How to ‘protein-boost’ your regular meals – without rewriting your diet

Why add protein?

When carbohydrates are eaten alone, they break down into glucose quickly which can lead to high glucose levels after meals. Pairing your carbohydrates with protein slows down the carbohydrate digestion which flattens any glucose spikes. It is best to use wholefood 'natural' protein sources and there are many easy ways to do this.

Natural Protein Sources

Always choose natural protein sources first. Let’s clarify what is meant by ‘natural’ and why it matters. Natural protein sources generally mean food that naturally contains protein, rather than products that have protein added to them.

So, think:

• Meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Tofu
• Beans
• Lentils
• Greek yoghurt
• Cheese
• Milk
• Nuts

Easy ways to ‘protein-boost’ your meals

1. Add protein-rich ingredients to your main meals

You can either use a natural protein source as the main component of your meal or add protein as an 'extra'. For example, if you’re having toast with avocado for breakfast, add some ricotta, cottage cheese or eggs.

If you’re having pasta with a tomato-based sauce for dinner, try adding a large tin of tuna or blend some beans or tofu into the sauce

Hot tip: you can barely taste cannellini beans when blended with pasta sauce and they’re an excellent source of plant protein and fibre.

If you feel like pancakes for breakfast...add Greek yoghurt to the batter. This helps give a fluffy and creamy consistency and boosts the protein content.

Not a fan of either of those options? Perhaps sprinkle some nuts or seeds over your meals for extra protein and crunch.

2. Swap for more protein-rich choices

There are many swaps you can try to increase protein content.

Let's look at some easy swaps:

• Regular yoghurt → Greek yoghurt
• Porridge cooked with water → Porridge cooked with milk or soy milk
• Butter or jam on toast → nut butter, eggs, or baked beans on toast
• Regular pasta → chickpea- or lentil-based pasta
  
  

3. Snack with protein in mind

When choosing your snacks, try to think about adding a protein source. Before snacking, consider if there is protein in your snack. If not, find a protein can you pair it with.

Some examples include:

• Wholegrain crackers with cheese
• Fruit with Greek yoghurt
• Banana with nut butter
• Milk coffee e.g. latte
• Smoothie with milk and Greek yoghurt

Be aware of protein marketing

There are now many foods and drinks labelled as 'high protein'. While these products can be useful, a 'high protein' label does not always mean a product is healthier or that you need more protein in your diet.

Food companies may use protein claims to make their products more appealing. Protein products may also be promoted in different ways, such as helping to build muscle OR lose weight. Looking beyond the claims on the label and considering the overall nutrition of a food can help you make better choices.

Be aware that some high protein products are highly processed and contain high levels of:

• Saturated fat
• Sodium (salt)
• Added sugars.

Some examples of these include 'high protein' bars, cookies, brownies, chocolate, ice creams, crackers and water.

A good way to know what is in a product is by reading the ingredients list on the packaging. A sign that a food is highly processed is when it contains:

• Long ingredient lists (usually more than 5 ingredients)
• Multiple ingredients you don’t recognise.

Lastly, remember that there are plenty of foods that naturally have protein in them. So, think twice when you see a label that says ‘high protein cheese’ or ‘high protein Greek yoghurt’. You don't need to spend more money to get a few extra grams of protein in a food that is already a good source.

Written by Faa Rattananupap and Amalia Triantafyllopoulos, Dietitian students
Reviewed by Sammie Lyne, Accredited Practising Dietitian