In fitness and muscle building, the macronutrient protein shows itself to be integral to the process. However, some of the ways to maintain such a diet seem difficult and over-the-top. Or maybe I’m a wuss with a small appetite who can’t fathom consuming so much filling things.
What are the methods or rules of thumb and prioritized foods people use to maintain high-protein intake, and ensure that they reach their quota?
Not sure what your dietary restrictions and protein requirements are but, in general, I find that 30-40g of protein per meal helps me reach my goals.
I eat anywhere from 120-140g of protein a day and my favorite sources are eggs (the whole thing, not just whites), meats (chicken, turkey, beef, steak on occasion), fish (salmon, sardines), tofu, soybeans, and skyr (Icelandic yogurt that’s higher protein than Greek yogurt).
If I’m not meeting my protein goals for the day for whatever reason, I’ll have a protein shake but I don’t have it often.
Other things that aren’t so “clean” that I’ll have in a pinch: protein bars, peanut butter.
Interestingly, since protein is only 4 calories/gram, you don’t end up consuming a very large number of calories to reach your protein macros - for example, my 120g of protein/day is only 480 calories! Which leaves you lots of room to add good carbs and fats.
I eat 130 g of protein per day. I start with a protein shake after my workout, usually whey, but sometimes plant protein and sometimes collagen. My other breakfast is vanilla protein powder mixed in to plain nonfat Greek yogurt with a half cup of thawed frozen fruit.
I often take a packet of tuna with me for lunch and mix in a couple tablespoons of salsa and eat it on thin rice cakes. Or roll up lettuce or mustard in some deli Turkey or ham.
I take nonfat cottage cheese as a snack and usually keep a couple meat sticks handy in case something comes up.
Dinners vary a bit.
I use my fitness pal and put in my dinner first and then fill in my lunch breakfast and snacks so my macros come out like I want.
Every meal I eat is designed from the protein out (and the “out” part usually has plenty of fiber).
For dinner, I had some high-protein tofu pan-fried in some avocado oil with Italian herbs, and for the side I tossed some red onion, butternut squash, and red cabbage on a sheet pan for some roasting. Absolutely delicious, 28 grams of protein, plenty of fiber, and I’ll be full until tomorrow. If you happen to eat animal products, it’s even easier because you can do the same thing with a big chicken breast or maybe a nice steak.
If you want to bulk more, simply up the protein and maybe add in something a bit more calorically dense like beans and rice or a potato, and remember to lift heavy to progressive overload (which is overload that supports socialized medicine).
It’s hard to say without knowing your target or calorie requirement. If you eat meat, then that gives a lot. I like eggs for breakfast. I also usually have a whey protein shake with almond milk as a snack, which is almost all protein. Low-sugar yogurt is also an easy add-on. I usually get 170+ grams per day on a 2200 kcal diet. I plan meals and macros in the morning, which makes planning easier.
Plan around your protein intake first, then build your meal out from there. It all depends on how much you weigh, with other commenters giving good advice on g/lb. 0.6-0.8g/lb is a good starting point. If you’re a skinny individual who’s looking to gain weight, take it easy and just eat enough to tip the scales in the right direction. When bulking, it’s preferable to bulk for as long as possible. That’ll give you the lowest chance of just getting fat on a bulk, and it’ll allow you enough calories to be satisfied throughout the day for a longer period of time until you decide to trim up with a cut. I aimed to try bulking for about a year at a time when I was starting out.
Easiest way for me has just been to replace or reduce carbs. Bread? Go for wraps, or even lettuce wraps instead, or make it a salad. Rice? Go for quinoa instead, or cauliflower rice. Pasta? Do chickpea or edamame pasta instead, or even lentils. Instead of potato chips, go for salted nuts as a snack. Replace ice cream with greek yogurt and some fruit with a dash of cinnamon and perhaps some cacao nibs or even peanut butter. Why? Because you can end up with higher protein overall by reducing carbs since carbs like bread/pasta/rice have so little protein.
Generally 0.6g of protein / lb of body weight is enough to build and maintain muscle as well as get lean.
People go upwards of 1g/lb of weight but that’s pretty hard.
I find having a protein shake (25g protein) + one meat focused meal (salmon, chicken, etc) gets me another 40g protein.
65g for me is on the light side, I aim for 100g (I weight 145) but I usually have a meat focused lunch and dinner with tons of veggies / some rice or pasta side or instead dessert
Can I eat just pizza, stir fry rice or noodles etc? No but that’s because I am willing to sacrifice those or take a really small quantity so that it’s maybe 10% of my meal versus 80%
Protein is the non-fat building blocks of your body, including your bones which is a mix of protein and calcium. We get proteins from our food. Animal proteins are called a complete protein because it contains all the proteins you need. You can use cheaper plant based proteins, but you need a variety to make a complete protein. Did you learn about how Native Americans used corn, beans & squash to make a complete healthy protein we call succotash? Finding inexpensive foods rich in amino acids that are the building blocks of protein is the goal and why folks are always telling you to eat a wide variety of healthy food.
Lots of fruits and vegetables! They are so healthy, filling and low in calories. Since they’re low in calories, that gives you a lot more room to throw in some protein during the day!
Reaching your protein goal doesn’t have to be boring. Like eggs in the morning? Remove the bread, and make an omelette for example. Could add in some ham, which ups the protein! Also, add in some veggies while you’re at it. Possibilities are endless!
Homemade granola is also a very good option, as it tends to have a lot less added sugar than store bought granola. And you have complete control over what’s in it. This makes eating yoghurt (as someone else suggested) a lot more delicious.
Try to have some fun with it, figure out what foods are high in protein by looking at the label. Don’t think that you’re limited by just protein shakes or chicken, because there are a lot more options available than you may think!
The best approach to your question is to test different eating habits on yourself as everyone is different.
Generally 0.6 g/lb is more than enough to generate protein synthesis throughout the day and rebuild muscle tissue. Mainstream advice tells you .8-1g/lb but in my personal experience that is too much as you just tend to go to the bathroom more and also thin out your pocket due to unnecessary spending. But like I said best way is to test it out for yourself.
Prioritize high quality protein like pasture raised eggs, Raw dairy, Grassfed Beef, and sustainably raised meats.
Most important thing is to ramp up your digestion via feeding your gut micro biome. No point in eating all that protein if your body can’t digest and utilize it efficiently. And I would stay away from protein powders as they are all highly processed and will lead to gut problems in the long run.
It’s pretty easy if you eat meat. A single burger pattie from Costco is around 35g of protein. I regularly eat three of those for lunch… that’s 100g right there.
Greek yogurt is another 30 grams in a large bowl.
A 10-14oz steak would easily be over 60g of protein.
It WILL be more difficult on a plant based diet.
I prep two protein shakes the night before and buy frozen stir fry vegetables so I don’t worry about veges going off day 4-6 (I shop once a week) I’ll then do chicken or lean beef, usually 200-250g and some stir fry, sometimes with noodles. I’ll then throw down a protein shake with a meal that’s typically low protein and that gets me about 130-140g of protein.
Usually, the rest of my meals/snacks get me up to around the 180ish range or higher for protein then I eat what I want within reason. The only thing I have to focus on after that point is healthy fats, usually from peanut butter, avocado, nuts or salmon.
One of my favorite meals is half an avocado on a bagel or two slices of toast + a protein shake. Works out to 60g protein, 50g carbs + 20g fat in about 5 minutes of prep time.
Here’s how I do it (just listing proteins,I do eat other things)
Meal 1: 4oz of bison, 1 egg, 4 eggs whites ~51gMeal 2: 6oz lean beef (top sirloin) ~42gMeal 3: 6oz chicken breast ~42gMeal 4: 6oz chicken breast ~42gMeal 5: 6oz 99% lean ground turkey ~42gMeal 6: 2 scoops protein + 16g peanut butter ~51g
~270g of protein.