There has been a lot of press in recent years about high protein diets. They claim to do everything from allowing effortless weight loss while eating high fat foods, to curing diabetes. The American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association continue to recommend that people consume moderate amounts of lean sources of protein such as chicken, turkey or legumes. The safety and effectiveness of high protein diets, especially those that allow for high fat sources of protein such as steak and bacon, have not been proven over time. In addition, most high protein diets restrict consumption of carbohydrates, even complex carbs such as vegetables and whole grain foods which have been proven to have significant health benefits.

So just exactly how many grams of protein should you consume in an average day? The American Heart Association recommends that approximately 15% of the day's calories come from protein, while most high protein diets recommend that 30-40% of the day's calories come from protein. There are 4 calories in each gram of protein. So, to figure out how much protein you should consume each day, use this formula:

Total calories X desired percentage of protein divided by 4 = grams of protein

For example, Janet decides she wants to consume 20% of her daily calories from protein. She's not sold on the high protein diets but figures a little extra lean protein each day won't hurt since she is planning on starting to lift weights. Since she is starting out at 2000 calories per day, she would figure it out this way:

2000 X .20 / 4 = 100 grams of protein per day

This means that Janet will need to consume 100 grams of protein per day to meet her nutrition goals. Some foods that are low in fat and can help her do that include:

Chicken breast (without the skin); Fish; Egg whites; Mussels; Scallops; Shrimp; and Turkey.

Here's a chart with the numbers already figured out to make it easier for you:

Next, how many grams of carbs do you need each day?