Four Subtle Signs You Aren’t Eating Enough Protein

As a quick browse of the grocery-store aisles proves, protein is everywhere. You can now find popcorn, cereal and even water loaded up with the important macronutrient. The ubiquity might make you question your own intake and whether you are getting enough — surely, you don't need extra protein in your snack foods, right?

For most healthy people with access to a wide variety of food, a clinical protein deficiency is uncommon, said Emma Laing, the director of dietetics at the University of Georgia. But it's possible to unknowingly be getting less than the optimal amount for maintaining muscle mass — which is especially important as you get older.

Eating enough protein, when combined with muscle-strengthening activities such as weightlifting, helps preserve muscle mass, which tends to decrease with age, said Kelly Jones, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics. The decline starts to occur after 30, but really speeds up after 60.

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