5 key ways to get protein into every meal

Hey there healthy veggie!

There is no doubt whatsoever that protein is key to a healthy diet (and a lack of it contributes to obesity too).

Protein:

• regulates hunger hormones so you feel more full and satisfied with food and so you don’t empty and hungry even after eating - and are more likely to lose weight
  

• helps promote muscle which helps you burn more calories and keeps you more active later in life
  

• and high protein diets have been shown to lower triglycerides, reduce blood pressure, and decrease waist circumference which are all factors closely linked with reduced risks for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes

All great reasons to eat lots of protein

But as vegetarians, we tend to replace the protein from meat inadequately. 

We either add cheese (I love it, but too much too often is way too fatty) or we skip it completely and then end up feeling hungry and dissatisfied from the lack of protein.

Here are my five tried and tested ways of getting more protein into my diet.

1 - Take the protein-first approach

With every meal you cook, think about where the protein is going to come from. Is it going to be chickpeas, lentils, tofu, eggs, grains, cheese or other dairy? There are plenty of exciting vegetarian choices!

2 - Use less oil

Oil is tasty and easy to cook with, but so crazy high in calories it’s unbelievable. I like to use it, and still do, but these days I’m far more careful with it (and our recipes are, too).

By cutting down the calories you’ll leave yourself with far more room for extra protein.

3 - Use low-fat dairy when possible

Many forms of dairy - cheese, milk, cream, and yoghurt can all be found with low fat versions (and therefore have fewer calories).

On their own they don’t taste as good as their full-fat counterparts, but when cooked the right way and with the right flavour pairings, you’ll be hard-pressed to notice a difference.

4 - Focus on higher-quality carbs

Swapping white for wholegrain, for example. Not only do they contain more far more nutrients, they also have much more all-important fiber, which will also keeping you feeling nice and full!

5 - Focus on high-protein snacks

These made a huge difference for me during our last Challenge, and my favourite is the humble protein shake. They really keep you feeling full between meals. No need to be afraid of them either, though I try to avoid them before bed otherwise I’ll wake needing a pee.

Putting it all together

By making these five changes you’ll be able to radically shift your meal quality and adopt a tasty, long-lasting way of eating.

It’s the way we design all of our recipes at Hurry The Food Up, and these recipes are also a key component of The Vegetarian Protein Fix (Summer Challenge now open!).

Even if you just start with one or two of these tips in your regular meals, I’m absolutely sure you’ll feel and even see the difference!

If you want even more structure and personal support from me, James and Hauke then join the Summer Challenge now as well!

Speak soon,

Dave, James & Hauke

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