I’m not going to waste your time in the video going over the obvious protein foods – chicken, beef, pork, fish, shellfish, seitan, tempeh, eggs, greek yogurt, protein powders…
Instead, I want to highlight all the foods we often don’t think about that are higher in protein and can be great ways to increase our intake while making meals delicious and helping us avoid that protein fatigue we can sometimes suffer from.
Not all of these may be right for you, but see the opportunity in the options to explore!
We have to remember that through diversity we can see results, get more nutritional benefits and even enjoy our meals and make those grams add up!
The first two foods I want to mention are both forms of dairy but not the common ones we go to.
Often we think cottage cheese and greek yogurt as protein boosting dairy products.
But Fairlife Milk and some forms of cheese like Parmesan Cheese can boost our protein intake more than we realize while making dishes more delicious.
And the best part is, we can select different options based on our macros even, going higher or lower fat as needed with both.
Fairlife Milk is a higher protein milk option, and lactose free if you were about to write off all these dairy options, that can add 13 grams of protein to your day.
It can make delicious smoothies and protein shakes, overnight oatmeals and even sauces for pasta dishes.
It can even be swapped into baked goods to add a protein bump to your favorite dessert to make it more macro friendly!
Cheeses are another great way to add flavor and protein, although you do have to be conscious that many cheeses can really pack a fat content punch.
But the great thing is you can often find lower fat variations and options if you need to hit your macros.
Options like parmesan cheese, swiss cheese, fat-free feta cheese can all be great. Honestly, things like parmesan cheese are basically protein salt.
It adds a ton of flavor without a huge impact on your macros.
And for snacks things like babybel cheese can be amazing to grab and go!
They can even make for a great snack plate with all-natural sliced deli meat, veggies with a greek yogurt dip!
A third food that can boost protein easily while adding flavor, and honestly is very similar to parmesan cheese as more of a salt or seasoning BUT great if you are plant-based too is, Nutritional Yeast.
You can sprinkle this on almost anything you want to add a cheesy flavor too and bump your protein by 5-10 grams. Sprinkle it on popcorn, mix it into greek yogurt, season your tofu or chicken with it.
Those grams can add up and help us prevent our meals from feeling bland or boring!
The fourth and next item I’d recommend adding to your grocery list to boost your protein intake is Non-Traditional Pastas things like – Chickpea pasta, Buckwheat pasta, even brands of mac and cheese like Goodles.
Too often we feel that we have to eliminate all carbs from our diet to increase our protein intake.
And this ultimately stops us from ever truly making lasting changes because we feel restricted and like we can’t enjoy the meals we love.
Instead of cutting out pasta, swap your traditional pastas for these higher protein variations. And many even pack in more vitamins and minerals to help!
Brands like Goodles are great if you’re plant-based and looking to bump protein. They are chalk full of amino acids and veggies!
You can have your pasta and hit your protein.
And to even combine a few of these tips and make this a killer protein combo, make your pasta sauce with Fairlife milk, chop up some chicken or tempeh to add in that you’ve seasoned with nutritional yeast and sprinkle on some parmesan cheese!
My 5th go to high protein food, that honestly has now become a grocery list staple for me, is egg white.
I love whole eggs and the yolk has nutritional value. I’m not saying to cut that out.
BUT having just egg whites to add into things, can often provide the protein boost we need with no added fat.
Egg whites are really easy to hide in dishes without changing the flavor but adding protein.
They can be good in stir-fries or fried rice.
They can be added to an omelet with even a full egg to bump protein.
They can also be used to bake your favorite dessert, or a breakfast oatmeal bake, lowering the fat of the baked good while keeping protein up!
If you’re a sweet treat person like me, even using them for a low calorie meringue cookie could help you stay on track and consistent while getting your fix!
They can also be used for savory dishes to make a crepe-like vehicle to roll veggies and hummus in or even to use as a sandwich wrap!
The 6th food, and it can be gotten fresh or frozen, is Edamame.
Whether you need a quick snack on the go and eat them with just salt or add them to a salad or stir-fry, edamame are a great protein boost.
One serving, or 85g, gets you 9 grams of protein and adds a great taste and texture to meals.
They are easy to combine with other protein sources as well to help you boost protein without getting bored just adding another ounce of chicken you have to chew!
And edamame also can be blended into a great guacamole or hummus substitute and used on veggies as well. It can even be a great spread for sandwiches to boost protein too!
And since sandwiches are an easy, on the go meal option, I think it is key we steer into how we like to prep and eat. This makes this 7th food a key staple to add that we often omit from our grocery list – Sliced Deli Meat.
Deli meats have gotten a bad rap. But not all sliced deli meats are highly processed bologna.
There are natural turkey and chicken slices. Great smoked salmon options. And I’d even add to this list cooked cocktail shrimp as an option.
But there are lost of all natural, pre-cooked and sliced proteins that can be easy to eat on their own as snacks or added to sandwiches and salads.
You can add them to omelets or egg cups too to make use of those egg whites as well!
They save on prep time and truly are portable. Plus, they are very easy to use with family meal prep lunches too!
Another very portal protein snack that I think is a must have especially if you travel a ton for work or are constantly shuttling kids from activity to activity is grocery list item number 8 – jerky.
No refrigeration and you can leave it in your purse or desk drawer, jerky is easy to always have on hand and stocked in your cabinet when you’re in a pinch.
But just like deli meat it has gotten a bad name and demonized as being too high in sodium and processed.
However, there are so many all natural options now and even plant-based alternatives jerkies. You can easily find everything from turkey to beef to fish made into jerky. And there are even lower sodium options.
But having this item on hand may be just what you need on a busy day to stick with your dietary changes and not go off plan.
Too often when we don’t have something macro friendly easily available, we reach for comfort foods or foods we shouldn’t and then we let one little deviation become 10.
So stocking your cabinet with a variety of jerkies and keeping them handy just in case can really help!
Pair that with some veggies and greek yogurt and you’ve got a great little snack too that’s high in protein!
Item number 9 is a very well known plant-based protein source, and one I could have listed at the start of the video but didn’t, because I wanted to highlight the different uses it can have whether or not you are plant-based.
And this high protein option is Tofu.
I wanted to mention Tofu as a great grocery list item because it can not only be added to stir fries and fried rices and so much else even with chicken or beef or shrimp to prevent protein fatigue and add another flavor and texture, but also because it can be used as a protein source in sweet treats like smoothies and baked goods as well.
I see it so often only used by plant-based clients or in savory dishes I did want to highlight it more.
Especially because often when we make dietary changes, we cut out things we love instead of seeing ways to tweak and swap to make things fit.
And especially with protein we can feel more restricted and feel like our desserts have to go.
But tofu can be a great way to bump protein and make delicious cakes, mousses and even ice creams.
It can also be a great add to smoothies if you can’t have dairy or don’t enjoy protein powders!
And the 10th and final grocery list item I want to mention to boost your protein is hemp seeds.
I want to mention hemp seeds because they often are underutilized compared to chia or flax seeds but with similar benefits.
And while we may be focused on boosting protein, we also want to get in all the nutrient diversity we can. And hemp seeds are a great way to boost those micros and pack in a ton of antioxidants.
They can be sprinkled on salads, made into pestos or even added to smoothies. They are a great alternative to flax or chia seeds with more protein per tbsp.
And like with all of these items, they can help us add flavor to our meals and boost our protein without dishes becoming bland or boring or getting that protein fatigue.
Even just picking one or two of these items to add to your grocery list can help you start increasing your protein intake this week.
Love to hear your ideas to even COMBINE a few of these for amazing protein packed snacks and dishes in the comments and I’ll share a few of my favorite recipes as well!
