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Here’s a first for anyone looking to lose weight, build muscle and increase energy — add food to your diet. Specifically, lean protein. I’ve been lifting weights, spinning and staying on a relatively healthy diet for the past four years. But it was only when I got curious about protein and upped the amount I was eating that I really started to see a change in my body. My muscles appeared to grow overnight, my energy was untapped and I felt mentally stronger.
Your protein needs vary by your weight and activity level. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is .36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 140 pounds and are sedentary, you should have 53 grams of protein daily.
This number significantly increases if you do high-intensity workouts or lift weights. In this case, you should be eating up to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 140 pounds and exercise, try to eat 140 grams of protein a day.
Not sure how to fit all that protein into your meal plan? I’ve been experimenting with pescatarian dishes that are very high in protein but don’t taste chalky or too protein-focused. I also have a sweet tooth and I weigh about 130 pounds. Here are meals I created that help me pack in protein while continuing to be a foodie.
Breakfast options
Plain Greek Yogurt & Fruit with Maple Syrup: 17 grams of protein
1 cup of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
1 cup of berries (or fruit or veggie of your choice)
1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey to taste
Add a scoop of protein powder to bump this up to 42 grams of protein.
Feel free to substitute any fruit or veggies for the berries.
Eggs with Cottage Cheese & Spinach: 21 grams of protein
3 eggs
¼ cup of cottage cheese
Handful of spinach
Mix the cottage cheese with the eggs prior to scrambling. The cottage cheese adds protein and tastes like mozzarella when it’s cooked.
Lunch options
Protein Smoothie: 49 grams of protein
1 banana
Handful of frozen mango chunks
1 cup of 2% milk
1 scoop protein powder
½ cup of cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
Tuna Sandwich on High Protein Bread: 35 grams of protein
Canned tuna mixed with 1 tablespoon of mayo, sprinkled with salt and pepper
Veggies (I like lettuce, tomato and red onion)
High protein bread (I use Dave’s Killer Bread)
Dinner options
Salmon with Pesto Sauce & Side of Edamame: 57 grams of protein
1 salmon steak
Pesto sauce (spread liberally before cooking in the oven or air fryer)
1 cup of edamame
Side salad or roasted vegetables
Shrimp Cocktail with Chickpeas: 73 grams of protein
½ pound of boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce
½ cup of chickpeas with salt and pepper
Snack options
Banana with Peanut Butter: 9 grams of protein
1 banana
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
String Cheese: 7 grams of protein
Do you have enough protein in your diet? Do you need to add more? Let us know in the comments below.
