WHY PROTEIN = IMPORTANT!
Protein: welcome to the world of getting stronger, building muscle and living your best life!
Whether you’re a beginner just starting your fitness journey or, a seasoned Results Fitness Warrior aiming to reach new heights, protein is an essential piece of your fitness and nutrition puzzle that demands your undivided attention!
Why is protein so important?
Imagine your body as a construction site, and your muscles as the structures being built.
What do you need to ensure those structures stand tall and resilient?
A strong foundational material of course!
How do you access that strong, foundational material?
EATING PROTEIN!
Protein is that very material your body requires to repair, build and maintain its muscle tissue!
Now, up to this point you may have assumed building and maintaining muscle has everything to do with strength training (lifting weights). While strength training is super important and aids in the ”get stronger, build muscle” process, protein is the vital, often missing piece of the process.
Here’s how protein works: when strength training, you cause tiny, controlled tears in your muscle fibers (this is a good thing!). Protein swoops in as the hero, repairing these micro-tears and fortifying your muscles in the process (sounds like an action sequence in a movie!).
Without protein, your body cannot fully repair or recover, and this means you cannot build more muscle or maintain what you have.
Seems easy, right? Just eat your protein!
However, when it comes to the Standard American Diet, most people are not eating enough protein – womp, womp. Here’s why:
- Tricky marketing! Foods labeled as “protein” really aren’t a protein source or, don’t contain enough to count for even a single serving. Examples include peanut butter, almonds, milk, protein pasta, highly processed protein bars and ‘protein chips’…
- Perception! Adding protein to your diet doesn’t mean you have to down a gallon of protein shakes or, eat so much chicken you sprout feathers.
- Meatless diet! Even if you do not eat meat, there are lots of other options high in protein!
There are endless ways to eat more protein that make the process enjoyable and highly satisfying! With a little thought and effort, you can effectively begin increasing your intake and ensure your body is getting the fuel it needs and deserves.
In today’s blog, you are learning 10 tips to increase your protein so that you can build and maintain all that glorious muscle tissue responsible for laying the foundation to live the best possible life!
10 TIPS TO EAT MORE PROTEIN
Protein is absolutely a food you want to be consuming at every meal and snack. Here’s how to know IF you are eating enough:
-
Ladies: your goal = 1 palm sized serving of protein at each meal and snack
-
1 palm = ~ 4 ounces, ~ 20-30 grams
-
1 palm = 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 1 cup of yogurt and 1 cup of cottage cheese
-
-
Fellas: your goal = 2 palm sized servings at each meal and 1 palm sized serving for a snack.
-
2 palms = ~ 8 ounces, ~40-60 grams
-
2 palms = 4 whole eggs, 8 egg whites, 2 cups of yogurt and 2 cups of cottage cheese
-
Outside of the serving size, take note of how you feel during the day: Are you generally hungry and hangry or, do you feel balanced and satisfied?
If you are constantly feeling hungry, this could be a sign you are not eating enough protein. Since protein is one of the most under consumed foods, here are 10 tips to eat MORE! Pick one and give it a try today!
#1. Set a protein target for meals + snacks: Aiming to eat 30 grams of protein per meal and 20 grams per snack is a great way to ensure you are getting sufficient protein as an active adult.
Breaking down your daily needs into smaller, achievable amounts sets you up for success! Plus, protein helps keep you full for longer so you may also notice a positive shift in your hunger levels throughout the day by adding more protein – win, win!
#2. Increase the servings you already eat: Because you are likely already eating protein sources, aim for a 25-50% larger serving size (based on your targeted goals above).
If you typically have a 2-3 ounce chicken breast, try increasing it to 4-6 ounces. Or, if you have 1-2 eggs with your breakfast, think about adding 1-2 more. By utilizing this practice with most meals and snacks, you can make a significant increase in your intake with little effort.
#3. Make protein the star: When building a meal or snack, decide on your protein choice first and from there, build the remainder of your meal/snack. For instance, instead of having spaghetti and meatballs, prepare that meal as meatballs with a side of spaghetti.
#4. Prep protein in advance: Your food choices are directly affected by our environment so the foods that are the most visible and accessible will be eaten first.
Having ready-to-eat protein options make your choices effortless, and this doesn’t mean you have to be prepping/cooking protein every single day. Batch cooking is a great way to make several portions at once to have on hand for the week. For example, if you are grilling a few chicken breasts for dinner, double or triple the amount you are cooking and save the remainder to eat throughout the week!
#5. Keep convenience items stocked: This is another example of setting up your environment for success!
Identify your favorite convenience options and keep them stocked at all times so that when you’re in a pinch, healthy, satisfying options are readily accessible. Examples include pouches of tuna, individual cups of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, protein powder, canned beans, and beef jerky.
#6. Make protein swaps: Trade out foods with a lower protein content for foods with a higher protein content!
A few examples include choosing Greek yogurt over sour cream or mayo, replacing traditional pasta with legume-based pasta made with chickpeas or beans, and swapping whole grains over processed grains such as whole-grain bread versus white bread.
**Note: foods like chickpea / legume-based pastas are not a complete protein source meaning, they are still a carb BUT contain more protein compared to regular pasta and thus a better pasta option!
#7. Eat ancient grains: When thinking of grains, most immediately think of options such as brown rice BUT, there is a whole world of grains out there that packs a punch when it comes to protein content!
Grains such as quinoa, barley and farro all contain protein and will quickly and easily help you hit your target protein goals!
**Note: most grains are not a complete protein source meaning, grains are a smart carb BUT contain more protein compared to other, similar foods and thus a better smart carb option!
#8. Add nuts and seeds: While nuts and seeds are higher in dietary fats than protein, let’s not discount the protein they do contain.
Just like the grains mentioned above, these items can add up over the course of the day and help you hit your daily protein goals. Try adding items such as almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, or hemp hearts by sprinkling on top of yogurt, oatmeal, salads, or smoothie.
#9. Choose protein-based dessert options: Needless to say, this tip is my favorite! Just like your snacks, include protein-rich desserts to really maximize your daily intake (check out a few recipes below of my favorite protein-packed sweet treats below!).
#10. Think outside the box: If you do not eat meat, you can still increase daily intake and hit your targeted goals through protein-rich sources as well as foods that are not primary sources but still contain some protein and contribute to your overall intake! These are nutrient dense and foods you want to be eating anyways – win, win!
There are a variety of non-meat protein sources to choose from including: legumes, beans, tempeh, Greek yogurt, edamame, and eggs.
Other examples of how to boost protein intake is veggies!
For example, 1 cup of broccoli contains nearly 4 grams of protein and 1 cup of spinach contains 6 grams. Over the course of the day, those extra grams can really add up! Other veggie examples include green peas, asparagus, artichokes, and mushrooms.
Remember, incorporating adequate amounts of protein into your day offers a multitude of benefits that contribute to your overall health, well-being and results!
From supporting muscle growth and repair to aiding in weight management and boosting metabolism, protein’s importance cannot be overstated. The above tips are all ways to make small tweaks in your current nutrition habits without an entire lifestyle overhaul. I hope these tips empower you to make mindful dietary choices that have you feeling your very best!
Protein Packed Dessert Recipes:
3-Ingredient Brownies (Makes 8 servings)
-
3 ripe bananas
-
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
-
2 tablespoons 100% cocoa powder
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with the almond butter until smooth.
3. Add cocoa powder and mix well to combine.
4. Pour batter into a lightly greased 8×8 pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
Flourless Banana Bread (Makes 8 servings)
-
3 medium ripe bananas
-
2 cups oats
-
2 eggs
-
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
-
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
3. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
Cookie Dough Yogurt (Makes 1 serving)
-
1 small container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
-
1 tablespoon nut butter of choice
-
1 tablespoon honey
-
1 teaspoon vanilla
-
dash of sea salt
-
1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs
-
Mix and enjoy!
Peanut Butter Fruit Dip (Makes 2 servings)
-
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
-
2-3 tablespoons powdered peanut butter
-
Fruits such as apples, bananas, strawberries, etc.
1. Mix Greek yogurt and pb powder well to combine.
2. Start dippin’!
Blender Brownies (makes 8 servings)
-
1-15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-
1/2 cup natural nut butter of choice (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.)
-
1/2 cup applesauce
-
1/4 cup coconut flour
-
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) in a blender and pulse until smooth.
3. Add batter to a lined loaf pan and fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
