Packaged Protein Diet

The convenience of packaged protein foods enables you to quickly create a diet that caters to your tastes and dietary needs. In addition to the ease of preparing a hot meal without the hassle of cooking one from scratch, a diet of packaged proteins will help to fulfill your nutritional needs with a variety of choices.

Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adult women get 46 grams of protein in their diet each day. If your packaged protein diet contains meat, you are well on your way to meeting this requirement, with an average of 21 grams per 3-oz. serving. By choosing lean proteins like fish and skinless chicken, you can realize the benefits of this essential nutrient while controlling your consumption of saturated fats.

Benefits

Following a packaged protein diet offers the convenience of ready-made meals in regulated portions. To adhere to the CDCP recommended guidelines, use the label information to help plan your daily menu. For specific diets, choose packaged products that come in individual servings so you have no need to divide portions or calculate calories.

Portion Size

With calorie count and nutritional information in hand, you are well on the way to gaining control of your diet. This can provide additional guidance for when you are dining out. Your familiarity with packaged foods' consistent portion sizes combined with the package weight and volume information will help you to better estimate the appropriate amount of food to eat while dining out. According to a 2006 study in the "American Journal of Public Health," estimating calories and fat per portion size is a major stumbling block for Americans when eating out.

Considerations

You will find organic options and foods that will suit dietary needs such as gluten-free products. For added nutritional value, a packaged protein diet can come rom a variety of sources. You can choose meals containing tofu for vegetarian options. For other meals, poultry or fish-based dishes will provide low-fat protein. As you plan your menu, keep track of protein grams to make sure that you are following the recommended guidelines.

Warning

Consider your sodium intake with packaged protein foods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans consume over 50 percent of the daily recommended allowance for sodium. Overconsumption of sodium can increase your blood pressure and put you at risk for heart disease. If you choose a packaged protein diet, choose dishes with sodium levels under 2,300 milligrams as per U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommendations.