6 Ways To Boost Protein In Your Diet

By, Tori Lutz | Special To Corridor News

Many diets and fitness regimes (including difficult ones like keto) rely on healthy fats and proteins while avoiding things like carbs and sugars in order to achieve weight loss (or weight gain) goals.

If you’re just starting out, you might be wondering how out of your way you’re going to have to go in order to reach the minimum protein counts for each day. In fact, even many seasoned bodybuilders and other athletes struggle with protein and calorie counts.

But before you lose hope and give up on your dreams of having your ideal beach body this summer, consider the following 6 ways to add protein to your diet.

Chicken Breasts

Chicken can be anything from the healthiest food in your diet to the most fattening food in your diet. All that matters is how you prepare it.

For the most part, any chicken that is NOT coated in sauces or breading will be a great choice, as chicken by itself contains absolutely no carbs despite its high protein count.

A single chicken breast per day, grilled, with only minor seasoning will have on average 200-250 calories and 39-45 grams of protein.

Sample Meal: There are at least one hundred ways to cook chicken breasts, so whether you are on a short-term diet or are looking for a more permanent lifestyle adjustment, you will have plenty of options.

Eggs

Eggs are among the most common breakfast foods for dieters and bodybuilders alike because of their high amounts of proteins and healthy fats. They’re great for keto specifically because of their relatively low carb count.

Eggs from all ordinary egg-laying farm animals work well as nutritional sources of protein; however, chicken eggs win hands down in terms of price, availability, and nutrition-to-portion-size ratio when compared to those of other birds.

Unfortunately, eggs can also be high in cholesterol, which may negatively impact your ability to lose weight if you are already predisposed to high-cholesterol.

Sample Meal: Similar to chicken, eggs can be prepared in many different ways. Whether you prefer omelettes or scrambled eggs is up to personal taste, provided that you don’t add anything to them that might be high in the nutrients you are trying to avoid.

All-Natural Peanut Butter

Perhaps one of the most versatile foods imaginable, peanut butter makes a great addition to almost any diet out there today. Keto is no exception.

In fact, the high counts of proteins and healthy fats in peanut butter tend to make it a natural addition to many keto-friendly recipes. However, the relatively high amount of carbs might leave you with no room for other foods that barely fit within the keto carb range.

Fortunately, all-natural peanut butter tends to not only contain fewer carbs per gram but also more healthy fats and proteins than standard peanut butter.

Sample Meal: One of the biggest complaints people have when dieting is that they find themselves craving snacks but not being “allowed” to have them. This recipe for peanut butter balls offers a delicious alternative to snacking on simple lettuce leaves.

Whey Protein

One of the most obvious ways to increase protein intake is to start consuming protein powder. Whey protein powders are among the most common on the market and also tend to be affordable, easily available and effective.

While not necessarily one of the more delicious options for additional protein like chicken or peanut butter, whey protein powder makes up for in great results.

For instance, one serving of Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein, one of the most popular brands, has only 3 carbs and 24g of protein.

Sample Meal: Most of the time, whey protein is mixed with water in a blender until all of the powder has dissolved into the water. Simply drink some immediately before and immediately after your workout and exercise routine to maximize effects.

Fish

Most seafood items have moderate amounts of protein as well as very few carbs, making them ideal for low-carb meals. While typically not containing as much protein with as few carbs as chicken, cooking fish allows dieters a little more variation in their protein sources.

Most healthy recipes for diet-friendly fish meals revolve around a simple grilled fish (almost always salmon) sharing a plate with greens, but that’s not all there is!

There are countless types of fish, each with varying nutritional contents, that fit in with a strict adherence to the keto diet, such as salmon, tilapia, tuna and shrimp to name a few.

Sample Meal: Shrimp scampi tends to be reserved for pricey Italian restaurants, but it is possible to enjoy such nice food with a few variations on the recipe.

Creatine Monohydrate

In addition to specific foods, certain dietary supplements directly impact weight loss and muscle gain potential.

If your reason for dieting is not only to get in shape but to increase muscle tone and physique, then you’re definitely going to need creatine supplements.

The point of creatine is to cause your muscles to retain additional amounts of water, causing them to naturally expand at much faster pace than from a simple workout, which is why this supplement is incredibly common among bodybuilders.

But it’s important to know that these faster gains are not free! You have to make frequent and consistent use of workout equipment in order to unlock creatine’s body-enhancing potential.

Sample Meal: This fine, white powder is typically added to protein shakes and taken immediately after working out. Eating protein after a workout tends to boost insulin, which is the number one factor of muscular uptake for creatine ingestion.

In Summary

While, at times, it may seem impossible to reach your daily protein requirements while avoiding carbs on the keto diet, never lose hope.

There are far more ways out there than are immediately seen by browsing the grocery aisles at WalMart.

Whether its chicken, eggs, peanut butter, fish or a supplement, there are many ways to increase daily protein uptake without sacrificing the diet and eating those unwanted carbs.

For more great information, check out our other blog posts and follow us on Facebook.