Choline content of common foods

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

The Adequate Intake for choline is 550 mg/day for adult men and 425 for adult women; a bit more if you’re pregnant (450) or breastfeeding (550). Here’s more from the Nutrition Diva podcast on choline’s important role–in particular, during pregnancy.

I’m always in favor of getting our nutrients from foods rather than supplements—especially when this motivates us to prioritize whole foods in our diets. Below is a table showing some good dietary sources of choline.

Food	Typical Serving	Choline (mg)
Beef liver, cooked	3 ounces (85 grams)	350
Chicken liver, cooked	3 ounces (85 grams)	250
Egg yolk	1 large	150
Lean beef, cooked	3 ounces (85 grams)	120
Chicken breast, cooked	3 ounces (85 grams)	75
Soymilk	1 cup	60
Shiitake mushrooms	½ cup	60
Edamame, shelled	½ cup	50
Kidney beans, cooked	½ cup	45
Tofu	½ cup	35
Brussels sprouts, broccoli	½ cup	30
Sunflower seeds	¼ cup	20
Brown rice	½ cup	10

October 7, 2025August 6, 2026

Protein guidelines (interactive tool)

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

There's an awful lot of discussion about protein these days, and many sources cite specific ranges per kilogram of body weight.

Here's a handy tool that will quickly calculate what those different ranges mean for you. Just enter your weight (in pounds or kilograms) and click the "calculate" button to see your options.

I suggest that you hold these targets loosely! The difference between 100 and 105 grams of protein per day is not likely to be game-changing. (But the difference between 60 and 100 may be!)

Note: For those with significant overweight or obesity, calculating intake based on current body weight may result in unrealistic protein targets. Instead, try entering a weight that represents a healthy and realistic target weight.

Protein Intake Calculator

Enter your weight: Select unit:

Related Listening

Related Tools

Protein Content of Common Foods

Protein density of foods

September 16, 2025January 15, 2026

A Big Milestone—and a Crossroads—for the Nutrition GPA

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

TL;DR
As the Nutrition GPA celebrates its 10th anniversary, we are looking for a new home for this beloved app. If you—or someone you know—are part of a company or organization that would be interested in carrying this mission forward, I’d love your help making that connection.

Ten years ago (!) this month, we launched the Nutrition GPA app—a scrappy little tool to help people build more awareness around their daily eating habits. It was designed to be quick, nonjudgmental, and science-based—just a tiny little quiz you could take each day to keep your nutrition on track.

This modest idea grew into something that’s helped tens of thousands of people shift their habits and improve their health. Over the years, it’s been endorsed by the New York Times, featured in multi-national corporate wellness programs, and adopted by universities and health professionals around the country.

Although it’s been an incredibly rewarding and exciting journey, I won’t be able to maintain and support the app indefinitely. And rather than quietly letting it fade away, I’m committed to finding it a good home—one where it can continue to grow and reach even more people.

The code base, branding, program materials, trademarks, and tech support are all in place. Now, I just need the right steward to carry it forward.

If you find the Nutrition GPA app useful and want to continue to rely on it in the future, I need your help. I’m reaching out to my own network, but I know that our shared network is much larger. So, I’m asking you to think about who you might know—at a wellness tech company, benefits provider, digital health platform, or elsewhere—who could be a great fit for this project.

Together, I’m confident we can find a good home for this beloved little app!

Interested in learning more? Let's chat

October 12, 2023October 12, 2023

Next 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade starts Nov 8th!

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

The next 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade program kicks off on November 8th!

This fun and flexible group challenge is a great way to kick-start healthy routines and to stay motivated long enough for new behaviors to become established habits.

Over 2,000 people have now done this program with me and the results have been incredible!

Virtually all of the participants report that the program made a positive difference in their eating habits
Half of them reported losing weight (even though weight loss is not a goal of this program)
More than half also reported having more energy/better mood
Participants reported everything from enjoying their food more to improved digestion to feeling less hungry to finally bringing out of control snacking under control

But perhaps the best part is the the warm, supportive (and funny!) community…men and women from all around the world, from college age to post-retirement, sharing their questions, challenges, and triumphs. Eight years after the very first Upgrade, they’re still checking in with other, exchanging tips, recipes, and encouragement. We’ve had meet-ups in half a dozen cities around the country.

It’s Your Turn!

The next 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade group challenge launches Wednesday, November 8th at 7pm ET. (Yes, the session will be recorded if you can’t join us then.)

Cost: $69
Includes:

Live one-hour online kick-off, plus Q&A for as long as there are questions.
Access to a video recording of the session afterwards.
Free tracking app
Downloadable handouts and other program materials.
Private Facebook group for ongoing (and I mean ongoing!) connection and support.

You’ll find lots more details here or, if you’re ready to take the plunge, you can:

JOIN US!

Tip: Add my email address to your contacts or safe sender list to be sure the registration info doesn’t land in your Spam/Junk folder.

Not sure if this is for you?

My post on “Is the 30-Day Challenge Right For Me?” has answers to frequently asked questions. And feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to answer any other questions you have and help you decide whether this is a good fit for you.

January 31, 2023

Potassium content of common foods

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Potassium plays an important role in regulating high blood pressure – a potentially lethal condition that affects a quarter of American adults and two-thirds of those over the age of 60. Potassium does a few other useful things as well, such as preventing bone loss, reducing the risk of kidney stones, and keeping your heart beating. Studies have also found that a high potassium intake can largely offset the effects of high sodium intake. Here’s more from the Nutrition Diva podcast. Below is a table showing some good dietary sources of potassium.

Potassium cheatsheet

Food	Serving size	Potassium (mg)
Potato, baked, with skin	1 medium	926
Apricots, dried	½ cup	755
Beet greens, cooked, boiled	½ cup	654
Plums, dried (prunes)	½ cup	637
Raisins	½ cup	598
Yogurt, plain, low-fat	8 ounces	531
Lima beans, cooked	½ cup	478
Acorn squash, cooked	½ cup (cubes)	448
Banana	1 medium	422
Spinach, cooked	½ cup	419
Tomato juice	6 fluid ounces	395
Orange juice	6 fluid ounces	372
Artichoke, cooked	1 medium	343
100% Prune juice	6 fluid ounces	322
Molasses	1 tablespoon	293
Tomato	1 medium	292
Pistachios	1 ounce	285
Milk	8 ounces	281
Orange	1 medium	238
Almonds	1 ounce	208
Sunflower seeds	1 ounce	137
Egg, whole, cooked	1 large	81

January 19, 2023January 26, 2023

Nutrient/Energy Density Cheatsheet

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

In this episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast, I discuss the differences between nutrient density and energy density and why it matters. Below, you’ll find a cheatsheet that illustrates how various types of foods map across these two dimensions.

April 20, 2022April 28, 2022

How to Avoid Weight Gain When You Quit Smoking

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. I have a friend who just quit smoking. He’s started to gain the typical weight and went into his local GNC yesterday to get some supplement that’s supposed to speed up his metabolism. He already has a fairly good diet. I told him he might be better off just letting his metabolism balance itself out, rather than substituting one stimulant for another. Any ideas on how he can naturally adjust better?

A. People who quit smoking do often gain a few pounds but changes in metabolism are the least likely culprit. Nicotine does slightly increase one’s metabolic rate. More significantly, however, it acts as an appetite suppressant. Ex-smokers often eat more when they stop smoking because they have more appetite. The mental and physical stress of nicotine withdrawal may also drive cravings for certain “comfort” foods. Add to that the fact that ex-smokers need something to do with their hands (and mouths) to fill the time that they used to spend smoking and it’s easy to see why quitters often gain a few pounds.

But because a slower metabolism isn’t really the main issue here, a “metabolism booster” from the health food store probably isn’t going to be a very effective solution. Here are some tips to help manage this transition. Continue reading “How to Avoid Weight Gain When You Quit Smoking” >

February 18, 2022February 26, 2025

Optimizing nutrition in midlife and beyond

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Healthy eating habits are important throughout life. But as we get into mid-life (and beyond), they offer a unique opportunity to set ourselves up for awesome aging.

Here are a handful of episodes from the Nutrition Diva archives focusing on nutrition for the second half of life.

(Listen on Spotify instead: Eat Better, Age Better playlist)

Of course, nutrition is only one aspect of a healthy lifestyle. For more on all the other things that go into living your best and healthiest life, check out this special series from my Change Academy podcast.