store to buy a jumbo container of whey protein, consider healthful foods that you can incorporate into meals that everyone can enjoy.

Ideally, you should break up your protein intake into three meals and two daily snacks. But if you find it difficult to incorporate high-protein foods into snacks, I would suggest breaking up this goal into breakfast, lunch and dinner. In general, most American children and adults (unless you are extremely active or ill) do not need to take protein supplements or shakes to meet their basic needs.