4 Easy Ways to Boost Your Protein Intake
Protein is one of the most essential nutrients for your body. Being a macronutrient means that it’s essential for muscle build-up and repair, improving immune function and hormone regulation. Being able to aid in growing and repairing cells makes it one of the most essential nutrients in the human diet, which is why everyone should strive to increase their protein intake, especially gym enthusiasts.
Given the fact that these people are regularly exercising and in continues fight with fat, energy levels and muscle recovery, this macronutrient is their best friend. But in order to keep their intake at the needed level, they’ll need to consume much more than meat and protein powders. Maintaining the needed level daily can be tricky in the beginning, but by making the right choices, it isn’t difficult at all.
Ways to Boost Protein Intake
Protein Bars
Being on a mission to increase protein intake isn’t that hard if making the right choices. And one of the best and easiest ways to do that is to consume it through snacks, or protein snack bars in particular. According to users and professionals, protein snack bars offer a fast and convenient way to boost daily protein intake, only if chosen right. They are available in a selection of types, flavours and tastes in order to meet different needs. However, they certainly aren’t a substitute for whole foods, so make sure not to take them as a substitute for real protein.
When chosen wisely, these protein snacks can provide you with somewhere from 10 to 30 grams of protein, making them the perfect snack before or after a workout, when not having time for lunch at work or when travelling. Eating the bar shortly after working out can support muscle growth and recovery, which is the goal of many fitness enthusiasts.
High-protein bar snacks can curb hunger between meals and reduce cravings, which can lead to reduced overall calorie intake. This can lead to weight loss and muscle build-up. When searching for the right protein snack bars, you should look for one with the shortest ingredient list, with some well-known ingredients. The chosen bar should contain no less than 10g of protein with no added sugar. An important thing you should have in mind is that without a proper diet, you won’t obtain any results, in fact, you can only gain more weight. So, in order to obtain the whole package, you’ll need to combine them with eating real foods like eggs, fruit, vegetables and nuts without compromising on working out. So, when searching for the right bars, stick to clean ingredients and make sure to try different flavours and tastes. You can never know which one will meet your current taste buds.
Nuts
Another great way to boost your protein intake is with the help of nuts. They are readily available snacks that can be found literally everywhere. Even though coming from plants, they contain a good dose of protein, while also being packed with fibre. And no, don’t be afraid of their high fat content because this is unsaturated fat, which is healthy for the heart. However, it’s best to stick to a handful per day, which is around 30g of nuts. Usually, all nuts have their nutrients listed on the back of the label, however, here’s a short protein insight into the three most popular nuts by people.
- 30g of peanuts contain 8g of protein
- 30g of walnuts contain 4g of protein
- 30g of hazelnuts contain 4g of protein
Seeds
Seeds are just another source of protein you can obtain from snacks. They are full of healthy unsaturated fat and, of course, protein, which is the goal. They can be eaten as a snack, or added to your meals whether it is pasta, salad, oatmeal or smoothie. Generally speaking:
- 30g of sunflower seeds contain 6g of protein
- 30g of pumpkin seeds contain 7g of protein
Cheese
Choosing high-protein snacks like cheese can help you get extra protein into your diet. Given the fact that cheese is one of the tastiest dairy products that most people love, eating a piece of it won’t only feel tasty, but it’ll also meet your daily protein goals. Given the fact that there are different types of cheese available on the market, finding the right piece should be done according to your daily protein intake. Generally speaking, a 28g serving of the most favoured cheese choices contains the following protein content:
- Parmesan -10 grams
- Swiss / Gruyère: ~7 to 8 grams
- Cheddar / Colby: ~7 grams
- Mozzarella (Part-Skim): ~5 to 6 grams
- Feta / Brie: ~4 to 5 grams
- Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup): ~12 grams
- Cream Cheese: ~2 grams
The best of all is that some research studies suggest that cheese and other dairy products may even benefit heart health, so you can enjoy your daily healthy choices whenever needed.
