The Power of Protein

Or All About Peter Protein

Meet Peter Protein 4

Calories per gram

• Peter Protein’s last name is 4.

This will help you to remember how many calories are in 1 gram of protein.

Remember he is a brother to Carbo Cal 4.

What does he do?

• Peter Protein is a builder and he always has his hammer with him.

• What kinds of things do we do with a hammer?

Hammers -

• Build things

• Help us

maintain and

repair things

Proteins –

• Help us build cells in our bodies

• Help us repair and

maintain the cells in

our bodies

What else can Peter do?

• Peter Protein is a very handy man to have around. Besides building and repairing cells he can also provide

energy if we need him to.

So…

• The three reasons our bodies need protein are:

1. To build cells

2. To repair and maintain cells

3. For energy, if necessary

» equals

• If we don’t have enough fat or carbohydrates to give our body energy – then proteins can take their place to supply the energy we need. BUT…

Fats and carbohydrates cannot take the place of proteins because they cannot build and repair cells.

equals

What do proteins do for your body?

1 2 3 4 5

1. Help eyesight and hair

2. Build cells and help your blood clot

3. Build and repair cells and give energy

How many calories per gram does protein contain?

1 2 3 4 5

1. 4

2. 9

3. 5

• The tissues in our bodies are in a constant state of “wear and tear”. We are constantly replacing cells. Therefore we

need protein every day!

How often do we need protein?

Vocabulary to know -

Amino Acids

Essential Amino Acids

Complete Protein

Incomplete Protein

Amino Acids

• “Amino Acids” are the building blocks of protein or the things that protein is made of.

• There are 22 different amino acids. They are put together in many different ways to create the different proteins.

Essential Amino Acids

• Your body can produce 13 of the 22 amino acids but you must have all 22 to make proteins. That means there are 9 that your body cannot make. These 9 are called the “Essential Amino Acids” because it is essential that you eat them.

The building blocks of protein (what protein is made of) are called…

1 2 3 4 5

1. Saturated Fats

2. Amino Acids

3. Acid Complexes

How many amino acids are there?

1 2 3 4 5

1. 37

2. 22

3. 9

How many amino acids can your body make?

1. 22

2. 37

3. 13

1 2 3 4 5

How many can your body not manufacture?

1 2 3 4 5

1. 13

2. 9

3. 22

Because your body does not manufacture these 9 amino acids and you must eat them to get them, they are called…

1. Essential Amino Acids

2. Nonessential Amino Acids

3. Connecting Acids

1 2 3 4 5

Complete Proteins

Animal products have all 9 of the Essential Amino Acids.

• If a food contains all 9 of the Essential Amino Acids they are called COMPLETE PROTEINS.

Incomplete ProteinsSome foods contain only some of

the 9 Essential Amino Acids. They come from certain plants. Examples of these particular types of plants would be:

Nuts, whole grains. legumes,

Those foods that have only some of the 9 Essential Amino Acids are called Incomplete Proteins.

Exceptions

One plant that does contain all 9 of the Essential Amino Acids is the soy bean. This is what “Tofu” is made from.

• If you don’t get all of the 9 Essential Amino Acids your body can’t use the other ones and they are just wasted.

How can I make Incomplete Proteins useful

to my body?

By combining different incomplete proteins you can get all of the 9 essential amino acids and therefore be able to use them.

For example- combining pea-

nut butter and whole wheat

bread will create a complete protein…

or combining beans and rice.

For example:• Whole grain bread might have

• Peanut butter might have

• Together they have all nine.

A protein that contains all 9 of the essential amino acids is called…

1 2 3 4 5

1. An incomplete protein

2. A complete protein

3. Amino acid deficient

Complete proteins come from what foods?

1 2 3 4 5

1. Vegetables

2. Legumes

3. Meat

Mixing beans and rice would produce…

1 2 3 4 5

1. A stomach ache

2. A complete protein

3. An incomplete protein

What happens to incomplete proteins in your body?

1. They become carbohydrates

2. They are wasted or unused

3. They turn to muscles

1 2 3 4 5

What happens if you eat more complete proteins than your body can use up.

1 2 3 4 5

1. They are stored as fat.

2. They are wasted.

3. They build muscle.