Dietary proteins are powerful compounds that build and repair body tissues, from hair and fingernails to muscles. Proteins are made of smaller units called amino acids. Of the more than 20 amino acids our bodies require, eight (nine in some older adults and young children) cannot be made by the body in sufficient quantities to maintain health. These amino acids are considered essential and must be obtained from food.

Dietary Source	Major Functions	Quantity
Eggs, milk, meat, fish,  poultry, vegetables, grains, dried peas and beans, rice, nuts, and  soybean product.	Proteins helps to build and repair .body tissues. In addition , proteins speed up chemical reactions in the body, serve as chemical messengers, fight infection, and transport oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues.	A healthy woman normally needs 45 grams of protein each day. Experts recommend that a pregnant woman consume 55 grams of protein per day, and that a breast-feeding mother consume 65 grams to maintain health. A man of average size should eat 57 grams of protein daily. To support their rapid development, infants and young children require relatively more protein than do adults. A three-month-old infant requires about 13 grams of protein daily, and a four-year-old child requires about 22 grams.

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