Debbie J., MS, RD contributed this article –

These building blocks of organs and muscles are made up of various amino acids assembled in strands. In addition to structure, they function as antibodies, hormones and enzymes when reassembled in our bodies. Although they have calories, they shouldn’t be used for fuel since they have so many other important jobs. When energy is sparse, they can be consumed for ATP and when there is a surplus of energy, extra will be converted to fat (like carbohydrates are).

Why it matters what proteins you eat… We can’t make certain amino acids, known as essential amino acids, and must get them from our food. The food items with the most complete combination of amino acids are meat, eggs, fish, poultry and milk products. These animal sources offer all the required amino acids. Vegetable sources that come close are beans and legumes, but an adequate plants-only diet is easily achieved with balance and planning.

For your waistline, proteins offer the benefit of slowing digestion and satisfying you so that you eat less food and calories. Think of how filling a bowl of chili is! The key is to choose lean protein sources that aren’t packed with fat, then prepare them without saturated or trans fat. Choose lower % fat meats, trim cuts well, take the skin off poultry and don’t bread & fry your proteins. Soybeans and salmon have healthy fats that are okay.

Debbie James is a registered dietitian. Any views or opinions presented in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or recommendations of Fitness International, LLC.