Increasing Protein in your Diet
As a nutritionist, I strongly encourage a protein rich diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Protein helps the tissus in your body grow, repair, and maintain a healthy structure.” Protein is a macronutrient that keeps your blood sugar levels stable. When you eat protein, it reduces energy drops and sugar cravings throughout the day. Protein helps to keep you full for hours after you have eaten.
How much protein do you need? Everyone is different. Speak with your Nutritionist or Doctor to determine your daily needs. The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. This amounts to: 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man. 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman. Everyone’s needs are different especially if you are following a specific meal plan. If you need to increase your intake, it is possible to increase protein in your diet without adding a ton of food by following the guidelines in this blog.
Tips include:
Start the day with a protein rich breakfast.
Facts: Start breakfast with 21 g protein
How to: Consider eggs. Consider protein rich grain cereals with nuts. Consider protein smoothies. Consider topping toast with protein rich foods.
Keep Nuts and Seeds handy.
Facts: 1 oz. of nuts or seeds provides 3-7 oz. of protein
Good nuts include: Walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, macademia, hazelnuts, pine, pistacho, peanuts.
Good seeds include: sunflower, pumpkin, sesame
How to: Have handy and store in plastic bags for snacks on the go
Add slivered nuts and seeds to cereal, salads, vegetables, smoothies
Sprinkle foods with nuts or seeds
Facts: 1 oz. of nuts or seeds provides 3-7 oz. of protein
How to: Just top salads, cereal, veggies with nuts and seeds.
Choose quinoa over rice or pasta
Facts: One cup of cooked quinoa, contains 8.14 g of protein
How to: Eat quinoa in place of rice or pasta. Add to smoothies and cereal.
Eat eggs
Facts: 6 g of protein
How to: Scramble with vegetables. Hard boil and eat as snacks.
Eat protein rich ancient grains like teff and amaranth
Facts: Teff has 9.6 g per cup. Wild rice has 6.5g per cup. Millet has 6g per cup. Buckwheat has 5.7g per cup. Oatmeal has 5.9g per cup. Cornmeal has 4.4g per cup.
How to: Eat ancinet grains in place of rice, potatoes, or pasta or add to your meal.
Go Asian with edamame
Facts: Edamame has a whopping 17g per cup!
How to: Enjoy as a snack or with your asian inspired stir fry’s.
Drink smoothies with vegan protein powder
Facts: Depending on brand, usually 21g per serving
How to: Enjoy in your smoothie!
Eat nut or seed butter.
Facts: T2 of nut or seed butter provides 5-8 Grams of protein
Examples of nut butter include: almond, cahsew, hazelnut, macadamia, pistachio, and peanut.
Examples of seed butters include: pumpkin, sesame, soybean, and sunflower.
How to: Put nut or seed butter on regular bread, crackers or fruit i lieu of butter or dip.
Bonus: Nut and seed butters also provide fiber and essential fats.
Eat more beans and peas
Facts: 4oz. of cooked legumes provides 7-10g of protein
Examples include: pinto, navy, black, chick peas, edamame, fava, lentils, lima, red kidney, refried, baked beans
How to: Use purred beans in dips and spreads. Think Hummus!
How to: Use legumes in place of meats.
Bonus: Legumes also provide fiber!
Try Dairy
If you are ok with eating dairy, it is a wonderful form of protei
Facts: 1oz. of cows milk provides 8g of protein
Facts: 6 oz. yogurt provides 5-7g of protein
Facts: 8oz of Kefir provides 11g of protein
Facts: 1 oz. of cows cheese or 1/4 c cottage provides 8g of protein
Facts: Even ice cream has a little! 1 cup provides 6-8g of protein
How to: Eat dairy as part of a snack with fruit or spinkle on salads. Note: almond milk is not a significant source of protein.
Meat and Fish
Facts: 1oz of meat, poultry, or fish provide 7-9g or protein
