Donna Martinez <[log in to unmask]> posted this:
> What exactly is the PCF ratio I should have.  I have heard people say no more
> than 200g of protein a day? What percentage of a 2000 cal/day diet is that?
> I am still not eating enough protein I guess...
> OR> Should I just not really worry about it. :)
> I am frustrated by the breakdown.

My reply:
There is no ONE perfect ratio to strive for.  You do not need to shoot for
200 grams of protein per day.  I am a 120 pound woman and I cannot and don't
strive to eat 200 grams of protein per day (nor the 190 grams of protein per
day in the sample diet for a 125 pound woman in Cordain's book), nor does my
husband, who is 5/9 and weighs about 162 pounds!

I typically eat/gravitate toward about 4 or 5 ounces of fish, fowl, or meat,
or 2 eggs and about 2 or 3 ounces of meat, three times a day, along with a
heaping cup or more of cooked leafy green or mixed vegetables or a large
green salad, and fresh fruit (sometimes fresh and dried), and a small amount
of XV olive oil, coconut butter, nuts, or seeds.  Sometimes I have a sweet
potato instead of the fruit.

I often have a snack each day:  fresh fruit, with or without a small amount
of nuts or nut butter; a smoothie made with a (1 ounce) scoop of egg white
protein (equal to 3 ounces lean meat, 24 grams protein)  paired with whole
fruit and a friendly fat source; a glass of fresh pressed apple cider;
homemade jerky with a piece of fruit....or some such thing.

That amounts to about 28 to 36 grams of complete protein per meal and 0-24
grams of "complete" protein for my snack, or about 110 to 120 grams of
complete protein per day. I eat my fill of fresh fruits and
vegeables---mostly low glycemic fresh fruits and fibrous vegetables, but I
don't shy away from and regularly use carrots, beets, sweet potatoes,
bananas, mangoes, and dried fruits.

I suggest that you focus on eating fresh veggies and fruits at each meal,
with a portion of protein rich food the size of the palm of your  hand, plus
a little bit of friendly fat (extra virgin olive oil, unrefined coconut
butter, or a small amount of nuts or seeds).  You can adjust from there.
But don't worry about ratios; it's unnecessary.  You don't need to run
everything, or anything through a computer to follow a healthy paleo diet.
You may be curious to do so, but you can learn to eyeball things and find
out what amounts of various foods suit you, your goals, activity level, and
appetite best.  Follow you appetite.  My husband and I find 3 meals and 1
snack per day very comfortable and workable.  You may or may not need a
snack.

Eat a wide variety of colorful veggis or veggies and fruits at each meal, a
variety of lean meats and eggs, and healthy fats and oils in modest amounts,
and you will take in a wide range of nutrients.  Don't scrimp on the
vegetables, particularly the dark green leafies; they are so nutritious and
so often overlooked by modern people unaccustomed to eating them.

Rachel Matesz,
The Healthy Cooking Coach, who is working with her husband Don, on a paleo
diet cookbook due out in Jan. 2003