One of my most common nutritional recommendations is to eat more protein. It solves a lot of problems:
- It helps you feel fuller, so you eat less. That makes it good for both fat loss and managing type 2 diabetes.
- Muscle is made of protein, so its good for muscle gain.
- As I talk about in my osteoporosis book, protein is the single most important nutrient for reversing osteoporosis. Yes, more important than both calcium and vitamin D.
and thats just scratching the surface. Suffice it to say that protein is good for a lot of things. Heck, it might even help you save money on your car insurance. Who knows.
But when I do the math for my clients on their unique protein requirements, I often hear but thats so much protein.
I usually clarify that by saying its actually not high protein. Its just higher than what youre currently eating.
But this article isnt about figuring out the right amount of protein for you. You can read about that here.
In this article, I want to give you a few simple ways to get more protein in your day.
In no particular order:
Eat More Meat, Fish or Seafood
This is the most obvious choice just eat more high protein foods. Namely, meat, fish, seafood and egg whites.
But Igor, what about whole eggs, dairy, nuts, beans and lentils? To that, I say stop listening to vegan propaganda. These are not high protein foods. I elaborate why not in my article on what are the best protein sources.
Add ALLO to Your Coffee
Do you drink coffee (including decaf)? Do you drink more than 1 cup per day? Consider adding ALLO to your coffee. What is it? I describe it in complete detail in this article, but in short, its a protein powder for hot coffee. Regular protein powder doesnt blend well in hot drinks. It clumps. ALLO doesnt.
Each sachet of ALLO has 10 grams of protein. A tasty, quick, simple addition. And if you drink more than 1 cup of coffee/decaf a day, the protein can really add up.
Drink Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) Throughout the Day
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. If protein is a necklace, amino acids are like the individual beads in that necklace.
In nutrition, the word essential doesnt mean important, but you have to get it through food.
So essential amino acids can be blended into water, and you would sip on that throughout the day. For every gram of EAAs, its almost like getting triple that in whole protein.
Oh, and if youre wondering are EAAs the same as BCAAs (branched chain amino acids), the answer is no. Theyre very different. BCAAs dont really work, and EAAs do. If youve never wondered that, well never mind.
Add Protein Powder to Your Cereal or Porridge
If you already eat cereal or porridge for breakfast, you can keep eating it. Just throw a scoop of protein powder to it. It doesnt change what youre already eating. But it does add 25-30 grams of protein to your day. And it only takes a few seconds.
Protein Pancakes
In lots of conventional stores these days, they sell protein pancakes. They give you the instructions on how to make them on the label, so dont ask me (because I dont cook ).
Protein pancakes have 10-20 grams of protein per pancake.
Have a Protein Shake
This one is simple. Just add simple protein powder to a base (water, milk, almond milk, etc.), shake it up, and drink it. They come in plenty of flavours chocolate, vanilla, banana, strawberry, birthday cake, unflavoured, and a ton of others.
A single scoop will usually give you an extra 25-30 grams.
Agropur
You know how milk is not a high-protein food? Thats because it only contains 9 grams of protein per cup. But Agropur has a product that is relatively new. Its the high protein milk by Natrel. At 18 grams of protein per cup, its really good, compared to regular milk. Still not in the same league as meat, fish or seafood, but it definitely helps.
More and more regular grocery stores have started selling this, so check it out there.
Protein Bars
If you like snacking (and by the way, I have an entire article on whether to snack or not to snack), and youre currently snacking on nuts, dried fruits, or something else, theres a higher protein alternative: protein bars.
Most protein bars are in the 18-20 grams of protein per bar range. Just like protein powders, there are a variety of different flavours, from chocolate, to chocolate peanut butter, to mint, and others.
