Three Tips for Getting More Protein in Your Diet

Every month on the Consistency Project podcast, I take some of the questions people have sent me about nutrition or fitness and do my best to give helpful guidance. Recently, I answered five questions about protein, including one from a listener named Karak about tips for getting enough without relying so much on powders. I’ve found two often overlooked strategies effective, plus one important thing to get right before you try anything new. This content is available exclusively to Members Become an member and start enjoying full access to all our community and sports content, and an ad-free experience. PROMO Exclusive content Ad-Free web/app experience Comments on articles Exclusive 15% WIT discount $1 per month for the first 4 months, $8 each month after Get Started for $1 Exclusive content Ad-Free web/app experience Comments on articles Exclusive private Facebook Group Regular coffee breaks hang outs Exclusive 15% WIT discount Get Started $5/month billed annually Already a member? Log In. The first strategy is increasing the serving size of the protein foods you’re already eating. Too often, when people think about eating more protein, they fixate on trying to find new protein foods or recipes. This can work, but not how I suggest starting! Instead, save yourself the mental calories and eat a bit more of the protein you already like and are preparing. So, if you eat two eggs for breakfast, add a third. If you’re okay with 3 oz of chicken for lunch, bump it to 4 ounces and see if the world collapses. (It won’t.) Increasing existing serving sizes is a relatively minor tweak, which is ideal for nutrition changes. Even still, small increases at each meal may likely result in 20-30 extra grams of protein on the day. Conversely, bringing new foods into your diet might also require finding new recipes and taste preferences. For example, salmon is an excellent protein source – but not if you let it go bad in your fridge because you don’t know what to do with it. Again, new foods can work, but it requires more change. The second tip is to plan your meals around protein. Put protein on the plate first, aiming to get around 30 grams (or however much makes sense for your target). Then add your fruits, vegetables, and remaining foods as usual. By starting with ample protein on your plate at every meal–including breakfast(!)–it’s more likely you’ll hit your daily target. For those struggling to reach their target, it’s often because it’s the afterthought. They put the meal together, and then the protein is calculated. No! Figure out an adequate protein amount, then build the meal. The third and more important strategy is to know your current intake. My baseline recommendation for most people is to aim for about 0.7 grams of protein for every pound of current body weight. (If you are 25 pounds or more away from your goal weight, use the goal weight instead.) I’ve found that to be the sweet spot for non-professional trainees looking to maximize muscle mass growth and improve performance. That level is also great for those looking to lose weight because protein can help with satiety in a caloric deficit. Much higher than that, and it’s likely to be either unsustainable (at worst) or have a negligible effect (at best). So before you try out the first two tips, it’s important to really understand your current intake. Our view about our diet is usually quite subjective and doesn’t always square with objective data. I’ve had folks think they weren’t eating enough protein but were already close to the 1 gram/pound intake level. On the flip side, I’ve had people think they ate a lot of protein but were nowhere near my 0.7 gram per pound recommendation when they started to weigh and measure. I’ve even had clients who are nutrition coaches discover they’re over- or under-eating protein upon closer inspection. Many of our nutrition questions are best answered by looking at our current intake–with objective data–before assuming you need more protein and loading up on heaping servings. — EC Synkowski hosts the Consistency Project podcast with Patrick Cummings, from which this article was adapted. She’s a CrossFit L4 trainer, a Certified Nutrition Specialist®, and the creator of the #800gChallenge.®

Three Tips for Getting More Protein in Your Diet

Australian Strongman Smashes World Record by Pulling 44,753-Pound Crane

Breaking Muscle

2023 Daytona Pro Bodybuilding Show Results

Barbend

2023 Rising Phoenix and Arizona Pro Results

Barbend

Nathan De Asha Wins 2023 Sheru Classic France Bodybuilding Show

Barbend

Hossein Kalateh Wins 2023 Van City Showdown Pro 212 Bodybuilding Show

Barbend

How To Do the Incline Push-Up for No-Equipment Chest Building

Barbend

5 Super Effective Ab Exercises that are Better than Crunches

BoxRox

Crossfitter Endorsed Red Light Therapy Brand Kineon Seeking Investors

Morning Chalk-up

Looking Ahead, Part 2: A Preview of the Remaining 2023, Early 2024 Season

Morning Chalk-up