With my coaching clients, I often emphasize the importance of consuming enough protein in our first session. Protein is the only macronutrient we don’t store. We need the amino acids from protein to protect our muscles as we age, support all the tissues in our body, to fuel cellular function, and most importantly (in my opinion), to create neurotransmitters – chemical messengers – that impact how we feel every day.
When you start tracking your protein, and paying attention to how you feel with more or less, it can be a great way to tune into your body’s unique needs for it!
Shoot for 20-30 grams per meal, and focus on snacks with protein if hungry between meals
What does 20-30 grams look like?
- Any animal meat, palm-sized amount (quality, like grass-fed and pasture-raised matters)
- 3-4 eggs
- 1 can of sardines or sustainably sourced fish product
- ¾ cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- Protein powder (Current faves: Ancient Nutrition bone broth protein, Garden of Life whey sport, Orgain, Nutritional Frontiers)
Here is a sample day with enough protein:
BF – Egg scramble with other meat and veggies, protein shake, dinner leftovers, or cottage cheese/yogurt with berries and flaxseeds.
L – Sardines on a bed of greens and veggies, drizzle of EVOO, ACV, Dijon mustard, and pumpkin seeds
D – Plate of meat and veggies, optional rice cooked in bone broth or chickpea pasta for protein boost
Snacks – hummus, nut butters with veggies or fruit, grass-fed meat sticks, stay away from protein bars with sucralose or aspartame and soy protein
Tip when looking for protein snacks: on the food label of the snack or bar, subtract the fiber from total carbohydrates to get the net carbs. If the net carbs are greater than the protein amount, it isn’t a protein snack. It’s a carb snack.
Need more support? Be sure you are on my email list, where I will send out a monthly meal plan with recipes every month!
