Boost Your Protein Intake: Learn How Today!

You don’t have to be a pro athlete to want to get more protein in your diet. No matter your activity level, protein serves all sorts of important purposes in your body, from repairing damaged tissues to creating critical hormones and enzymes. Research even shows that protein is the most satiating macronutrient, which might be why eating more of it has been linked to better weight management. Plus, the older we get, the higher our daily protein needs. In short, we could all benefit from getting enough.

Do you think you're falling short in the protein department and wanna bump up your intake? There are plenty of simple ways to sneak the macro into your meals and snacks — even if you don't want to dump protein powder into everything you eat. Here are 20 tasty ideas to try throughout the day.

With the right ingredients, even the most carb-heavy breakfasts can get a protein boost. Consider how you might incorporate protein-rich foods into your usual breakfast routine. Add peanut butter to oatmeal, amp up a breakfast burrito with black beans or eggs, or blend silken tofu into a smoothie.

Plenty of breakfast foods are ideal for adding protein powder. Sprinkle a scoop into muffin batter, oatmeal, or smoothies.

On busy mornings, a run through the drive-thru is sometimes inevitable. When dining out for the first meal of the day, try focusing your menu selections on high-protein choices like egg sandwiches or bean wraps. Just be sure to check the rest of an item’s nutrition info, if possible. Often, fast food choices that are high in protein are also high in saturated fat and sodium.

Collagen powders not only dissolve easily into hot drinks like coffee or tea, but they pack around 15-20 grams of protein per serving, depending on the serving size. Toss a scoop into your morning brew for a no-brainer protein upgrade.

Because of the straining method used to make Greek yogurt, it has almost twice as much protein as traditional yogurt. So why not swap one for the other? Top yours with nuts or nut butter for an extra protein boost.

At lunchtime, it might be tempting to dig into a bag of chips or crackers before you start on protein choices. But it's best to zero in first on the highest-protein part of your meal. This way, you’re more likely to fill up on this satiating macro than low-quality carbs.

Since dinner tends to be the highest-protein meal of the day, why not extend its effects to tomorrow’s lunch? Make a little extra dinner so you can reap its high-protein benefits the next day.

In the USDA’s MyPlate dietary guidance (a handy visual for what a healthy, balanced meal looks like), protein covers just under a quarter of the plate. Grains, which also contain protein, comprise just over a quarter. As you prep lunches, keep this image in mind. It’ll help you ensure your mid-day meal provides enough protein.

Besides being an excellent way to save time and money, meal planning allows you to get serious about including more protein at dinner time. When you sit down to plan out the week, start by deciding which protein will anchor each dinner.

Main dishes typically provide the most protein on your plate — but that doesn’t mean sides can’t also add to your mealtime total. Multiple side dishes offer protein galore. Refried beans, for example, can add this macro to Mexican dinners, quinoa makes a protein-rich side for meats, and a dollop of Greek yogurt adds protein to creamy sauces.

Leaner cuts of meat typically offer more protein than fattier ones. Eye of round roast, top sirloin, and sirloin tip steak are some of the leanest, highest-protein cuts of beef, while skinless chicken or turkey are lean, high-protein poultry choices.

Home-making your own high-protein snacks gives you full control over your preferred ingredients and flavors. In the interest of time, try making large-batch snacks you can freeze, such as DIY protein balls or bars. Then, during the week, pull them out when mid-day hunger strikes.

You can do the same with shelf-stable snacks, too. Make a trail mix with nuts and seeds, or roast some chickpeas with your favorite seasonings. Then, portion them into zip-top bags for easy snacking.

Store-bought protein snacks may offer upwards of 20 grams per serving, but beware: some are processed to the hilt. For your health, try to purchase protein-rich snacks that are less processed. Look for bars, balls, jerky, or nuts with short ingredient lists and few additives.

Think fast: what protein could you pair with your typical carb-based snack? If your usual afternoon nosh is a handful of pretzels, try dipping them in peanut butter. Or, if you enjoy berries in the middle of the day, consider stirring them into yogurt.

For high-protein snacking, there’s no more versatile option than a smoothie. Beginning with a base of Greek yogurt or silken tofu (plus some fruit for color and flavor), the sky’s the limit for other protein-rich additions. Pop some nut butter, oats, protein powder, or soy milk into the mix and blend!

It’s not just meat that offers plenty of protein. Remember that dozens of foods, like beans, nuts, fish, eggs, nuts, soy, and whole grains contain high amounts.

Rather than focusing only on an epic-protein dinner, spread your intake throughout the day. Most people can strive for 20 to 30 grams per meal to meet their needs.

The only way to know how much protein you’re getting from individual foods is to check labels. Be a savvy label reader so you can calculate your grams per day.

Throughout your day’s eating, every little bit of protein helps! Try making high-protein substitutions in your cooking, even on a small scale. On Taco Tuesday, for example, tacos can get a protein upgrade by substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream, and beans make a higher-protein side than rice.

Make busy weekdays a bit simpler by prepping a large batch of something high in protein on the weekend. Fill the slow cooker with chicken, prep a batch of beans, or hard-boil a dozen eggs. When things get hectic, you’ll have already put in the effort for high-protein meals and snacks.

Protein probably won't find its way into your diet without a bit of thoughtful planning. Get intentional with these 20 options for adding this all-important macro.