The P word. Yes, its all around us, being thrown around like a marble on a trampoline. Fitness influencers, health enthusiasts and wellness gurus mention it about once in every 0.1 seconds. But, I will be the first to say that I am glad that protein is finally getting the attention it deserves. I won’t go into detail about what protein is, why it is super important or breakdown how much of this powerful macronutrient we need (hint it’s a LOT more than you think it is), I’m sure you’ve heard enough about that. You can also read more about is in my article “Protein Power,” if you happen to live in a bubble or refuse to have a social media account (which btw good for you, you’ve managed to achieve the impossible.)
What I will do, is give you some of my favorite hacks and products that are game changers when it comes to hitting those ever-increasing protein goals. Being in the health and fitness industry myself, but also a true foodie who actually likes my food to taste good, I have tried and tested countless products, so believe me when I say these things are actually worth the hype. Links included below. You’re welcome.
For the bread lover – Hero Seeded Bread
If you are like me and cannot live without bread, namely a good sandwich or piece of avocado toast, this one is for you. Enter keto bread. There are so many low-carb, keto friendly options on the market, but this bread is by far the most superior in taste, texture and protein content. It has minimal ingredients that are clean and gut friendly pre-biotics like jersualem artichoke! Most importantly it is kid approved. Just one slice packs 6G of protein and only 1G net carbs, turning your every day PB&J into a protein powerhouse. I swear by this bread and soon you will too.
Punch it up with protein powder – Perfect Sports New Zealand Whey Isolate
Protein powders are by far the easiest hack for meeting those protein needs, but not all powders are created equal. Due to it’s increased absorption and ability to be better utilized by the body for protein synthesis, whey isolate is superior for muscle building. Go with any brand you like, as long as you peep the macros on it and make sure you’re only getting the good stuff and that it isn’t loaded with a ton of sugar or other artificial ingredients. I love this vanilla one by Perfect Sports for it’s flavor, mixability and it’s lack of sugars or artificial ingredients. Not to mention it has 27G of highly absorbable protein in one scoop. I like to mix this into so many things, from smoothies to pancakes, steel cut oats and even brownies! The possibilities are truly endless, but if all else fails just mix with water and toss it back. Bottoms up.
Cottage cheese please
Yes, cottage cheese. Like the stuff your grandparents used to serve you with fruit, except now it’s become a TikTok phenomenon. At least this is a trend I can get behind. You can certainly eat it plain, but when you can do so many fun things with it why would you? Blended into a smoothie, it adds protein while adding a delicious creamy texture to it. There’s an amazing chocolate peanut butter smoothie recipe on my instagram page if you need inspiration. Added into pancake mix, it makes your pancakes moist and filling. You can literally add a scoop to just about anything to really boost it’s protein content. It really is the chameleon of dairy. I prefer organic whole milk/full-fat cottage cheese but any kind will do.
Protein pasta for the win – Kaizen Protein Pasta
If you love bread, you probably also love pasta, but lucky for you there are also now so many options to swap out your carb-dense, gluten packed noodles for keto friendly, gluten free, protein heavy options. Kaizen does an amazing job of making noodles a meal staple again for us carb-conscious foodies. The offer several different shapes and options to smother your favorite sauce over, all for only 6g of carbs and 20g of protein. This is definitely a pantry staple in our household from Mac & Cheese (boosted with some cottage cheese of course), to pasta bolognese. A real crowd pleaser even for picky eaters.
When in doubt, Chomps it out – Chomps Meat Sticks
Grab and go protein, literally. These meat sticks are so tasty, (think back to those Slim Jim days) and pack anywhere from 10-12g of protein in 100 calories or less. I keep one of these everywhere as they can be stored in pretty much any temp and again, even the kiddos love these. These are all over our house, in every bag I own and in my car. An did I mention they are so yummy. Seriously. So many flavors to choose from and come in turkey, beef or venison. Get your Chomps and start stashing them away today.