If you're trying to eat healthier, chances are you've cut down on high-fat, high-cholesterol foods. But eating fewer burgers and hot dogs might mean you're not meeting your daily requirement for protein. Protein is essential for maintaining energy and building muscles. So while eating fewer unhealthy foods like triple cheeseburgers is a good idea, make sure you're getting all the power-packed protein you need. After all, this muscle-building nutrient is major part of healthy eating.

Healthy eating does not mean dieting to the point of starvation. And it definitely doesn't mean striving for the super-thin look of some celebrities. Instead, eating better means getting all the nutrients you need to stay fit and keep your energy levels up, no matter what size you are.

In fact, dieting's a very unhealthy way to eat, according to Tina Schwager and Michele Schuerger, co-authors of The Right Moves, a fab new book on fitness (Free Spirit Publishing). "Dieting makes it nearly impossible to get all of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs," say the authors. Many diets are also way too low in protein to keep you strong. Your body needs a good supply of this nutrient to keep your cells functioning, says Dr. Margo Denke, a researcher at the Center for Human Nutrition, University of Texas Southwest Medical Center.

When you don't get enough from food, your body uses up its "back-up" supply: your muscles. "If you don't eat enough protein, your body breaks down your own muscle protein," says Dr. Denke. Plus, missing out on this nutrient can also leave you "feeling tired and run down," adds Sharon Spalding, professor of physical and health education at Mary Baldwin College.

If so, you'll need to eat foods that supply protein, like meats, dairy products, beans, and eggs. Eating these protein-packed foods has plenty of other benefits, too. "Many are also a source of iron, zinc, and other nutrients," says Connie Weaver, head of the department of foods and nutrition at Purdue University. Iron is an essential energy mineral, transporting oxygen throughout your body. Plus, writes Susan Kleiner, Ph.D. and Maggie Greenwood-Robinson in Power Eating (Human Kinetics, 2000), "zinc helps the body absorb vitamins... and is essential for growth." Dairy products, a good source of protein, are also one of your best bets for getting your daily supply of calcium. As you can see, high-protein foods are power-packed in more ways than one.

How much of this power nutrient should you be getting? "Everyone needs about 15 percent of their calories coming from protein," says Prof. Spalding. (Remember, you need about 2,200 total calories a day -- more if you play sports or work out a lot.)

Next>