How to get more protein into your diet

Are you having trouble getting more protein into your diet? Eating enough protein is essential for healthy hormones, but many women struggle with getting enough. It can feel overwhelming to hear you always need to eat more protein for every meal and snack.

Most women should aim to get a minimum of 30 grams of protein at every meal, and that can feel like a lot, especially if you’re eating much less than that now. So how can you possibly get all that protein in?

Of course eating the typical protein foods such as fish, seafood, eggs, poultry, beef, legumes, organic soy products, dairy (if you tolerate it), nuts and seeds will give you protein, but there are other ways to get more protein in to help supplement those foods.

Here are some of my favorite ways to help you increase your protein throughout the day and get at least 30 g of protein in at every meal if you’re struggling to get enough:

1. Collagen powder: Collagen is the most abundant amino acid in the body, and it makes up our skin, hair, nails, joints, tendons, ligaments, and even the lining of our gastrointestinal tract. It can help improve gut health by healing leaky gut (intestinal permeability). It’s wonderful as a way to increase protein because it’s nearly flavorless, and dissolves easily in beverages. You can add it to coffee, water, smoothies, oatmeal, baked goods, and more - it’s incredibly versatile, and a great way to add more protein to a meal that’s lacking.

Note that collagen isn’t a complete protein (meaning it’s missing some amino acids), so you still need to get protein from other sources as well to meet all your amino acid needs.

2. Protein powders: This is similar to collagen but typically comes as a complete protein (so you don’t need another source of protein with it), and it isn’t flavorless like collagen is. You can add protein powders to smoothies, oatmeal, chia pudding, and more - it may take some experimentation to find a brand you like, but I typically recommend a goat milk whey protein powder for my clients who can tolerate some dairy as it is the most bioavailable and palatable, and has a lower chance of contamination with heavy metals than many of the plant-based powders.

3. 100% Grass Fed Jerky: This is a great option if you’re on the run and don’t have time to prepare a protein-containing meal or snack. PaleoValley (no affiliation) is a brand that has 100% grass fed beef and turkey jerkies that are naturally fermented with organic spices, and provide a quick and easy protein source without any unhealthy ingredients added like you’ll normally find in jerkies. 

4. Hardboiled eggs: I had to add this one in here because it’s one of the easiest and healthiest ways to add a healthy protein in throughout the day, and I recommend it to nearly every one of my clients. I typically recommend hard boiling a dozen eggs at the beginning of the week so you have them ready-to-go for a quick breakfast, snack, lunch, or even dinner protein. Eggs are incredibly nutrient-dense and an excellent source of bioavailable protein.

All of these (except the eggs) are quick fixes for snacks and should be additions to full meals when you’re struggling to get enough protein in. Most of your protein should be coming from full, balanced meals. Plant-based and animal-based sources can both be valuable sources of protein.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

If you’re interested in balancing your hormones, optimizing your cycle, improving gut health, and ditching PMS so you can have easy, pain-free periods, get pregnant when you want, and live the vibrant, joyful life you deserve, I encourage you to schedule a FREE strategy call with me so we can uncover what’s holding you back from living this way and make a game plan to help you feel amazing in your body.

You can schedule that free strategy call here. Feel free to reach out with any questions!