As a nation, we’re more aware of eating healthier and working on our health and fitness in a bid to look and feel better, We all know about the dangers of eating too much ‘bad foods’, containing sugar, salt, fat, or processed ingredients. Of course, too much of anything can be bad for you, but you never really hear the about the dangers of eating too much protein, which tends to be because most of us are not going overboard with it on a daily basis. Chances are, you probably aren’t getting enough protein, which seems to be one of the problems with many people – especially those in their teens, twenties and thirties who live fast-paced lives.
Protein plays a vital role in feeling your best every day, as well as contributing to health and beauty. It can improve skin and is necessary for helping your body repair cells and make new ones. It’s also great at helping you to avoid those naughty sugar cravings and keep you feeling much more fuller for longer.
If you work out, you’ll find that protein can help increase your performance due to it’s ability to repair the cells within your body – which is essential for muscles. It’s important to have plenty of protein or hemp protein throughout the day, but most of us aren’t too sure how to incorporate it into our lives. If this is you then don’t worry— here’s how to sneak it in without having to make a big deal of it!
Seeds and Nuts
They may be little and overloked sometimes when it comes to ‘meals’, but buts and seeds provide huge sources of nutrients and protein. The bets ones to look at when it comes to seeds include chia, hemp, and flax seeds, which are all mildly flavored seeds that can be mixed into foods. The easiest and most beneficial way to incorporate seeds into your foods include mixing into smoothies, baked goods like healthy flapjacks, and granola without altering the flavour too much. Most seeds can
be easily ground up in a blender or food processor, and then mixed with food or sprinkled on top for an added crunch.
Another favourite of mine include Sunflower seeds – they will give you 17 grams of protein in just a half cup. Also, pumpkin seeds are are a great source too and don’t taste too bad to munch away at as a little snack.
Nuts are a much more well-known way to get your protein fix and again can be added to meals easier than you think. This being said, nuts make a lovely snack to eat on their own too. You can make nut based sauces for pasta, healthy curries, slather a nut butter onto fruits and veggies, or add sliced nuts to salads and side dishes. One of the lowest fat content nuts are cashews (high in protein but low in fat).= which could be a great one to start snacking on.
Whole Grains
Eating meat is one of the quickest and popular ways to get your hot of protein, especially meats like chicken. However, there are a lot of people who no longer consume meat these days, so if that is you, make sure you are choosing whole grains in your diet when it comes to items like pasta and bread. It’s best to switch to wholegrain bread and pasta, and not forgetting brown rice, which again has more protein than white.
A great option is to look at Quinoa, which is a complex carb that has more protein than couscous. It’s very simple to cook and can be mixed into salads or combined with other rice variations, paired with veggies and all kinds! For breakfast, try wholegrain toast or oats as a cereal (whole grain ones!) -these will both give you with plenty of protein to start the day off.
Protein Supplements
If you live a busy life, work out often, or need a quick protein boost, you can always add protein powder to a smoothie or oatmeal for a double boost of protein. But before you buy protein powder, make sure you are choosing one without too much added sugar. A good way to do this is to invest in high quality whey protein or collagen protein, but we’ll start by sharing the benefits of whey protein. Not only is it easy to prepare, for example mixing into smoothies or blending with milk for a protein filled drink, it delivers an array of health benefits.
You can get grass fed whey protein from Naked Nutrition, which comes from grass-fed cows raised on small California dairy farms. The cows are on pasture for over 300 days a year and are never given growth hormones. You can expect to reap health benefits such as building and maintaining muscle mass, aiding with muscle growth and recovery, a boosted immune system and improved heart health. Grass fed whey protein will have higher levels of CLA too which helps to burn more fat.
Another protein you could look at is collagen protein. Collagen is key for encouraging healthy skin, hair and nails, as it is responsible for providing strength, structure, and elasticity to skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue. It’s more commonly used when we start to age, as our bodies produce less collagen. You can easily milk it into drinks for direct consumption.
Beans and Lentils
If you can incorporate more soups, salads and chilli dishes to your diet, then opting for lentils and beans is a great way of boosting your protein in take. Lentils and beans are well-known sources of protein, and are also very inexpensive too. You also don’t have to be a great cook to ‘work’ with them – you can buy tins of mixed beans to add into chilli dishes and cook with a bag of brown packet rice. You can also add lentils and beans into curries too, especially red lentils.
Dairy Produce
One sure fire way of getting your protein is to include eggs into your breakfast. You don’t just have to go for dippy eggs, scrambled or poached on their own or with/on toast, why not look at creating a savory breakfast burrito with cheese and beans? You can wrap the eggs and filling in a whole grain burrito making it a protein powerhouse.
Eggs can also be baked into quiches, omelettes or added into noodle dishes. Omelettes are especially a great way to get your morning protein hit, and you can fill them with everything from tomatoes and cheese, to onions and chives.
Remember that overall, a balanced diet is the best lifestyle to follow. However ensuring your diet is protein rich will set you on the right path for a healthy body going forward.
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