A Practical Guide to Protein
You probably know that protein is important. If your goals involve getting stronger, building muscle, burning fat, or get healthier, you'll need to dial in your intake. In this practical guide, we’ll make it easy to get enough protein. While it’s based on science, it’s simply my experience with lessons I’ve learned in my fitness and coaching journey.
In this guide, you'll learn:
- Why getting enough protein matters
- What is enough protein
- How to know if a food is a good protein source
- How much protein to consume daily
- A list of no-prep and low-prep high-protein foods to keep handy.
Who this is Guide is For
This guide is for busy people who want a simple approach to nutrition. What’s cool about these protein guidelines is that it works for every fitness goal.
Why You Should Prioritize Protein
Protein is the first place I start when addressing nutrition. For most of my clients, it's easier to start working on nutrition by eating more of something than taking things away. I like to prioritize protein because:
- Effective workouts wreck your body, then your body uses protein to repair itself. Refuel your body to get your gains faster. This could also reduce overall soreness levels.
- Protein burns more calories when it's broken down. (Google thermic effect of food)
- Protein makes you feel fuller longer, making overeating more difficult.
How to know if a food is high in protein
Most foods contain more than one macronutrient. (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) For a source to be considered high in protein it should be relatively higher than the carbs and fats.
The 10:1 Protein Ratio
A good rule of thumb is the 10:1 protein to calorie ratio. It’s an easy way to check if a food is high in protein, especially snacks! What the 10:1 Protein Ratio means: For a high-protein food, calories should be less than 10x the amount of protein. If a snack is 140 cal, there should be at least 14g of protein in it to be considered high in protein. If a snack is 100 cal, it should have at least 10g of protein. The inverse = If a food has 20g of protein, the total calories should be less than 10 times that (200 cal)
Misleading Marketing
Don't get duped by misleading marketing. To know if a food is a good protein source, check the nutrition facts. It’s perfectly legal for companies to use unregulated buzzwords like “high-protein” or “protein-packed”
Peanut butter is often referred to as a protein-rich food. But check this out: Peanut Butter has 8 grams of protein, 6g of carbs, and 16g of fat. While it does have protein, it has DOUBLE the fat content. 1 tbsp of pb = ~190 cal. Most of the cal comes from carbs + fat. Therefore, peanut butter is delicious but it’s NOT a primary protein source. It’s more like a fat source that has protein. (this goes for other nuts too.)
How much protein to eat daily
I like to start with at least 60-70% of your current bodyweight in grams of protein. For example, if you weigh 200lbs, eat 120-140g of protein per day.
If you have trouble with the 60-70%, instead make sure you get at least 50% of your bodyweight in grams of protein.
Note: Protein in grams is the amount of protein a food has, NOT the weight. For example, 1 Cup of Chicken breast weighs ~140g, but it has 43g protein and 5g fat.
General Protein Guidelines
- When possible, get your protein in consistent dosages more frequently vs all your protein in one meal. The body likes it better.
- You don't need to "protein-ize" every food or meal. For me, the best protein cookie never beats a regular cookie. It’s about staying on track with your protein so that you have more flexibility for when you do want to eat non goal-oriented food.
- Always check if a food is actually higher in protein. Don't assume a food is high-protein because the label says it.
- Restaurants create meals based on economics + general perception of a meal. Most places do NOT give you enough protein. It's up to you to double up on your servings.
Oikos protein yogurt (15-20g/container)
They also have 20g ones, and 15g ones. Add some fruit on top and oooph. (Amazing for breakfast and dessert) I love greek yogurt in the AM but these portioned-out protein-specific options make planning even easier.
Cottage cheese (15g/container)
Good Culture Cottage Cheese. It's in a mini pack that looks like a yogurt container. Just like the yogurt above, add some fruit to step up its game.
Fairlife Core Power (26g/bottle)
It's kind of like drinking a premade protein shake or chocolate milk. If you don't mind the feeling of drinking a ton of milk, this can yield a ton of protein. There's a bottle that has 46g of protein too!
Stryve Beef Biltong Jerky (16g/serving)
Stryve Biltong is a South African style beef jerky. It's more like air-dried beef. Regular beef jerky work here too! Other brands are Archer Beef Jerky and Chomps
Chunk Light Canned tuna (48g/can)
I like Chicken of the Sea. 16g in a serving, 3 servings per can. It's pretty wild. Mix this into a pasta or make a tuna salad with it but careful with the fat count.
Pure Protein Bar (20p/bar)
I like to think of protein bars like a candy bar that had a baby with whey protein. They're closer to a candy bar than other protein sources. Better than nothing, I stick like 6 of these in my car or bags in case of emergency.
Other protein bars I like:
Barebells = 20g protein, 17g carbs (0.8:1 carb to protein)
Quest Bar = 20g protein, 22g carbs (1.1:1 carb to protein)
RXbar = 12g protein, 23g carbs (2:1 carb to protein)
What about Clif Bars?
If you use the method of analysis from earlier, you'll see that a normal Clif Bar wouldn't be best classified as a protein bar. It's 10g protein, 43g carbs, 6g fat. It's a 4:1 ratio in carbs to fat. Note: That doesn't mean it's not \"healthy,\" it's meant for a quick burst of energy, not for protein. (this applies to the \"Perfect Bar\" too.)
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard and Ascent Whey Protein (24g)
I like gold standard by Optimum Nutrition because it's less expensive and accessible. Ascent whey protein is my favorite in terms of flavor. It's the "cleanest" in terms of least ingredients compared to any other protein I found.
Note (4/23/24) I think they discontinued the Naturally Flavored one in the picture. I moved to the Ascent Vanilla protein!
Honorable Mentions
Using the 10:1 ratio of protein to calories, they aren’t quite lean protein sources but do have moderate amounts of protein.
Goodles Protein Pasta (14g per pack of “Cheddy Mac”)
A solid pasta alternative at times. 14 grams of protein, 47 grams of carbs. You can get these at Target!
Immi Ramen Noodles (~21p,310 cal) (not pictured)
A ramen alternative. I don’t love this one but it’s not horrible. You can get these online here!
A List of High Protein Foods:
Add these to your grocery list.
No Prep, High Protein Food
- Oikos protein yogurt (15-20g/container)
- Cottage cheese (15g/container)
- Fairlife Core Power (26g/bottle)
- Stryve Beef Biltong (16g/serving)
- Canned tuna (48g/can)
- Pure Protein Bar (~20g/bar)
- Whey protein (24g)
Low Prep, High Protein Food (Some prep work)
- Chicken breast
- Chicken thighs
- Steak: Top sirloin
- Steak: New York strip
- Lean ground beef (93:7)
- Ground turkey
- Eggs and egg whites
- Salmon
- Scallops
Honorable Mentions
Using the 10:1 ratio of protein to calories, they aren’t quite lean protein sources but do have moderate amounts of protein.
- Goodles - Protein Pasta (14g per pack of “Cheddy Mac”)
- Immi - Protein Ramen (21g per pack of the “Black Garlic Chicken Ramen”)
