Rarely a day goes by that protein isn’t dominating headlines, mostly for its benefits and the best ways to eat it (hello, Parmesan?), but far less frequently for when we should be eating it.
Many of us get our protein in one of the classic American ways: all at once at dinner or downed quickly in a shake. But in reality, timing is key. There’s only so much protein our bodies can absorb at a time and eating more than that amount in one sitting won’t increase benefits.
So when is the best time of day to eat protein, exactly? According to registered dieticians, the answer isn’t a clean-cut hour on the clock, but there are instances when the nutrient definitely deserves more of your attention. Here’s when you should focus on getting a little bit more and when you might actually want to take it down a notch.
To understand when you need protein, we first need to talk about why
Protein gets the most hype for its muscle-building and repairing capacities, but it’s foundational to every part of the body from our fingernails to our internal organs. Through protein was once reserved for bodybuilders and athletes, the truth is that we all need some amount of it no matter how physically active we are.
Exactly how much you need is determined by a handful of factors like your size, height and age, but one to two grams per kilogram of bodyweight is generally recommended, Edwina Clark, MS, RD, tells us. The per meal stat is what’s most important here because that’s roughly the max amount of protein the body can absorb in one sitting, Jessica Cording, RD, health coach and author of The Little Book of Game Changers and The Farewell Tour, tells us. She explains that eating beyond that threshold won’t typically increase the benefits, but may actually cause problems both in the short and long term (more on that in a bit).
Why do we overload on protein at dinner (and why we shouldn’t)?
Dinner is when we’re most likely to overemphasise protein, though it’s not totally clear why, Wendy Lopez, MS, RD, CDCES, cofounder of Diabetes Digital, tells us. It could have something to do with the fact that chicken and beef are the most widely used sources of protein in many cultures and that those ingredients don’t usually get top billing outside of the last meal of the day. She notes that breakfast and snack preferences also tend to skew largely towards carbohydrates and the type of protein sources you might rely on in those moments may not deliver as much of the nutrient like eggs, which only have six grams of protein a pop or yogurt, which may offer as little as five grams of protein per six-ounce serving.
Whatever the reason, there’s nothing wrong with eating protein at dinner. In fact, one study found that doing so led to fewer wake episodes during sleep. And it’s certainly better to get your protein fix at dinner than to get no protein at all. But still, it’s better to spread the love around your day instead of doubling down in the evening, says Clarke.
Eating more protein to make up for what you might have missed earlier in the day may seem logical, but doing so is more likely to defeat your good intentions than provide the benefits you’re seeking. For instance, Lopez says that protein has a satiating effect because it takes a long time for the body to digest. That’s helpful during the day when you need to feel full to power through work and other activities, but could make for a gassy and restless night of sleep when eaten in excess.
What’s more, extra protein is either used by the body as an energy source (like carbs) or absorbed and stored as fat. That said, eating too much on a regular basis may be a blocker for anyone trying to lose weight. And despite the ongoing push for greater protein consumption, you usually don’t need as much as influencers (and the new food pyramid) would have you believe. More protein on the plate means less of the other important stuff, like fibre, fat and carbs, says Lopez. That's why you’re generally better off spreading your intake across all of your meals rather than bulking up in one go.
There technically isn’t a “best” time of day to eat protein, but here’s when experts wish you’d give the nutrient more attention
The dietitians we spoke with all agreed that you’ll get the most out of protein by eating it consistently and proportionally in all of your meals. That being said, there are a couple of times when it does deserve to be prioritised like first thing in the morning. “Breakfast is often the most impactful place to increase protein intake because it tends to be the most deficient [meal] and sets the tone for appetite regulation, blood sugar stability and energy levels for the rest of the day,” Lopez says.
Including more protein in your snacks is another way to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck. “Protein-rich snacks are a strategic way to help sustain energy between meals, prevent extreme hunger and reduce the likelihood of overeating later,” Cording says. “They also support muscle maintenance and blood sugar stability, which is really important for active people or those who are going long stretches between meals.”
So while there isn’t one perfect time to get your fix, it’s almost always a perfect time for (at least some) protein.
This article first appeared on Self.com
Also read:
Can Parmesan cheese replace your protein bar?
7 ways to use cottage cheese to add protein to any dish
I tried a high protein diet for 2 weeks. Here’s how my skin and body changed
