This may be the secret to a healthy weight!

Protein could be your secret to a healthy weight. I believe in a whole food, balanced diet. Yet, I have found I have to be very intentional about getting adequate protein in my diet. You don’t have to track your diet long term. However, if you are unsure about how much protein you eat per day or aren’t at your ideal weight, track it for 3 days. There are many apps for this.  The one I use is Carbon.  

There are many recommendations for how much protein the body needs.  The formula that I have used over the years and has worked well is 1 gram per ideal body weight. If your ideal body weight is 150 pounds, you would want to eat 150 grams of protein. This may be a goal that you need to work up to, but aim for at least 100 grams of protein per day, spread out throughout the day.  

Protein is one of the 3 macro nutrients your body needs to function. It builds muscle, but does so much more. It helps manage blood glucose, burn body fat, and even helps regulate appetite. Researchers at University of Kansas Medical Center used fMRIs and discovered that adding more protein, specifically to your first meal of the day, literally decreased the signals in the brain that stimulate appetite and lead to overeating. (Stevenson, Shawn: Eat Smarter, 2020)

Try to start your day with protein.  You will feel less hungry throughout the day.

Ideas to do this are:

1.  2 eggs + Cottage Cheese: Cook eggs until almost done. Add ½ cup cottage cheese and then cook a couple minutes longer. The cottage cheese I like is from Good Culture. (28 grams protein)

2.  Smoothie: Add a scoop of protein powder equivalent to 30 grams,  ½ cup organic frozen fruit, spinach, and water or almond milk. (30 grams protein)

3. Fairlife Shakes: They have premade nutritional shakes that have 30 grams of protein. Often Costco will carry these! I don’t love premade/packaged things, but sometimes if I am on the go, this is a great option! (30 grams protein)

4. Chia Pudding: ½ cup greek yogurt, ½ cup water, 30 grams protein power, 2 Tbsp chia seeds, pinch of salt, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, vanilla exact (optional), 1 cup berries, 1 tsp sliced almonds. (48 grams protein) (Lyon, Gabrielle: Forever Strong, 2023)

Tip for extra protein

Try to add unflavored collagen to a drink in the morning. I drink green tea and add it.  It doesn’t have a flavor and helps get an extra 18 grams of protein!

Snacks on the go with higher protein:

1.  IQ Bars:  They have 12 grams plant protein and 8 grams of fiber, plus clean ingredients.

2. Built Bars: These have 17 grams of protein (depends on the flavor) and are more processed, but I do like the flavor.  

3. Chomps Meat Stick: Grass fed and cleaner than other meat sticks with 9 grams of protein.

Protein As You Age

Many people think as they age, they don’t need as much protein. This isn’t true. In fact, protein is key to healthy aging because it helps with reduce muscle loss. Keeping your muscle is key as you age. Resistance training and adequate protein help your body with maintaining and building lean muscle.