I emailed my subscribers recently and asked them if there was anything they were struggling with concerning their health. One of them emailed me back about how she’s trying to figure out ways to increase her protein intake without increasing her carbs. That’s what inspired this week’s blog post. Let’s find out how much protein you exactly need, what small changes you can make to add more protein, and how you can further increase your intake by eating the three meals of the day.
Find Out How Much Protein You Need
The amount of protein you need in your foods depends on your age, activity level, and health goals. An adult at age 50 protein intake will be different from a teenager’s intake. Incorporating protein into your body is vital because it makes up your bones, cartilage, muscle, blood, skin, enzymes, hormones, and vitamins. We need protein for growth and development, as well as to repair and build muscle. Dietitians recommend that adult females get at least 46 grams of daily protein, while adult men should aim for at least 56 grams. However, for those who are physically active regularly in a gym, research shows it may be best to go for 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram.
Smart Meal Planning for More Protein
If you feel you haven’t been eating as much protein as you should and want to incorporate it more into your meals, you could start by strategically planning. Start making a list of good examples of items high in protein you could eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some good examples of food you could cook in batches are grilled chicken or boiled eggs. Also, consider looking into recipes containing ingredients that are high in protein. Here are plenty of easy recipe ideas right here for you to try.
Small Changes To Start Adding More Protein
Before you start completely changing your diet to be more protein-rich, there are small changes you can make right now. For starters, many people like to add some protein-friendly toppings to their appetizers, dinners, and even desserts. Some common examples include nuts, seeds, or even cheese. Why not consider adding some nuts to that big bowl of delicious salad you just made? Or for dinner, you can swap some carb-friendly dishes like spaghetti pasta or white rice for chickpea pasta or quinoa. Many have been opting for protein-rich Greek yogurt over regular yogurt. These are all just a few good examples of starting small by adding more protein to your three meals.
Increase Your Protein Intake Within Your Three Meals
We eat three meals each day-breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you want to go from starting small to increasing your protein, try pairing every meal with a protein source. Regularly eating protein-rich foods helps you feel full and stabilizes your blood sugar. As was mentioned earlier, you could maybe opt for protein pancakes instead of regular pancakes. Add some nuts and seeds to your Greek yogurt.
As for your midday lunch, you could eat a more balanced meal with protein-friendly foods by adding some tuna to your salad greens. Legumes, such as beans and lentils, are rich in nutrients and can provide you with the fullness and vitamin C.
For dinner, eat some lean meats such as chicken, salmon, or turkey. Quinoa and bean-based pasta are good examples of high-protein carbohydrates that you could add as a side dish. Legume-based pasta has up to 14 grams of protein, making it much higher in protein than regular pasta. Take each day at a time to incorporate nice amounts of protein for immune function, muscle growth, nutrient support, and hormone synthesis.
Benefits of Increasing Your Protein Intake in Your Meals
There are plenty of benefits to increasing your protein intake in your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll start to gain a muscle mass that could support muscle repair and growth. Research also shows that a higher-protein diet could lead to weight loss. Another study shows that eating plant-based protein could be associated with lowering your chances of developing cognitive problems such as dementia. Adding more protein to your meals could start with small, sustainable changes and progress to building your protein intake.
What things are you doing to increase your protein intake in your meals? What are your favorite high-protein foods? Feel free to share your favorite foods and strategies for adding more protein to your meals in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next woman you know trying to increase her protein intake.
