Things You'll Need:
- Lean meat
- Seafood
- Whole grains
- Protein-rich vegetables
- Low-fat/skim dairy products
- Eggs/egg whites
- Beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.
- Soy products
- Protein powders
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Step 1
Add meat to your diet to increase your protein intake. The important thing to remember is that meat can also contain large quantities of saturated fats, which can be harmful to your health. Try to select the leanest cuts of meat and eat poultry without the skin. Add leftover chicken to your salads or throw some meat into your soups and stews.
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Step 2
Increasing your seafood consumption can be incredibly heart-healthy, while providing you with an excellent protein source. Some seafood sources include wild salmon, albacore tuna, scallops, cod, shrimp, and herring. You can add some tuna to a whole-wheat pita or mix up some shrimp and whole wheat pasta with a little bit of garlic and olive oil.
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Step 3
Add specific whole grains to your diet. Oat bran, quinoa and barley are just a few of the whole grain sources of protein. You can add oat bran to homemade muffins or use it in recipes as a partial replacement for flour. Quinoa can be added as a thickener to your soups and stews.
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Step 4
Add protein-rich vegetables to your salads and side-dishes. These vegetables include broccoli, asparagus, peas, spinach, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. You can try some new stir-fry recipes, add these vegetables to your salads, or steam them in the microwave. Try mashing softened cauliflower as an alternative to mashed potatoes. You can toss some fresh peas into your salad or melt some skim cheddar cheese on top of your steamed broccoli.
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Step 5
Eat dairy products, but try selecting the low-fat(1%) and skim products to avoid unwanted saturated fat. Some of your dairy choices may include milk, cheeses, cottage cheese, and yogurt (including Greek yogurt.) Try some cottage cheese mixed with your favorite fruit or mix your cottage cheese with pepper, salt and beans for a healthy fiber filled snack.
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Step 6
Eat an egg or some egg whites to add a little more protein to your day. You can make a simple omelette with peppers and onions or maybe try a "sweet egg white omelette" with some cinnamon and sugar (or a sugar substitute, such as Stevia.)
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Step 7
Experiment with adding different beans and legumes to your meals. Some of your choices are chickpeas, lentils, soybeans (edamame), black beans, and kidney beans. There are also a variety of nuts and seeds such as almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and walnuts that can be eaten as a snack or added as a topping to your favorite dish. Have a slice of whole-grain toast with some natural peanut butter on it. Eat some vegetables dipped in chickpea hummus. Roast and season some chickpeas in the oven for a healthy snack. Just be aware of the calorie content for many of the foods in this category. They may be healthy, but the calories can add up quickly!
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Step 8
Try some soy products. Tofu is a very popular and versatile soy product. Virtually flavorless, tofu absorbs the flavor of the dish to which it is added. You can add tofu to your soups or stir-fry dishes. You can make tofu "scrambled eggs" or blend silken tofu into your puddings and custards.
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Step 9
Test different protein powders. You can add protein powders to smoothies and protein shakes. Throw a scoop of vanilla protein powder into your pudding mix or yogurt dishes.
Comments
Cherst1031 said
on 8/16/2008 This is just the information I was looking for, thanks!
Ladybugblue said
on 7/3/2008 Thanks for the informative article!
Pixie1976 said
on 7/3/2008 I am nuts for almonds!