Ten Ways to Eat More Protein

Almost everyone is under consuming protein. You may be eating enough to survive, but you are not thriving. Especially if your goals are to lose weight, get stronger, or build more muscle. And yes, even if you do not want a ton of muscle, you need protein if you want more than you have now. Someone who is working out consistently should be eating at least 0.6 grams of protein for every pound of goal body weight. And maybe even up to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of goal body weight. This number can be hard to hit, but it is essential if you want to see all your hard work pay off. Here are some hacks to make it a little bit easier.

1️⃣ Eat your protein first.🥇High protein foods are often dense and filling. Make sure you have enough room in your stomach by eating it before the other foods on your plate.

2️⃣ Have protein snack options laying around. 🥩 Need that mid-day snack? Instead of having chips or Cosmic Brownies have beef jerky or greek yogurt. These are equally as easy to keep around you and way healthier. Other good options are boiled eggs, protein bars, homemade protein balls, or nuts.

3️⃣ Make sure each meal has a significant amount of protein. I aim to have 25% of my protein goal in each meal. This keeps me on track, that way I am not scrambling at the end of the night to hit my protein goal.

4️⃣ Eat your beans! 🫘 Beans are a superfood. They are packed with protein and can easily be added to most meals. Some of my favorite ways to incorporate more beans are ordering double beans at Chipotle (they’re free!) and buying edamame in the frozen food isle as an appetizer at home.

5️⃣ Add protein powder to baked goods. 🎂 You can do this with cookies, pancakes, muffins and cakes. Slowly replace the flour with vanilla protein powder and see how far you can take it. Extra points if you use a fun protein flavor to spice up a recipe. Get creative!

6️⃣ Replace late night sweets with greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Greek yogurt is truly delicious. It’s just a bonus that it’s super healthy. Make a bowl of greek yogurt mix a little bit of honey and add either PB2, chocolate protein powder, or fruit to create a healthy dessert that satisfies that sweet tooth.

7️⃣ Eat lower fat meats. 🍖 Four ounces of 80/20 ground beef has 19 grams of protein, while four ounces of 90/10 ground beef has 22 grams of protein. Same goes for chicken breast vs. chicken thigh or legs. This is typically even true with low fat dairy products.

8️⃣ Use protein powder as a sweetener. If you have not learned already, protein powder is something you should have always have sitting around. Mix it with oatmeal, cereal, or even replace your coffee creamer with it.

9️⃣ Use whole grain bread. 🍞 Whole grain bread typically has more protein than normal white breads. Bread with lots of seeds is typically my choice and contains the most amount of protein.

🔟 Add bone broth to your rice. 🍚 Use bone broth instead of water when cooking your rice. It will add flavor plus about 10 grams of protein. Once you do this, you will never go back to cooking normal rice.

Bonus: Still not enough? Maybe you are not hungry for more food. Add a protein shake throughout your day for an easy 25-50 gram boost in protein.

Hitting your protein goal can be challenging. However, it is essential. Protein helps build muscle, build strength, stave off hunger plus lots more. With these 10 tips you should be well on your way to hitting your protein goal with ease.