Healthy Lifestyle–How To Get More Protein In Your Diet

We all know that your body needs protein. Every time you work out, you break down your muscles a little bit, and you gain muscle as your body rebuilds itself – and compensates for your newly increased activity level. Not to mention that your body also needs protein to maintain bone mass and your immune system. And, the main building block for all of this - is protein!

Yet, at the same time, the protein that you may be getting in your diet up until now, may not be enough to fuel the “rebuilding”. How, then, can you increase the amount of protein in your diet – in a healthy way?

Well, one way of increasing your diet’s protein is to look at how some vegetarians have done it! And, if you are a vegetarian, the following ideas are of even greater importance.

Eggs – That’s right – add an extra egg to your breakfast! And, if you’re worried about how healthy that might be, don’t. A quick and easy solution is to buy Egg Beaters (or their equivalent). These aren’t egg substitutes – they are 100% real eggs. Yet, they are low in cholesterol, easy to store & use, and allow you to truly measure the protein you’re adding to your diet. And, they don’t cost that much more – check Trader Joes or Costco for great deals on eggs!

Cottage Cheese – It seems that every time we try to improve our diets, one of the first things that gets cut out is cheese, due to the fat content. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick up some non-fat cottage cheese! Cottage cheese actually has a full complement of amino acids – and is a great source of protein.

Legumes – This includes beans, peas, and lentils. These not only provide a good secondary source of protein, but also are a good source of fiber for your diet as well. And, they are nutrient-dense, which means you get a good source of nutrients without having to over-eat! For example, 1 cup of black beans gives you 15gm of protein, and if you really want to go high on the protein scale – try cooking up some soybeans! (Think edaname – simple, healthy, and tasty!) 1 cup of cooked soybeans can give you up to 31gm of protein – similar to what you would get from a small chicken breast – and they make for a great snack between meals!

Keep in mind that if you are a vegetarian, you can risk deficiencies in certain dietary minerals and vitamins, such as iron, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12, which is found only in animal products. Vitamin B, including B12 and folate, is found in green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals, grains and soy milk. Some experts recommend that vegetarians take a multivitamin to get enough B vitamins. Calcium can come through green leafy vegetables, including mustard and collard greens and broccoli. It's also found in soy milk and soy products. Iron-rich foods include dark green vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grain and fortified breads, and cereals.

Diet – Quinoa, The “Supergrain”

Quinoa. Pronounced KEEN-wah. Maybe you’ve heard of it, but more than likely you haven’t. Yet, this grain, unlike so many other nutritionally inferior grains we eat, has twice the protein of other cereal grains, fewer carbohydrates, and a bit of healthy fats as well. Plus, it’s considered a “complete” protein, which means like meat, eggs and dairy, it packs all the essential amino acids your body needs for muscle growth.

For those that prefer a vegetarian diet, one of the pitfalls is how difficult it is to get complete proteins into your diet. Quinoa is a wonderful source of protein for your diet. To give you an comparison against other foods, Quinoa provides almost twice the fiber of pasta and brown rice. It contains as much high quality protein as milk. It offers high amounts of the amino acid lysine (needed for muscle growth), and it delivers a supply of magnesium, which is necessary for a healthy heart.

Best of all, Quinoa has an delicious, nutty flavor, and it cooks up quicker than rice. It works great for pilafs, risottos, salads, and soups. Preparation is simple. Fill a pot with 2 cups of water, and bring it to a boil. Add 1 cup of Quinoa, turn the heat to low, and let cook for 20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit, and you’re done! And, you can toss it into a refrigerator container, and have it ready-to-eat later by just microwaving it for 30-60 seconds.

Where do you find Quinoa? In the Phoenix area, try the health-food section of Fry’s Marketplace (in the bulk bins), or in the bulk bin areas of Sprouts.