Tips for Increasing Your Protein
By: Amber Whittemore RD, BSN, MHSc(c)
Three tips on how you can increase your protein throughout the day!
- Aim for one quality source of protein per meal, for example:
- Breakfast ideas
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- Soft tofu in a smoothie or oatmeal
- Lunch ideas
- 1/4 block firm tofu
- 1 cup beans or lentils with 1 cup of grains
- 3 oz chicken breast
- 1/2 tin of canned tuna
- Dinner ideas
- 3 strips of tempeh
- 1/2 cup Beyond Meat
- 3 oz ground beef
- 3 oz fillet of salmon
- Pair your plant-based protein! This doesn’t have to be a daunting task. In general, legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds offer plenty of protein, but are lacking in two essential amino acids (methionine and tryptophan). On the flip side, whole grains such as wild rice, whole grain pitas, and breads, provide the two amino acids that fall short in legumes, while lacking in two different essential amino acids (isoleucine and lysine). These two amino acids are found in abundance in legumes – therefore when we pair legumes, beans, nuts, and/or seeds with whole grains we are ensuring a complete amino acid profile with our meal!
- Include protein in your snacks, examples could include:
- 1 slice of toast with 1 Tbsp peanut butter + hemp hearts
- An apple with 1/4 cup walnuts
- A pear with 1-2 slices of cheese
- Crackers with a hardboiled egg
- Medjool dates with 1-2 Tbsp almond butter
- Veggie sticks with 1/2 cup hummus
- Berries with 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- Tomato slices with 1/2 cup cottage cheese + pepper