with this underrated (& unspoken) protein hack
your 2 eggs on toast, smashed avo or hummus sadly doesn’t cut it here
protein supports lean body mass, fullness & satiety, lowering cravings, blood sugar control & given the right food selection it can definitely support health down the line
(aka limiting saturated fat, especially from animal products, including butter)
MANY women in particular can think they eat a lot of protein but end a day with 60-80g! most
While 1.8g/kg is the minimum id recommend with 2.2g/kg being the better target to aim for…
Studies show that body composition, fat loss & building muscle can only be enhanced with even up to 3.5g/kg (there are situations where this is less than optimal like if you sacrifice carbs for energy & performance JUST to top out protein)
First, some heart break
If your idea of protein includes an egg or 2 with breakfast, or an afternoon protein bar …carrots with hummus/nuts or a chia seed pudding, NONE of these are good protein sources
2 eggs (even with high protein toast)
Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat
BUUUT it only gives 12g protein with 11g fat and 150 calories
Cheese also goes here as its mostly calories from fat
“protein chocolate, cereals” or “high protein muesli bars”
I mean if you prefer that one great, otherwise you’re just paying extra money for overpriced hype that isn’t even *high* in protein. Being 5, 7 or 10g of protein VS 2-5g in the ordinary version, doesn’t make it high protein
Protein balls & bars
BALLS are probably the worst invention and lie in the high protein hEaLtH & fitness market
and Vegan ones are usually worse. They are typically very high in calories fat in carbs more than the actual protein grams.
Theyre really just candy
Bars tend to fare better but with the calories they have that could be better spent on more enjoyable nutrient dense food, they really aren’t better filling for their high calories.
For the above, if it has 20g+ protein for <205 calories, its an okay option.
Peanut butter is high in fat and energy dense
155cal per serve
5g protein
15g fat
Even legumes which on their own, these are NOT enough as a protein source.
they’re ~60% carbs… adding them alongside other protein sources like tofu etc… can improve the ratio
Even a single serve of tuna or Greek yoghurt!!
(#4 in my tips later will be a welcome surprise! Especially if you want to enjoy your chocolate or icecream every night)
^^ now these in themselves aren’t low protein food, but if it was the only protein in a meal.. it just wont cut it as most meals should be shooting for the 30g+ (especially if you are 40yo+)
Luckily there are simple solutions
here are 4 ways to approach optimizing for the body you want & MAXIMIZING your results
FAT LOSS or MUSCLE BUILDING
[1] LEARN THE BEST SOURCES
A+ tier
Eggwhites, chicken/turkey breast, ground/mince beef 95%+, protein powder, tuna & white fish, shrimp, Mycoprotein (found in vegan products)
B+ tier
Skim milk, nonfat cheeses/Greek yoghurts/cottage cheese, tofu, 93%+ meats, SOME pre made protein shakes, QUORN (plant based)
Eggs, Salmon & fatty fish are highly nutritious protein sources (like eggs) but per 100g have 122cals fat: 84 cals from protein (20-21g protein)
[2] PLAN AHEAD – & actually prep some COMPONENTS of this
You can plan in easy protein snacks and work around lower tier protein
A way I also do this for daily + extra for emergency plans, I bag up 150g of raw chicken breast in the freezer, stock up on extra tuna, tinned lower fat salmon & sardines
When cooking dinner, make for the next days lunch – or even cook for 3-5 extra meals
Prep a bunch of chicken & fridge it for 3-4 days
I do 7 days at a time personally, fridge 4, freeze 3
[3] UP the amount you use in each meal or protein stack!
Eggs + eggwhites (+CC) bonus the veg
[4] BULK UP YOUR MEALS and stop snacking OTHERWISE eat better snacks
I prefer 4-5 meals with an optional snack.
Some options – FF Greek yoghurt/cottage cheese + whatever, homemade smoothie/shake with something, beef jerky, hard boiled eggwhites & egg
Ps. Many protein bars are candy bars in disguise.
[5} meal ideas for PHYSIQUE & PERFORMANCE OPTIMISATION
Egg + eggwhites as a base; omelette, frittata, egg white muffins + toss in veg
Pancakes/waffles/mugcakes/brownies; protein powder + eggwhites + an egg as a base. Add in banana/apple puree (go babyfood for no added nasties), add in grated zucchini or mashed pumpkin for brownies or even oats!
“Bolognese” sauce (vegans can use lentils/quorn/tvp); pasta sauce + veggies + lean meat. Some stock or tomato paste for added flavour. Herbs, spices..
You can even eat as is, or add to potato, pumpkin, stuffed eggplants, mushrooms or bell peppers…
Or add to pasta or rice!
Burrito bowls! Easy to turn plant based. For lower cals, go cauli rice or a 50:50 blend
Smoothies (comment PROTEIN if you want my free PDF of multi protein flavours, make sure youre following @transformxruby to get it)
Yoghurt bowls!
FF Greek yoghurt (you can mix with FF cottage cheese for more volume and texture) + protein powder; add fruit for sweetness, diet jello optional, cocoa powder for extra chocolate, pb powder
You can add cereal/rice cakes/crackers/chocolate where they fit in your macros
BULK UP THOSE MEALS and then you can have your icecream + fruit & chocolate dessert without guilt over missing protein
TRANSFORM x RUBY 