How To Easily Get MORE Protein in Your Diet

Protein is something that I really don’t think you can get enough of.

For a few reasons.

One, it’s one of the healthiest macronutrients you can ingest. As I’ve written about in recent articles related to amino acids, protein is the building block of almost everything in our body (minerals and a few other nutrients being the exception).

We can gain muscle, lose weight, and live a healthy life by eating protein.

And there doesn’t seem to be an upper limit as to how much we can healthily eat.

It’s also quite satiating, meaning it is very filling.

The truth is if you sat down to eat a meal of just protein and nothing else, you wouldn’t be able to eat pounds of it like you would a basket of KFC.  Carbs and fat combined with salt can lead to overeating. Protein on its own is very challenging to eat too much of.

Plus, if you’re eating high levels of protein, it’s usually in a form that includes healthy levels of other macro and micronutrients.

Not to mention the numerous other benefits of eating protein, which include supporting metabolic functions and the production of essential enzymes and hormones, maintaining strong bones, and a robust immune system, thus contributing to overall well-being and vitality.

This is why I think loading up on protein is a good idea.

So, what do you do if it’s a struggle to boost protein intake?

5 Easy Ways to Get More Protein In Your Diet

It’s not hard to get more protein. You just have to plan ahead and make informed food choices.

I will rattle off 5 easy ways to increase protein intake that I know you could easily incorporate into your diet today.

1 - Buy or Make Easy-to-Use Proteins:

Keeping easy-to-use protein sources on hand can make meal and snack time easier and help you eat more protein throughout the day.

So what are those, exactly?

Pre-packaged protein sources like tuna in a pack, canned salmon, or sardines are a start. Keeping something on hand, like beef jerky or summer sausage, is another good option.

Making two dozen hard-boiled eggs at the beginning of the week is another surefire way to get a bunch of easy-to-eat protein in your diet. You can also keep bags of dry-roasted seeds or nuts on hand (salted ones may be hard to manage portion control). You could also buy cheese sticks and other items to get your protein.

2- Use Protein Powders in Baking and Shakes:

I’m a huge fan of protein powders, provided they are not filled with artificial flavors or ingredients.

One of the best ways to use protein powders is to make drinks like smoothies and shakes with them. Mixed with full-fat milk and some fruit, they are incredibly nutritious. Best of all, many protein powders provide around 20 g of protein per serving, making them a concentrated source of this essential nutrient.

You can also include them in other meals, like overnight oats, chia pudding, plant-based yogurts, and even baked goods like muffins and bread. Some people have even used protein powders in cookies to enhance their protein intake.

If you go this route, choose protein powders that are free from added sugars. Many protein powders are sweetened with stevia or monk fruit, both of which are blood sugar-friendly sweeteners. 

3 - Buy Greek Yogurt:

Greek yogurt has been trending for several years and is a great way to enhance protein intake.

Eating yogurt is great for your gut, and if you enjoy yogurt, making the switch to Greek yogurt is one easy way to boost your protein intake. Greek yogurt is thicker, more concentrated, and contains more than twice the protein per serving compared to regular yogurt.

A 6-ounce container of Greek yogurt offers 17 grams of protein, while the same amount of regular yogurt provides only six grams. Additionally, Greek yogurt is significantly lower in carbohydrates, offering three grams per six ounces, which is five grams less than in the same serving of regular yogurt.

Due to its higher protein and lower carbohydrate content, Greek yogurt is an excellent option for individuals monitoring their blood sugar levels, including those with type 2 diabetes.

4 - Add Collagen To Hot and Cold Drinks

While collagen doesn’t contain the EAAs I mentioned in a recent article, collagen is still useful for maintaining peak health.

Collagen supplements are known to provide various health benefits, including enhancing certain aspects of skin health and appearance, increasing bone mineral density, and reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Collagen is flavorless and can be seamlessly incorporated into hot and cold beverages such as coffee, tea, and smoothies. It can also be used in recipes like chia pudding, energy balls, and overnight oats. Each 20-gram serving provides approximately 18 grams of protein, making it an excellent option for bolstering your protein intake.

5 - Give Your Favorite Baked Goods a High-Protein Twist

Many of you enjoy baking, and it’s actually not a bad way to increase protein intake.

Baked items such as muffins and bread often lack sufficient protein. Luckily, you can effortlessly raise the protein level of your preferred baked snacks with a few straightforward substitutions. For example, substituting white flour with almond or buckwheat flour can considerably increase the protein content in muffins, cookies, and cakes.

You can also incorporate high-protein ingredients like protein powder, Greek yogurt, and seeds into your baked goods to enhance their protein content further. Make sure to follow high-protein recipes accurately, as altering ingredients can impact the final product’s taste and texture.

Obviously, there are other ways to increase protein intake, but these are some of the easiest and most effective ones that I can think of.