3 Ways To Increase Your Protein Intake

When people hear “protein” they think Bodybuilders.

Most people don’t want to look like those, so think “yeah I don’t need it”.

Eating more protein won’t make you instantly turn in to Arnie, I ate plenty of protein for years and it took time to build muscle, I still don’t look like Arnie and nor do I want to. (He is in his 70’s now after all!)

Why is protein so important?

Proteins are the building blocks of life.

We can only get them from food, and we need them to build and retain lean body mass which is essential in life. 

It helps with collagen synthesis – promoting skin elasticity, stronger hair, strong nails, eye health and more.

Why WOULDN’T you want to look and feel younger I say?

Satiety

Trying to get in shape?

When cutting calories down (which is what all diets do) – you want to be as full as you possibly can throughout the day. This reduces the desire to snack on high calorie treat type foods, which will hinder your progress if you consume too many.

Adequate daily protein massively helps with this. Being full = good!

Top 5 Ways To Get More Protein 

“So how do I increase my protein intake?”

1. Lean Meats 

Lean meats are stacked with protein. 

Making the majority of your meals with a decent chunk of lean meats are a sure fire way to promote the benefits explained above.

If you’re trying to get in shape, leaner cuts will have less fat content, meaning less calories. Fat is 9kcals per gram – so look for leaner cuts of chicken such as chicken breast, or instead of normal beef mince – shoot for less than 5% fat.

Fattier cuts do taste nice, but those calories can mount up very quickly if you’re not careful.

A small female can easily take in too many calories without realising from these fattier cuts.

For a woman, aim for 3 x palm sized servings of protein sources per day – it might SEEM like a lot initially, but if you work up to that amount, the magic will happen and you’ll feel great for it.

Men, 3 x 2 palm sized servings should be the goal. Again, you might not manage it initially and that’s fine, a good amount to aim for.

2. Eggs

Eggs are rich in protein and very cheap. A great source, but to get an abundance of protein, like Coach Matt at DMF you’re going to have to consume a lot to get where you need to be!

I can cook quality scrambled eggs in less than 60 seconds in a pan. So a great option for breakfast even for those who are time poor.

Adults shouldn’t be eating cereal for breakfast anyway!

3. Whey Protein

Last on the list but not in terms of importance.

Whey Protein is a FANTASTIC source of protein. Anywhere between 20p-£1 per serving, its one of the cheapest but most versatile sources of protein you can get your hands on.

You don’t have to be training to consume it, its not just for people who hit the gym. It’s a food source and an excellent one too.

You can have it as a shake for ease, or mix it with yoghurt, make pancakes with it, cakes, put it in your oats and more.

Be careful of poor quality whey protein that has lots of fillers and rubbish in it. 

Many have additional carbohydrates added either for sweetness or for those people who want to gain mass or recover from endurance exercise – for most I would recommend looking at the nutritional value on the back before purchase and ensuring you know what’s in it.

My favourite is Time4, its a relatively local company located over in East Hampshire – it mixes extremely well and they have a variety of flavours too. I’ve been using them for years.

Summary

Protein should be consumed at the right level for everyone regardless of whether you train or not.

You’ll be healthier, you’ll be less hungry and you’ll be less breakable too!

Dan