I tried the best way to reach my protein intake. Here’s what happened

Stephan Gärtner
3 min readAug 13, 2024

--

making it simple

Photo by Aleksander Saks on Unsplash

I’ve never been a huge fan of overly optimizing … well, anything.

The idea that you force yourself into a strict diet has always been a challenge for me. The strategy should always be to follow something that works in the long term.

Habits should be Simple — not sexy

You are basically a sum of your daily habits.

So here are the best habits how i have optimized my protein intake. And, how you can too…

Understanding Your Protein Needs

My first step in meeting your protein intake is understanding how much do I need. Protein requirements vary based on factors such as age, sex, activity level, and fitness goals. Here’s a general guideline to help you determine your needs:

  • Sedentary Adults: 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.6 grams per kilogram).
  • Active Individuals: 1.0–1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight (2.0–2.2 grams per kilogram).
  • Professional Athletes/Bodybuilders: 1.2–1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight (2.2–3.3 grams per kilogram).

By calculating your protein needs, you can set a clear target to aim for each day.

Spreading Protein Intake Throughout the Day

Another important factor is to distribute your intake evenly across meals and snacks. This approach helps to maintain muscle protein synthesis throughout the day and prevents muscle breakdown. Here’s how I usually ate throughout the day.

  • Breakfast: Start my day with a protein-rich meal. Options include eggs, Greek yoghurt, protein smoothies, or oatmeal topped with nuts and seeds.
  • Lunch: Lean proteins like grilled chicken, turkey, or tofu are awesome for lunch. Also salads, grain bowls, and sandwiches can be easily enhanced with these additions.
  • Dinner: Focus on a balanced meal with a substantial protein source such as fish, lean meat, or plant-based proteins like lentils or quinoa.
  • Snacks: I love protein-packed snacks on hand, such as cottage cheese, protein bars, nuts, or a boiled egg. For me these are the tiny bits that make a huge difference in the end.

By ensuring that each meal and snack contains a portion of protein, I could effortlessly reach my daily goals.

Photo by Rachel Park on Unsplash

Choosing High-Quality Protein Sources

The quality of your protein sources matters just as much as the quantity. There are reasons Why professional athletes dont eat a plant based diet Here’s a breakdown of some excellent options that I consume regularly:

  • Animal-Based Proteins: These are complete proteins, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids. Include lean meats (chicken, turkey, lean beef), fish (salmon, tuna, cod), eggs, and dairy products (Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, milk).
  • Plant-Based Proteins: While some plant proteins are incomplete, you can combine different sources to get all essential amino acids. Good choices include lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, tempeh, edamame, quinoa, and seitan.
  • Protein Supplements: If you’re struggling to meet your protein needs through food alone, protein powders like whey, casein, or plant-based options (pea, soy, hemp) can be a convenient addition, especially post-workout.

Incorporating Protein-Rich Foods Into Your Diet

Another simple but essential step was to implement more protein-rich foods into my diet. These foods provide Nutrition that plays a vital role of your performence when training. Here are some practical tips that i used for adding more protein to your daily diet:

  • Lean Meats: Opt for cuts like chicken breast, turkey, and lean beef. These provide a high amount of protein with lower fat content.
  • Seafood: Incorporate fish and shellfish into your meals for a protein boost along with beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Dairy Products: Low-fat or fat-free dairy products like milk, yoghurt, and cheese are excellent sources of protein.
  • Eggs: Versatile and nutritious, eggs can be included in various meals throughout the day.
  • Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, peanuts, chia seeds, and hemp seeds provide not only protein but also healthy fats and fibre.

Thank you for reading if you liked my content and want to support me, make sure to follow prime.fitness.healthcare

For more content visit: https://linktr.ee/primefitnesshealthcare

--

--