13 Ways to Increase Your Protein Intake in a Jiff

Let's face it. We're all busy. And we're all bombarded with the temptation of the drive thru, of ordering take out, or picking up a frozen pizza. I'm with you. The key is preparedness. For me, I notice that my natural tendency is to not eat enough protein when I am cooking for myself. To counter this, I've started buying food and nutrition products that make sure I stay on top of my protein game.

Here are 13 ways to increase your protein in 5-minutes or less (not counting going to the grocery store!): 

The Veggie Way
1. Beans. On average 1/2 cup of beans has 6g of protein and 120 calories. Add beans to a salad with fresh veggies & other protein or to a quinoa (high protein) or rice dish to boost up the protein. If you are watching calories, trade out a higher calorie sauce or dressing for the beans. A fresh salad spritzed with lemon juice & olive oil is way more refreshing than a the same salad doused in bottled salad dressing.

2. Quinoa. Gluten free, and technically a seed instead of a grain, quinoa is a great option to use as a base for veggies, beans or meat. It has 12g of protein in 1/2 cup dried and 320 calories.

Fiber note: 1/4 cup of beans (on average) and 1/2 cup quinoa have 6g fiber each. Fiber helps you digest your food and in combination with protein keeps you full longer. 

3. Feta Cheese. Two ounces of feta cheese has 8g protein and adds a ton of flavor to any dish. In my opinion, feta cheese eliminates the need for beaucoup sauces and dressings on any dish you make.

My go-2: 1/4 cup quinoa, 1/4 cup chick peas, 2oz feta cheese, 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, and 2 cups sauteed spinach with garlic powder, pepper, 1tsp olive oil and 1T lemon juice. It has 18g protein and around 400 calories, which makes it perfect for lunch. Make a big batch at the beginning of the week and portion it out into food storage containers.

4. Eggs. A large whole egg has 6g protein and 72 calories (pretty good way to get protein in with low calories). A large egg white has around 16 calories and just over 3.5g protein.

Check out my Egg Quiche in Muffin Tins . Each egg muffin has 10g protein and 148 calories. 

5. Tofu. My favorite preparation is extra firm tofu sauteed. My mom makes the absolute best sauteed tofu, I've yet to duplicate it. You can saute it your favorite marinade, or simply with salt, pepper, olive oil and other spices. Be sure to mix it around, because tofu is like a sponge and you don't want all the olive oil going into 1 piece of tofu. One cup of tofu has 21g of protein!

6. Nuts. Here's the breakdown for various nuts in 2T servings. Nuts don't bring a huge amount of protein to the table, but adding them in with other protein tricks, adds up.

Almonds= 2.5g protein
Cashews = 2.6g protein
Pistachios = 3.3g protein
Walnuts = 3.8g protein
Peanuts = 4.7g protein

7. Greek Yogurt. Yum! Eat it by itself or use it as the base for a sauce or dressing. I'm biased, but I think Chobani makes the best product. A small Chobani non-fat Greek yogurt has around 18g of protein. Savor that.

Check out my personal favorite Greek yogurt recipes: No Cook "Creamed" Kale at 17g protein and Spaghetti Squash & Veggies w/ Homemade Greek Yogurt Ranch at 15g protein per serving.


Animal Protein

1. Trader Joe's Grilled Chicken Strips. So good. You get 4 servings of chicken breast for $5.50 and you get 26g protein per serving. The chicken tastes fresh, it's cooked perfectly and the best part is, you don't have to do anything to prep it!

2. Canned Tuna in Water. A classic go-to. You can travel with it, or keep it on hand to throw on top of a salad. A 5oz can has 10g protein and 45 calories.

3. Grass Fed Ground Beef. Why grass fed? Many reasons, but for one, grass fed beef has about 50% more Omega-3 fatty acids than corn fed beef. The American diet is desperate for more omega-3's, as it has a benefit for heart health, brain health, even metabolism. 

4. Salmon. Easy, quick, satisfying. My favorite quick meal is 4-5oz of salmon along with a cup of sauteed broccoli. Saute or bake your salmon with lemon or vinegar, a touch of cooking spray, salt and pepper. Four ounces of salmon has 25g protein.

5. Pre-cooked Bacon. Oscar Mayer Fully Cooked Bacon, Original has 7g protein for 3 slices and only 80 calories. 'Nuff said.

Recipe Idea: Try baking 4 oz of salmon with 3 pre-cooked bacon strips at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Yum. 32g protein.

6. Shrimp. Buy frozen or fresh and throw it in with any dish you've got on deck. Shrimp adds elegance and allure to any dish (even though it's super easy). It also adds 20g protein for 4 large shrimp.

Do You Focus on Fit or Fat?

What dominates your mind determines your actions and your results. If you believe you will succeed, that you have a much higher percentage likeliness to actually get there.

If I have ever trained you, you probably know that I have 2 rules (I keep trying to come up with more--but I am anti-rule myself, so it's hard!). Here's #1:

1. Never ever talk negative about yourself while you are doing something good for your body. 

If you're working out with me, I don't allow statements like, "ugh, I'm out of shape" or "I'm so weak" when you are working out.

The reason I don't allow it, it because in that moment you are choosing to take care of your health and moving forward in pursuing something that can bring those desired results, if you stay consistent. Instead, change it over to "I can be stronger," "I am strong," "I did those pushups like a champ"

Sounds cheesy, but it's real. What you say is what you get (and what you expect).

Here's our topic today..FOCUS.

I am tired of hearing other people (and myself) say or think "I need to lose 5-10 pounds." Yes, there are medical/health circumstances, where specific weight loss is really important and can literally have effects on longevity, quality of life, reduced disease risk, happieness, etc, etc. But, right now I'm talking to you who live a generally healthy lifestyle.

Do you really care about those 5-10 pounds, or would you rather be healthy and fit, and maybe just lose inches, lower your blood pressure, reduce your cholesterol, or just plain feel better. Who ever told us that this wasn't enough?

I remember, when I first started really working out, I gained about 10 pound in 6 months and dropped 2-3 pants sizes. Basically I reduced my body fat and increased my lean muscle mass which helped me get more fit, healthier, and look better--yet I was "heavier."

Today (if you fit into the category of "I want to lose 5-10 pounds") I ask you to focus on what you can do to be more fit. Not what you can do to lose weight or fit into whatever sized jeans. What can you do consistently to feel awesome, get stronger, be more lean, be happier (more joyful), and be excited for your next workout, instead of dreading it.

In health and prosperity,

Monica