Protein Power

There are four macromolecules essential for life: carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and protein. Protein is essential to our everyday diet. When you wake up, guess what you should be eating? Protein. And lunch? Protein. End of the day? Protein. This macromolecule helps our cells repair and regenerate new cells in our body, cells that make us stronger, mentally and physically.

It took some time getting into a habit of mindfully eating protein with each meal, but now that I have learned how to manage it, I want to help you do the same.

First, we need to know your suggested protein intake based on your gender, weight and activity levels. If you look at this chart, you can easily calculate your approximate suggested protein intake:

Daily Protein Intake Calculator

Gender	Weight (kg)	Activity Level	Protein Needs (g)
Female		None to Little Activity	0.8 × Weight
		Moderate Activity	1.0 × Weight
		High Activity	1.2 × Weight
Male		None to Little Activity	0.8 × Weight
		Moderate Activity	1.0 × Weight
		High Activity	1.2 × Weight

Now that you have a number in your head, take a look at some of these food items and their protein content. It's important to be aware of the protein content of your food in order to fuel your body.

Grocery List with Protein Content

Food Item	Serving Size	Protein (grams)
Chicken Breast	100 g (3.5 oz)	31 g
Ground Turkey	100 g (3.5 oz)	29 g
Eggs	1 large egg	6 g
Greek Yogurt	200 g (7 oz)	20 g
Cottage Cheese	100 g (3.5 oz)	11 g
Tofu	100 g (3.5 oz)	8 g
Lentils	1 cup (cooked)	18 g
Chickpeas	1 cup (cooked)	15 g
Black Beans	1 cup (cooked)	15 g
Quinoa	1 cup (cooked)	8 g
Almonds	28 g (1 oz)	6 g
Peanut Butter	2 tbsp	8 g
Salmon	100 g (3.5 oz)	25 g
Beef (lean)	100 g (3.5 oz)	26 g
Pork Tenderloin	100 g (3.5 oz)	26 g
Milk (cow's)	1 cup (240 ml)	8 g
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28 g)	7 g

With each meal, I highly encourage you incorporating a strong protein source. My favorite quick protein intake is either cottage cheese, beef sticks, yogurt or eggs. While protein bars can be very efficient, I do encourage you to watch out for the protein bars with lots of added ingredients and sugar. GoMacro bars have a very clean ingredient list with 10-12 grams of protein. I will list a few of my favorite high protein meals below :)

Breakfast

Read my Breakfast Club article to see my recommendations!

*Grass-fed collagen is a great source of protein to add in your coffee if you tend to drink it before your meals (which I do). This way you are getting a jump start on your protein while also avoiding the caffeine rush that comes with eating no food before ;)

Lunch

1. Cottage cheese and avocado on sourdough

2. Yogurt Bowl with peanut butter and toppings

3. Ground turkey, avocado and rice

4. Spinach salad with chicken or chickpeas, avocado, and other toppings

5. Any kind of rice bowl with chicken, beef, veggies, hummus and tzatziki

6. Caesar salad wraps with almond flour tortillas

Dinner

1. Turmeric, bone broth stew (recipe in my Wellness Recipes tab)

2. Ground turkey, avocado, veggies and rice

3. Banza chickpea protein pasta with broccoli and red sauce

4. Sheet pan meal (collection of veggies, chicken, sweet potato, recipe in my Wellness Recipes tab)

5. Turkey stuffed bell peppers

6. *Goodles mac n cheese provides about 20 grams of protein, made with chickpeas. I eat this for lunch or dinner if I am in a rush and need a protein-dense meal asap.

I will be adding these recipes (sheet pan dishes, bone broth stews, stir fry meals) to my Wellness Recipes tab, so keep a lookout for those! I hope this article encourages you to look deeper into the benefits of protein! If you need inspiration, encouragement, challenges, you know where to find me!

Stay Nourished,

Grace