How much? Really? We hear diet fades being pushed down our throats everyday. From nutritionists with degrees to diet gurus with 8 pack abs! It’s hard to decipher what is legit or just another way for “THEM” to grab some of my hard earn money. Man has historically been carnivorous eaters and protein is essential to our existence. Hair, skin and muscle are primarily derived from protein. In fact, being protein deficient can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, hair loss and many other health issues.Protein is used by the body to help build and repair tissues, make our enzymes, replenish our  hormones. The body is able to store reserves of fat and carbohydrates; however, the body is unable to store extra of protein that we eat.  When we eat more protein than our body needs, the excess protein is used to provide our body with energy or its turned into fat. FAT!? Yes, fat!  Fat, reduced brain and liver function and extra bad cholesterol which can affect your heart! Eating too much animal protein can cause you to exceed the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s guidelines, putting you at risk for dangerous conditions with your heart. We certainly don’t want that. So it’s important to get the right amount of protein daily intake and not go on a protein binge overload!  Luckily, we don’t have let “meat” be our main source of protein. We are a smart human race, (at times) we learn from our mistakes, ( at times).   Per wedmd.com: an average adult are encouraged to get 10% to 35% of their day’s calories from protein foods. That’s about 46 grams of protein for women, and 56 grams of protein for men.

Here are 16 examples resources for the non-meat protein approach.
Quinoa (8 g per cup)
Chia (4 grams per 2 tablespoons)
Cooked spinach (5 grams per one cup):
Cooked broccoli ( 4 grams per 1 cup serving)
Nuts (5 to 7 grams per ¼ cup serving):
Eggs (6 g per egg)
Greek yogurt (15 to 20 g per serving):
Chickpeas (6 grams per half cup serving):
Lentils (18 grams per one-cup serving):
Beans (15 grams per one-cup serving)
Hempseed (10 grams per 2 tablespoon)
Avocados (4 grams per fruit)
Brown rice (5 grams per 1 cup serving)
Oatmeal (6 grams per 1 cup serving)
Sunflower seeds (6 grams per 1/4 cup serving)
Raw almonds (4 grams per 2 tablespoon serving)

Breakfast Quinoa with Blueberries
Ingredients
1/2 cup of dry quinoa, rinsed
1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of almond butter
Cinnamon
Blueberries
Directions:
Add quinoa, almond milk and vanilla extract to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer with cover on until liquid is absorbed.
Lightly fluff quinoa and let sit for about a minute uncovered.
Mix in almond butter.
Mix in cinnamon.
Add as many blueberries as desired.

Simply roasted chickpea
2 tabs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tea garlic powder
½ teas of chili powder
1 pinch Celtic sea salt
1 pinch of ground black pepper
1pinch of crushed red pepper
1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Spread the chickpeas in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 45 to 50 minutes

sources: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/protein

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/09/03/too-much-protein.aspx

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/three-problems-associated-much-protein-intake-6546.html

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-pro