Protein: It's What's For Dinner

This week the spotlight is on protein. Sarah Subrize and I created a poll on social media to see what our readers wanted to know, and the feedback was great!

Do you sometimes run out of ideas of what to eat as a “protein source” with your meals? You are not alone. It is easy to get stuck in a routine of eating the same foods over and over again. Protein is one of three macronutrients along with carbohydrates and fats and is found in a variety of foods, not just the typical animal products that might first eom to mind such as beef, pork, eggs, poultry, fish, and dairy products.

In fact, you may be consuming more protein than you think. Protein is found in almost every food group! Here are some foods that either you may be consuming now without realizing the protein content, or that you might want to consider adding to your diet to get in more protein.

CONSUMING PROTEIN FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES

Whole grains, such as that found in the bread you eat, and legumes, such as beans and lentils can be great sources of protein. Some other whole grains and lentils that have at least 5g of protein per 1/2 cup serving cooked are pinto beans, lentils, edamame, black beans, chickpeas, and wheat berries.

Nuts, seeds, and their butter counterparts are also great sources of protein and can be added to salads, yogurt, oatmeal, or eaten alone as a snack! Peanut butter, pumpkin seeds. peanuts, almonds, pistachios, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds all have at least 5g or protein per 1 oz serving.

Hopefully the lists above give you some other ideas of where you can add protein throughout the day besides from just animal products, but why is this important? Consuming a variety of different foods provides you with a a variety of different vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. If you ate the same thing every day for the rest of your days, you would be missing out on other nutrients other foods have to offer!

Challenge: Try to consume a couple meals this week that include protein from other sources other than meat and meat products. Although they are great sources of protein, it beneficial and fun to switch things up! If you have already planned your menu for the week, add this challenge to your next week's menu/meal planning! 

DO I NEED TO TAKE A SUPPLEMENT?

get this question asked a lot from my clients, friends, and family, so thought you might be wondering the same!

My immediate recommendation is to try to meet your protein needs through food first. Why? Because the food you eat has other added nutrients and fiber that not all supplements have, espeically whey protein powders.

Also, you may not realize that your body can only consume a certain amount of protein in one sitting, so if you are drinking a protein shake with a meal after your workout, your body likely will not be able to utilize all of the protein from the shake and the food together.

However, if you are an enudrance athlete or have some strength training goals, you may find it hard to meet your protein needs through food alone. If you do use a protein supplement, just be sure to check the nutrition facts label and ingredients to find the one that best fits your needs. More questions? Reach out to Danielle!