Protein is one of the essential building blocks of good health. It provides your body with critical amino acids that help build muscle mass, moderate mood swings and stabilize blood sugar levels.
Adding more protein to your diet also brings additional benefits, including a reduction in appetite, lower risk of osteoporosis, increased metabolism and lowered blood pressure.
Want to add more protein to your diet? Try these five simple tricks:
- Add protein to your salad. A dark green salad with a variety of vegetables is definitely a healthy choice, but it's not high in protein. Adding poultry, salmon or cheese to your salad will give it a boost, with chicken breast topping out at 30 grams per 3.5-ounce serving. If you prefer plant-based protein, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are a good choice at 15 grams per cup.
- Spread peanut butter on your apples. Apples are rich in essential antioxidants, nutrients and fiber. However, they are very low in protein. To give them an easy protein boost, bring out the peanut butter. Slice up some apples and dip them in peanut butter. It will give you 8 grams of protein for every 2 tablespoons. Peanut butter brings additional health benefits including decreased appetite, improved heart health and lower blood sugar levels.
- Add eggs to your breakfast. Instead of eating cereal every morning, have a couple of eggs on occasion. One egg will provide six grams of protein. If you want energy that lasts past breakfast, try this simple recipe: Put a half-cup of oatmeal into a mug. Crack an egg into a measuring cup and whisk. Add enough milk to the whisked egg to bring the mixture to the 8-ounce line. Whisk it together and then mix with oatmeal in the mug. Cook in the microwave for 2 minutes. Top it with Greek yogurt and nuts for even more protein.
- Snack on cheese. Snack foods like chips and pretzels are high in carbohydrates and low in protein. A one-ounce serving of tortilla chips, for example, has only 2 grams of protein. If you substituted one ounce of cheese for those chips, you would get 7 grams of protein, along with fewer calories and an extra shot of calcium.
- Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream and regular yogurt. An eight-ounce serving of Greek yogurt offers up to 20 grams of protein. That is twice the amount in regular yogurt. Its tangy flavor makes it an easy substitute for sour cream. If you are making anything with sour cream, you can bring in the higher protein option of Greek yogurt.
Adding protein to your diet is a great way to lose weight and improve your metabolism. Foods high in protein leave you feeling satisfied, which means less overeating and snacking.
If you want to eat healthier this summer, the Mediterranean Diet is high in protein and other nutrient-rich foods. Download our guide below to find out more.
