5 practical ways to get more protein
We’ve all heard that we should eat enough protein. (And if you haven’t… well, now you have!) Protein does a lot of important things for us, including:
Supporting lean muscle retention and growth;
Curbing hunger (because it’s so satiating);
Transporting substances throughout the body;
Helping with structural components of your brain, nervous system, blood, skin, and hair; and
Keeping your body in a state of repair/renewal (so you can continue kicking butt!)
It’s one thing to know you need to eat more protein. Or even to know what foods have protein in them. But if you’re aiming for a certain amount each day and still not hitting that goal… how can you - practically speaking - increase your protein intake?!
Here are 5 of our favorite tips for getting more protein:
Slightly increase serving sizes throughout the day.
(For example, if you normally eat 4 oz of chicken breast, try bumping that up to 5 or 6.) It doesn’t make a huge difference at any given meal, and may not “feel” that different, but it adds up over the course of the day.
Have a protein source with every meal and snack.
If you don’t, you’ll find yourself making up for lost ground! This doesn’t mean you have to get rid of the snacks you love - you can simply add to them. For example, if you love pretzels, pair them with some deli meat or jerky. (Adding protein to snacks also makes them a lot more satiating.)
Add protein powder to smoothies or overnight oats.
This is especially helpful if you’re always on the go. (Smoothies are also a great way to increase our fruits and vegetables - a win win!)
Try to choose higher-protein grain products.
These are typically the ones with seeds or whole grain. (For example, Dave’s Killer Bread English muffins have 6g of protein each!)
Try nutritional yeast!
It has a cheesy taste to it, and a lot of our vegetarian and vegan clients incorporate it by sprinkling it onto snacks (such as popcorn). A 2-tbsp serving typically has about 8g of protein.
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