How to Get More Protein in Your Diet
1. Build Every Meal Around Protein
Planning meals in advance is a great way to ensure that you get all the macros you need to function at your best. Choose your protein first, then add healthy carbs to round out the meal. In general, you don’t need to plan in advance to “add” fat to your meal, as it’s likely that you’ll use some fat (like olive oil or avocado) to prepare your food.
You can use an app like MyFitnessPal or LoseIt! to see whether your daily meals will help you reach your protein targets. Then, if you fall short, you can make adjustments to portion sizes or ingredients to reach your goals.
2. Enjoy Coffee With Protein
Who doesn’t love a yummy mocha in the morning? Or do you prefer a creamy vanilla café au lait? Either way, you can use protein powder in your morning cup of joe to make a delicious drink. Just make your drink the way you typically do, then add a heaping spoonful of protein powder in your favorite flavor. I like to add vanilla protein powder to a double shot of espresso for my morning treat. Keep in mind that some supplements don’t blend well, so you may have to use an immersion blender to get your desired consistency.
3. Consider Clear Protein
Sometimes eating more meat just isn’t realistic. Chicken breast gets old after a while, right? However, smoothies can also be tiresome. If you’re like me, you like to consume your calories from whole foods rather than beverages when it’s time to sit down for lunch or dinner. But there is another option: clear protein. Clear protein refers to clear liquid beverages that you can drink instead of water or your favorite drink of choice. So you don’t have to feel guilty about consuming a meal without meat or plant-based protein sources. Just add a clear protein beverage and you’ll likely meet your protein targets.
4. Eat Protein for Breakfast
If your breakfast is usually carb-based, it’s time to rethink your morning meal. Getting some protein will help you to feel satiated longer and can help you reach or maintain a healthy weight. If you normally have toast, try making French toast so that eggs can provide some protein. Make a big batch in advance and freeze single servings to pop in the toaster. Are you a cereal lover? Choose one that provides protein (check the nutrition facts) or try making oats with a little bit of protein powder. I love eggs, so I make scrambled egg whites, salsa, steel-cut oats, and a green smoothie for a 300-calorie breakfast with almost 20 grams of protein.
5. Consume Protein-Based Snacks
Skip the chips, granola bars, and other sweet treats at snack time. Many of those options are high in sugar, and you’ll just end up hungry again in an hour or so. Instead, choose fiber-rich foods that also boost your protein intake at snack time. Edamame is a popular snack. Or enjoy hummus and veggies as a savory snack. If you don’t like hummus, make your own dip with cottage cheese. Just blend a cup of cottage cheese with a heaping spoonful of taco mix for a yummy Tex-Mex dip to enjoy with carrots, peppers, or your favorite crunchy crudité.
6. Use Protein Powder in Baked Goods
Do you have a sweet tooth? Me too! I love to bake cookies, brownies, and other treats. But eating them can tilt my macro balance way too far into the carb zone. So I’ve learned to add a little bit of whey protein powder to my baking mix to balance things out. Some people swap protein powder for flour at a 1:1 ratio. I prefer not to do that because it tends to yield a dry product. I only swap out about a half cup of flour and use a flavored whey or soy protein powder instead. Keep in mind, though, that the sweetness of the supplement will add to the flavor of your baked good, so you may want to dial back the sugar.
7. Have Protein for Dessert
There are other ways to enjoy a protein-filled treat if you don’t want to bake with it. For example, try Peanut Butter Protein Balls for dessert or any time you crave a sweet treat. Use the recipe listed here or pick up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies to get the recipe along with other dessert, snack, and meal recipes.
8. Make Soup With Protein
We usually don’t think of soup as a high-protein food. Soup is usually chock-full of vegetables and sometimes contains fat (if it is a cream-based soup). But there are dozens of ways to make protein-rich soups that are delicious! Consider adding beans or protein grains (such as quinoa) to your soup, or use one of these soup recipes to make a hearty meal that helps you reach your macros targets.
9. Get a Boost of Protein Before Bed
Many weight lifters choose whey protein after their workouts to replace amino acids and speed recovery. Whey protein is absorbed quickly to help repair tissues and build muscle. But there is another type of protein that is absorbed slowly and will also benefit hypertrophy (muscle building). Casein is a milk protein, like whey. Because it is absorbed slowly, exercise physiologists suggest consuming it before bed so your muscles get a regular intake of amino acids while you sleep. Some studies have suggested getting 40-48 grams of casein 30 minutes before bed to help post-exercise recovery and improve both protein metabolism and exercise performance.
10. Track Protein Daily
The most effective way of making sure you get enough protein each day is to track your macros. Use an app to track your intake of protein, carbs, and fat. You don’t have to be obsessive about it or even track macros for life. However, getting into the habit of balancing your nutrient intake will help you get the most out of your diet and your fitness training.
How Much Protein Per Day?
Most of us eat enough protein to meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA), but many nutrition experts suggest that we should eat more protein to gain certain health benefits. Getting more protein can help you to maintain muscle mass, lose weight more effectively, and age better.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that we consume 10% to 35% of our calories from protein. If you consume 2000 calories per day that would be 50 to 175 grams each day. You can also calculate your protein intake based on weight. The RDA for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/day). But nutrition experts suggest that you get more, especially if you exercise.
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, a protein intake of 1.4 – 2.0 g/kg/day for physically active people is not only safe but may improve the effectiveness of your workouts. Body builders may even benefit from up to 3.0 g/kg/day.
So, how do you boost your intake to meet these needs? There are so many ways to sneak protein into your daily diet. In Macro Diet for Dummies, I give you a detailed guide to help you find your personalized number. Then, use different ways to get more protein each day, including these sneaky hacks to get more at each meal.