Protein’s having a moment right now, and for good reason. It’s what our bodies are built on, it helps us to sustain and build muscle, and helps to regulate blood sugar.
As a therapist, I always encourage my clients to prioritize protein because insufficient protein intake is correlated with blood sugar swings, anxiety, and depression. Mental health is predicated on a foundation of physical health (and vice versa) so I highly recommend prioritizing protein with every meal and snack.
Also note that animal protein is much more readily utilized (this is called bioavailability) by the body than plant protein. This is not to devalue plant protein, but to make you aware that you may not be utilizing as much protein as you think if you are consuming a higher amount of plant versus animal. Here’s an article illustrating this with omega 3s.
Here are my top 5 tips for prioritizing protein intake:
Add Collagen to your Coffee
If you aren’t adding collagen to your coffee, your missing out on an easy way to up your protein intake every day. It’s also a great way to avoid a blood sugar spike in the morning if you like your coffee first thing (before food) like I do.
Here’s how I make my coffee every morning. I have this coffee maker and use the single serve option.
- After adding my coffee, I prep my mug. I add a little cream (I use nutpods dairy-free creamer as I’m currently on a gut-healing journey and eliminating dairy is part of my protocol. Otherwise I use half and half.) and a few vanilla monkfruit drops (also like this one).
- While it’s brewing, I heat up more cream and vanilla monkfruit drops for about 30 seconds. I froth that.
- Once the coffee is done brewing, I add a scoop of unflavored collagen to the coffee and use the frother to blend.
- Then I top with the frothed milk.
- It’s sooo good and packed with protein that you don’t even taste!
Eat a Protein-Rich Breakfast
This is the time to set yourself up for success for the day. My favorite breakfast that my whole family eats every single weekday is scrambled eggs with sausage or ham, usually bell pepper and onion, and topped with avocado.
On occasion, I’ll make a smoothie with berries, collagen, yogurt, milk, and ground flax seed. I add about 3 scoops of collagen for 30 grams of protein.
Prep Protein to Have in Your Fridge
I like to have 2-3 options available. My go-tos are energy balls and ground beef.
- For the ground beef, I cook 1 pound of grass-fed ground beef (purchased directly from a local farm) and mix with a packet of mild Siete taco seasoning. I eat with Siete corn tortilla chips and an organic guacamole cup (which I buy at Costco).
- My go-to homemade energy balls are either these chocolate peanut butter ones or my own recipe for pumpkin ones. Recipe below (a sneak-peek from my e-cookbook):
- 3 scoops Paleo Valley vanilla protein powder
- 2 tbsp. coconut flour
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter (just peanuts or peanuts and salt)
- 1/2 pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tbsp. ground flax seed
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- Mix together everything except the chocolate chips, then, once incorporated, mix in the chocolate chips. Use a small scooper to make into balls (or use your hands) then chill in the fridge. Enjoy!
Make Protein the Center of Each Meal
When you make a plate for each meal, make sure protein is the star of the show. Protein, along with good fats, will keep you full and satisfied. It’s virtually impossible to overeat protein, whereas it’s quite easy to overeat with carbs.
My favorite proteins to cook at home are grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and wild caught salmon. Here’s a blog with a list of my favorite recipes (over 100!).
Have Easy Protein-Rich Snack Options Available
- I love Paleo Valley chocolate bone broth protein powder as a snack! I simply blend or shake 2 scoops with about 10-12 oz. of milk and then serve in a glass over ice. So refreshing! You can also make it a meal by blending with 1/2 banana and a scoop of peanut butter!
- Mix together plain yogurt with your favorite protein powder or collagen. Top with your favorite granola (I love Purely Elizabeth) and a drizzle of peanut butter (single ingredient – I buy Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter).
- Paleo Valley Meat Sticks
- Paleo Valley or Perfect Bars (available at most grocery stores and Costco)
- Make a smoothie with berries, yogurt, and collagen (you can also add a little ground flax seed for some extra fiber!).
Hope this helps to get you started in prioritizing your protein intake to feel fuller, more satisfied, with stable energy and mood throughout the day!
