Getting enough protein is critical to achieving your goals, so you would ideally hit the target that the Avatar system has set for you.
Protein is the most important of all the macronutrients because of the role it plays in preserving and building muscle, boosting metabolism, and keeping you full.
Protein helps to preserve muscle during dieting and to build muscle when in a calorie surplus
Protein is thermogenic, meaning that about 30% of the calories you eat in the form of protein are burned just to metabolize it. These can almost be considered" free" calories that won’t be stored as fat. In comparison, only about 3% of fat calories and 10% of carb calories are used to metabolize and process these macros. You get a lot more bang for your buck by eating protein!
Protein is filling and can help you stick to your macros while dieting
Because of these critical functions (as well as others), it is essential that you aim to hit the targets prescribed by Avatar Nutrition. Keep in mind, hitting your protein target becomes even more important if you’re vegan, over the age of 40, an avid exerciser, dieting, or if your goal is to build muscle. If you do need to slightly lower your protein due to consistently falling short or a special case like a medical condition, you can drop your protein from optimal to essential levels in the Protein Boost feature in Diet Settings. Keep focusing on meal planning and keeping a focus on protein so you can move toward more optimal levels of protein later!