Top Five Hacks to Get More Protein

I've been on a big protein kick lately. First it was me experimenting with the carnivore diet. Next how protein benefits and is a good predictor for not having life suck when you get older. Next it was my top five (ok six) proteins.

And here are my top ways to get more protein in your diet.

But first, this can't be understated. Protein is stupid important to your near term jackedness and long term well being (same same).

If you are looking to lose weight, gain muscle, either with a personal trainer, working out at Rise Strength and Performance, or on your own at a park in Lebanon, you must get A LOT of protein -- 1 gram per pound of body weight is a good starting point.

NUMBER ONE - Protein Powder in Snacks/Cereal/Yogurt/Milk/Coffee

2 servings of protein powder is usually about 45-50 grams of protein. You can get some pretty darn good tasting ones with very little extra added calories (to learn how to know if you’ve got a good protein, click HERE).

If you get vanilla protein powder and add two scoops to your cereal, you’ve gone from a carb bomb to a carb bomb plus 50 grams of protein with some milk. Put the cereal in, put the protein in, then add the milk and stir. Boom.

Same with a snack – say you want an afternoon snack because you’re a child deep down. You can make Protein Balls or get protein bars that help get you to your protein.

Yogurt, same thing, a couple scoops of protein powder and your greek yogurt just went from 16 grams of protein to 70 grams – ⅓ of your daily needs if you’re trying to get 200+ grams of protein.

If you like cream in your coffee, make a super thick protein shake and use that as your creamer. Nommy nommy.

If you like a glass of milk before bed because you’re a 90 year old, throw protein powder in it. 

NUMBER TWO - Add eggs to any meal

Eggs have about 7 grams of protein and are relatively tasteless. If you want to get more protein in your diet, add it to any meal. Burger at lunch? Throw an egg on top or on the side. Salad for dinner? Throw 3 eggs on it! Making pancakes? Use double the amount of egg yolks! Want an afternoon snack? Take hard boiled eggs with you to work!!

NUMBER THREE - Add ground beef to any meal

Much like eggs, ground beef if left without any seasoning can blend in a bit. So, if you’re having a salad, throw some beef on it. If you’re having some eggs for breakfast, throw some ground beef in it. If you’re having ground beef, throw some ground beef in it!

NUMBER FOUR - Have protein on the ready! 

A great way to guarantee you’ll eat protein is to guarantee you’ll have protein around to eat. Your environment dictates your behavior, your behavior dictates your outcomes.

So, make lots of food at the beginning of the week to have around the house. If you don’t have it around, you will default to your standard – which heretofore made you unhappy and unhealthy.

Ground beef stays freshest the longest, so cook up like 4 pounds of it at the beginning of the week. Next is chicken, then fish. Make a lot of it, put it in separate containers so you can grab it as you’re rushing out the door. The more you prepare to win, the more you’ll win.

NUMBER FIVE - Change your mindset on food

Too many people view food like they view entertainment – it must be penultimate entertainment and new or you’re not interested (hence doom scrolling on Netflix). For food, it must be penultimate tasting and new or I’m not interested.

Or people use food to avoid feeling pain (and as a former fat, depressed 10 year old w/ divorced parents and confronting extreme isolation, I get that for sure). Please try to find better coping mechanisms, like lifting weights at Rise Strength and Performance.

View food as an input to help you be happy rather than make you happy. Once that shift happens, you’re cool with ground beef on your salad or protein powder in your coffee or hard boiled eggs as a snack. 

But you’ve got to decide to change that mindset. Food is an input, not a source of pleasure or way to avoid pain.