by Chris DeLeon
Recently I have been asked for my input on which is the best source of protein: whole foods or supplements. It’s a fair question. In this hustle and bustle world, quick is appealing as long as it does the job.
A quick look at labels might make a person think that drinking your protein in a shake is just as good or better than chewing on a chunk of meat or munching enough of the right vegetables to get that muscle synthesis going.
The average steak has roughly 62 grams of protein and chicken breast has 43. If you are worried about the saturated fat that accompanies the meal, the steak will have about 21 grams and the chicken will have approximately one and a half.
If eating something that used to have a pulse isn’t your style, black beans have about 39 grams of protein per serving and pack less than half a gram of saturated fat. The soybean may contain five grams of saturated fat per serving but it packs a heavy protein punch with a staggering 68 grams.
A side comparison has most protein shakes coming in at 20 to 30 grams of protein. Some go a lot higher, even recommending double scoops that can have you throwing 64 grams of protein down your throat in a few gulps.
How about calories? Soybeans have 830, black beans have 624 and chicken has 231. Steak, just like with fat, outweighs chicken by bringing 679 calories to the table. Protein shakes generally average 150 calories. Some may be considerably higher, and some are much lower if they are designed for weight loss.
Based off these numbers alone, it may be easy to conclude that a protein shake is just good, or perhaps even better than consuming its whole food counterpart. Looks, or in this case, numbers can be deceiving.
“Foods are complex, and while we know a lot about them through scientific studies, there is still more to learn,” Jess Stieler, Colorado Mesa University’s registered dietician, said. “The nutrients in each food, whether it is a pear or milk, work synergistically together to nourish us in a way that we might not be able recreate or design in a supplement.”
A big reason to choose whole foods over supplements is that it is easier for the body to absorb them. You may absorb 18 out of 20 grams of protein from a small piece of meat, but the protein that you can absorb from a shake containing 20 grams might be considerably less.
“It is ideal to get the nutrients we need from real food because it is the way our bodies are designed to use them,” Stieler said.
Of course, it goes beyond just the macronutrient amounts. You would also do well to consider how different aspects of a whole food naturally work with each other.
“The whole is more than the sum of its parts. Thus a whole food is more than just individual nutrients combined together,” Stieler said. “A simple example would be that you can take a vitamin C supplement or you can eat a kale. Kale contains not only vitamin C but iron. Vitamin C increases absorption of iron, which is just one example of two nutrients working together.”
Supplements are not entirely wrong to have in your diet. Just remember that they are only meant to complement a complete diet rather than replace it. Eat smartly rather than expediently, and you will see your fitness goals arrive with greater ease.
As always, I recommend speaking with a subject matter expert to form a solid nutrition plan.
For more information about choosing the best foods for your health you can set an appointment with Stieler by visiting the front desk of the Maverick Center.
