This is by far, the question I get asked the most as a coach. I have listed below my favorite ways to increase your protein intake. This is the specific advice I used when I started my transformation and I still give this information to my clients. (The products that can be sourced outside of the grocery store have direct links to amazon to make shopping easier.)
- Collagen Peptides.
This is a great way to increase your protein intake without adding more food. Often when I coach my clients to increase their calorie intake it seems like a LOT of food. And in reality, it is. When you eat HEALTHY food, it is not as calorie dense as less healthy choices and you have to eat more VOLUME. When you get over 2000 calories a day, the volume of food you have to eat in healthy options can make eating feel like a job. Collagen Peptides are a great way to increase your protein and calories until you get to where you can physically eat all of your calories. You can add this to your morning coffee, your smoothies, soups and recipes. Pretty much anything is better with collagen, except alcohol (I am not going to share how I know this 😜 ) I recommend the unflavored powder.
- Barebells Protein Bars.
I have tried a lot of protein bars over the years and this one is by far the best! So many of the bars on the market have a “chemical” taste or are just awful. With the Barebells bar, specifically the caramel cashew flavor, I feel like I am eating a candy bar. This bar meets the criteria I have for my clients, which is the protein has to meet or exceed the carbs on the nutritional label. Side note, I have tried the salty peanut flavor and did NOT enjoy that one. - Egg Whites. I use egg whites a lot. I put them in my smoothies, which adds creaminess and protein. I, obviously, use them in my morning omelet. I put 10ml into my Greek yogurt, protein powder meal each day to make it more of a yogurt consistency (it gets kind of pasty after adding the protein powder if I don’t do this.) I buy the cartons of pasteurized egg whites instead of separating the eggs. I mean, who has that kind of time, right?
- Cottage Cheese. Most people either love cottage cheese or hate it. I find if people don’t like it, it is because of texture or smell. There are many ways to use cottage cheese. You can add it to protein pancakes, as in this recipe here. I like to mix it with spinach and pasta sauce and heat it up. This is kind of like a meatless lasagna without the pasta. You can add it to smoothies. You can eat it with fruit…yes, fruit! I do not recommend the low fat or non fat varieties. Just eat the 4% cottage cheese and enjoy yourself.
- Greek Yogurt. Greek Yogurt is a great way to get some extra protein. I mix mine with a scoop of protein powder, 10ml of egg whites and some fruit (there it is again). This makes a great protein forward snack to get me from the stretch of lunch to dinner. You can also put this in smoothies, use it in recipes that call for mayonaise or sour cream or just eat it by itself. Make sure you buy straight up Greek yogurt. Do not buy the stuff that comes with pre-mixables, this usually increases the sugar and drowns out all of the good stuff.
- Protein Powder. A good protein powder is a MUST in a transformation pantry. My favorite, by far, is Prestige Labs Vanilla Homemade Ice Cream. I prefer vanilla because you can use it in recipes but you can also add flavor, if desired. You can use it in smoothies, baked goods, snacks (see above), protein pancakes, and so many other ways. The reason I prefer Prestige Labs is first, taste. This stuff is so YUM. Also, with many protein powders, there is so much “air” that is added when you make your smoothie that it simply bloats. Prestige Protein Powder does not seem to do that. Finally, I have tried a lot of supplements in my years in fitness and the Prestige Labs products are the BEST I’ve ever experience. My clients that use these products get 3x faster results than clients that do not use the products.
I hope these suggestions help you get more protein in your diet. I find most people significantly under consume protein. I do NOT recommend going “keto” or doing anything drastic like that. However, getting your protein (in grams) to about 35% of your total caloric intake will help you reach some goals regarding your physical transformation.
Radley West 