Protein is vital for building and preserving muscle, especially during a fat loss phase. Protein is one of the three main macronutrients (Protein, Carbs, Fats) and is important for many reasons. Protein is great at keeping you full and feeling satisfied. I love this macro because when you are eating enough protein you will generally not overeat carbs and fats, protein fills you up.
Some people may find it difficult to eat enough protein, so I have some quick and easy ways to up your protein. I am one of the rare individuals that actually has trouble not going over in protein, I love protein. I could snack on turkey and chicken all day long.
My general guideline is approximately 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of body weight. This is the most basic way to factor in the amount of protein you need to eat in a day. Like I always say, don’t overthink your diet, by keeping things simple you will have a better chance of being consistent. Consistency trumps perfection.
Favorite Protein Sources:
- Eggs or Egg Whites (if you are trying to keep your fat, lower egg whites are the way to go)
- turkey (I buy organic deli turkey from Costco or Trader Joe’s)
- chicken (I love the chicken breast bite packages from Costco)
- extra lean ground beef (I like extra lean because to me it tastes just as good as higher fat meat, but leaves the fat out)
- protein pancakes or waffles
- protein drinks (I don’t use these very often because I generally get enough protein through food)
- protein bars (be careful of the nutrient labels, some have way too many fats and carbs to even be considered a protein source)
- protein bread
