It’s no secret that protein is key to building lean muscle — but getting that protein in your diet is way easier than it sounds at first! Let’s take a look at how.
1. Start with protein
When you plan a day’s meals, work backward from your total protein needs and spread it out between your meals. Is 130g your goal? Then you could have 30g at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and get the remainder from your pre- and post-workout meals. It doesn’t have to be perfectly balanced — the important part is making sure you’re never deficient in protein throughout the day, and then you can insert whichever foods you want to hit the remainder of your macros!
You can also tweak the types of protein you eat to sneak a bit more into your diet — check it out…
2. Opt for leaner proteins
Choosing leaner meats is another easier way to up your daily protein intake. Instead of 85% lean, opt for a 95% or even 99% lean meat — with a little creativity, you can compensate for the lack of richness with sauces, marinades, or whatever else you choose. You’ll likely even feel full sooner (and be less likely to have intestinal distress later)!
The best part is, you can cook lean meats the exact same way you would fattier ones. What you trade in richness, you gain in a healthier body and more room in your meals for other foods you love!
3. Count ALL protein
Almost everything you eat has protein — even leafy greens, nuts, sweet potatoes, bread, all of it! Look up how much you get from each food you commonly eat and see how that adds up to your daily target. You probably get a lot more protein from “non-protein” sources than you’d expect! All of it counts, and as long as you eat a wide variety of foods, you’ll likely get all the amino acids you need to count everything as a whole protein.
Hope this makes life a little easier on your fitness journey! If you want personalized 1:1 help with eating for your unique body and building a toned body composition, apply to become a WarriorBabe here!
