The Ultimate Guide to Adding More Protein into Your Diet Without Relying on Chicken
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Introduction
Many of us are now doing the macronutrient diet and trying to add more protein to our day to day meals. And, even if you are not officially on the diet, a lot of us know we should be eating more protein, but we’re not quite sure how to do it. So what can happen is that we pick something that we are familiar with, that we know is a good protein source, and we start to eat it all the time. For many of us that is chicken and, let’s face it, endless chicken-based meals can become very boring, very quickly!
In this article, we are going to give you lots of ideas on how to incorporate lots more protein into your diet in a much more interesting and tasty way.
What can I eat on a protein diet?
According to MedicalNewsToday, some great protein sources are beans, corn, fish, including salmon and tuna, vegetables, including potatoes and cauliflower, seeds including chia and pumpkin, dairy, including cottage cheese, greek yoghurt and milk, quinoa, lentils, oats, meat, including chicken and turkey, sun-dried tomatoes and eggs.
How do I stop protein constipation?
A slightly indelicate matter is that you may well experience constipation when you reduce your carb intake and focus on more carbs. The way to counteract this is to consume more fibre. We should all be consuming foods with fibre anyway as they are generally good for our bodies and digestive system, and they fill us up.
According to Healthline.com, good choices for fibre foods are strawberries, avocados, apples, oats, quinoa, almonds, many veg, including sweet potatoes, and dark chocolate.
So our suggested foods and recipes in this article will also include fibre.
What do you eat for protein breakfast?
We are very lazy in the morning so we want something super easy – but we also want high levels of nutrition so we go for greek yoghurt, with strawberries (or whatever berries you like), with nuts and seeds and some died fruits like goji berries to add a little sweetness.
You can also add a couple of teaspoons of protein powder and mix it with the yoghurt.
Easy high protein breakfast with greek yoghurt
A product we absolutely love are Soya Protein Crispies with Cocoa – they are a whopping 77% protein. We are not affiliated with Koro, the company that supply them, but we use these a lot – we add them to our yoghurt breakfast and sometimes we have them as a snack with some milk.
A lot of recommended protein breakfasts include eggs and meat, such as bacon, and this is great if you have the time or inclination to cook in the morning. We don’t during the week but sometimes at the weekends we have been known to whip up scrambled eggs using free-range eggs, low-fat milk, salt and pepper. Sometimes we add some cottage cheese, which is high in protein and gives it a creamy consistency. And we sprinkle with chopped parsley for some taste and added fibre.
What are high protein snacks?
From the list of protein foods above, there are lots of ways to make healthy, filling snacks.
You could munch on a carrot stick or have an apple. We like a couple of rice cakes, with some hummus, with some added sun-dried tomatoes for a mid-morning snack.
Below we are giving you a receipe for baked chickpeas. These are a very filling and healthy snack, with a high protein, low calorie content. You can bulk make them for the week ahead and dip in for a handful whenever you need a quick snack. They feel like you could be snacking on crisps or peanuts but they are a much healthier option!
Roasted Chickpeas in an Air Fryer
Ingredients: chickpeas, honey, sea salt, olive oil
According to WebMD, chickpeas are really good for your physical and your mental health. They have high amounts of protein and fibre and are relatively low in calories.
We would recommend that you buy them uncooked in a packet rather than pre-cooked in a can because canned foods can contain low levels of a chemical called BPA, which is not great for your body. But canned food is much quicker and easier so do whatever works for you.
If you are going to use the packet, steep them overnight, then boil for ten minutes, simmer for a further 85 minutes and then drain. From there, for both chickpeas you cook yourself and those from a can, you need to dry them out. You can spread them on a clean tea towel, pat them with some kitchen towels and leave them to dry for up to one hour.
Chickpeas air drying after boiling
Once reasonably dry, pop them in your air fryer at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. In a bowl, mix olive oil, honey and salt. After thirty minutes, take the chickpeas out of the air fryer, coat them with the mixture and pop them back in the air fryer for 10 minutes.
They are delicious and can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Air-fryed chickpeas with olive oil, honey & salt
If you like the idea of using chickpeas as a high protein snack or using them in salads, hummus or any other dish, and you don’t want to spend lots of time cooking the chickpeas, why not bulk order the Queen Chickpeas listed below? They are very high quality and have a beautiful creamy texture!
Queen Chickpeas
The Bold Bean Co's Queen Chickpeas are an exceptional product that is sure to impress. These giant heirloom variety chickpeas are cooked slowly in small batches to give them a tender and ultra-creamy texture that is unlike any other.
The 12x 660g jars are a great value for money and offer plenty of chickpeas for various dishes. The product is gluten-free and dairy-free, making it suitable for people with dietary restrictions. The Bold Bean Co is a trusted brand known for its commitment to quality, and these chickpeas are no exception.
The Queen Chickpeas are imported from Spain, a country known for producing high-quality chickpeas. These chickpeas are different from the norm and are full-flavoured, bigger and better than regular chickpeas. They can be crisped up in the oven for a crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-in-the-centre marvel that can be added to salads, served with fish, or enjoyed as a protein-rich snack.
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Protein powder pancakes
In our article, The best protein powder for women and what to look out for, we gave the recipe for pancakes made from protein powder and eggs. These are great for lunch and are also a really good snack. We use chocolate flavoured whey protein powder so the pancakes taste quite nice on their own. They are quite dry so we like to eat them with some peanut butter, greek yoghurt and fruit.
What is a good high protein lunch?
Poke Bowl
We think the easiest lunch to make at home or pre-prepare and bring to work is a Poke Bowl. We are going to give our suggestions but you can change these up for whatever you like.
For the base, we use rice but you can opt for quinoa if you want to add more protein. We think rice has the best consistency and it’s a reasonably healthy carb.
Then we add: a tin of tuna, chopped avocado, chopped pineapple, chopped cucumber, sesame seeds. Sometimes we add some garden peas and we also like to add crushed seaweed. We buy sheets of the seaweed that is used to make sushi and we tear it into strips.
For the dressing we pour on soy sauce, some light mayonnaise and on the days we are feeling adventurous, we add a little wasabi sauce.
This dish is super tasty and full of both protein and fibre, not to mention so many other nutrients.
A high protein dinner
Baked Salmon & Sweet Potato
Again, we’re going to go lazy on this one. We like high nutrition but low prep & cooking time! We are going to suggest a fillet of salmon cooked in the air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes on 180 degrees. We also cut the sweet potato into cubes, season with sea or himalayan salt and also cook in the air fryer at the same temperature for 10 to 12 minutes.
On the side, we have some salad – mixed leaves, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion and some pumpkin seeds – in a dressing with olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and some honey.
This dinner is so nice and so easy to make and so packed with nutrition!
Our air fryer recommendations
Okay, so let’s talk about about air fryers! We have used them above to cook our high protein dinner option and our baked chickpeas. They are seriously a game-changer, especially if you’re on a protein diet. Who doesn’t love crispy, delicious food without all the extra oil and fat? With an air fryer, you can get that perfect crunch on your chicken, fish, or tofu, without having to worry about adding unnecessary calories.
Plus, it’s so easy to use – just pop your protein in, set the timer, and voila! It’s like magic. You can make everything from sweet potato fries to roasted vegetables in one of these bad boys. If you’re looking for a healthier way to cook your protein, an air fryer is definitely the way to go.
Below we list two options we like – one is a more budget option and the other is more expensive but has a larger capacity and more functionality. They are both good options, and you choice would depend on your needs.
Air Fryer Oven
The Uten Air Fryer Oven is a convenient kitchen tool that helps users cook healthier and delicious meals with little to no oil. With its 5.5L fryer basket, this air fryer is perfect for small families or individuals.
The air fryer operates with the latest rapid air technology, which allows for frying, grilling, baking, roasting, steaming, and food dehydration all in one machine. The adjustable temperature setting and auto-switch off timer (0-60 mins) help users to cook their food with little to no oil in a variety of ways.
Made of high-quality food grade stainless steel, the Uten Air Fryer Oven is free of chemical coating, PFOA-free, and BPA-free, making it a safe and healthy kitchen tool.
It is easy to use and cooks everything perfectly, from steaks, chicken, and fish to turbo charged roast potatoes.
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer
The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Digital Air Fryer AF300UK is an innovative kitchen appliance that offers numerous features and functions for efficient cooking. With 2 independent cooking zones, users can cook different foods simultaneously and have them ready at the same time.
It has a 7.6L capacity and 6 cooking functions including Air Fry, Max Crisp, Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate. The air fry function, in particular, can reduce up to 75% of fat compared to traditional frying methods.
The Ninja Foodi AF300UK also comes with two 3.8L cooking drawers, crisper plates, and a recipe guide. It has a wattage of 2400W and is made of aluminium and plastic materials.
The dual zone cooking allows different foods to be cooked with different programs at the same time. The sync button, which duplicates the settings of one cooking zone to the other, is a feature that is particularly helpful.
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Be patient!
When you are transitioning to a macronutrient or high-protein diet, give yourself time to adjust. Even consider doing it one meal at a time as it can be a big change for a lot of people. And if you are planning to make the switch permanently, what’s the rush? You could pick a 4 week period and plan the change gradually.
We also think that it is important to try different recipes. We are always seeing recipes on Tik Tok and Instagram that we try – sometimes we like them, sometimes we don’t – but it is important to build your knowledge of how to create a varied diet plan for your week.
Like we said above, nobody wants to eat chicken morning, noon and night!
Always have high protein supplies!
If you are serious about eating a certain amount of protein per day, it is a good idea to have snack supplies because it is very easy to get tempted by all the lovely high-carb options that are available everywhere! The easiest way to do this is to have a stokc of protein balls or protein bars at work and at home.
When selecting a protein bar, it’s important to look for one that contains a high amount of protein per serving, ideally around 20 grams or more. Additionally, the bar should have a low sugar content, as excessive sugar intake can negatively impact blood sugar levels and contribute to weight gain. A good protein bar should also contain a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and fiber to provide sustained energy and aid in digestion.
The option we are suggesting below, the Grenade White Chocolate Cookie Protein Bar, has 22 grams of protein and only 215 calories and is extremely tasty!
White Chocolate Cookie High Protein Bar
The Grenade White Chocolate Cookie Bar is a delicious and indulgent treat that is perfect for anyone looking for a high-protein snack that is low in sugar. With 22g of protein per bar, this triple-layered, chocolate-coated bar is packed full of protein and is perfect for a post-workout pick-me-up or a midday snack.
The White Chocolate Cookie flavour is particularly tasty and it is made with a blend of milk protein, whey protein, and calcium caseinate, as well as a range of other high-quality ingredients, including soy protein.
Overall, the Grenade White Chocolate Cookie Bar is a great choice for anyone looking for a tasty and nutritious snack that is both high in protein and low in sugar.
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Conclusion
We think there are huge benefits to eating more protein and it is worth all the effort. We would say that as protein helps build more muscle, we really recommend combining the diet with resistance training – check out our article Strong Bones, Stronger You: The Incredible Link Between Resistance Training and Bone Density
We also believe that eating this kind of diet makes weight loss much easier. The trick is to cut out refined or highly processed carbs completely, and only eat ‘good’ carbs in moderation like rice and potatoes.
What do you think about the macronutrient diet? Are you conscious of how much protein you are eating each day?