I have read that whey protein is "high quality" and that's what you need to have in order to build muscle effectively. Is there any way to get enough from eating regular foods without taking protein supplements? And if so, how much protein should I be looking at a day? Once site said that number or grams of protein per day should be no less than your body weight?

1. A common misconception with gaining weight is that you have to take supplements and that is just not true. Actually, your body is made to absorb protein better from food than from supplements anyway. I think it is basically a waste of money because if your body doesn't use it all it stores it as fat anyway! Also, a lot of people trying to gain weight take in WAY too much protein and end up overworking their organs as well as gaining fat.

   To focus on gaining muscle you should do the following:
   Increase dietary protein to 1.2-1.6 g per kg of body weight, and this should NOT come from supplements or protein shakes but from actual food because protein is absorbed much better if you gain it from food instead of shakes or supplements.
   You should gain no more than 2 lb a week.
   Your daily caloric intake should exceed caloric needs by only 400-500 calories a day.
   A positive energy balance of 2800 to 3500 calories is needed to gain 1 lb. of muscle tissue.
   Weight gain should be due to increased fat free mass rather than from fat mass.
   You should eat 3 meals a day and 2 to 3 healthy snacks such as dried fruits, nuts, and seeds.
   Protein powders are no more effective than natural protein sources such as lean meats, skim milk, and egg whites.
   Protein and amino acid supplements do NOT promote muscle growth.
   Vitamin B12, boron, and chromium supplementation does not increase muscle mass.

2. No. Protein can be gained from almost any food. Some more then others. You need 1.8 grams of protein to a kilo of body weight.

   If you are looking to gain muscle growth then you need to work this formula out: (The example is a 175 pound person)

   175 pounds / 2.2 kilograms = 79.5 Kilograms
   79.5 kilograms x 1.8 gram protein per kilo = 143.1grams

   Therefore a 175 pound person would need 143.1 grams of protein a day.

3. I'm an Exercise Science Major and Nutrition Minor
   Several years of research

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