5 Ways to Increase Your Protein Intake

Everyone knows that increasing protein intake is a great way to improve your physique. High protein diets have been shown to increase metabolism, improving satiety (how full you feel after a meal), and increasing weight loss .Increasing your protein also increases muscle protein synthesis. This leads to increased strength and muscle size (through the use of protein to repair and rebuild muscle fibres) . But how can you easily increase your protein intake? In this article we will look at 5 ways to do so

#01_TRACK CALORIES:

If you have no idea how much protein you are currently consuming, how can you know for sure how much more you need?
There are many ways to find out how much protein you should be taking, but using an online macro calculator is the easiest (macros are protein, fat, and carbohydrates).

Once you have worked out how many calories you should be eating per day, and how much of those calories should be coming from protein you can start tracking your current diet. Using a calorie tracking app such as My Fitness Pal (or any of the alternatives available), you can begin to get an idea of the amount of protein you are currently consuming.

As most westerners are currently consuming too much fat and carbohydrates, and not enough protein it is safe to assume that you will need to make a change.

#02_SPREAD YOUR PROTEIN ACROSS THE DAY:

Many people (particularly the elderly) tend to take the majority of their protein at dinner time, whilst consuming almost none at breakfast and lunch. A good way to increase your daily protein intake is to concentrate on increasing protein to these two meals, so for breakfast you could try to find a higher protein option.

#03_SWAP LOW PROTEIN FOODS FOR HIGH PROTEIN FOODS:

Look at all the food you are currently eating, and try to replace the lower protein foods with higher protein versions. For example you could replace a regular yoghurt (4.4g protein) with Greek yoghurt (10g protein). Or you could choose porridge with milk (8g protein) rather than plain toast with butter (3g protein).
Just small changes, but they all add up!

#04_TAKE WHEY PROTEIN AFTER A WORKOUT:

Now there is a lot of debate about whether the Anabolic window exists or not, in other words we’re not sure whether taking protein immediately after a workout is necessary. But if you are looking to increase your protein intake then having a whey protein shake after every workout is a great way to add 25-50g of protein to your diet with ease.
Whey protein has many benefits, and has been shown to improve metabolism, increase thermogenesis, and combat obesity .

#05_TAKE CASEIN PROTEIN:

A study in 2012 found that taking Casein protein (a powdered protein similar to whey) immediately before bed helped increase muscle protein synthesis . This means that it can help build muscle and increase strength after exercise, it will also help with recovery.
With a standard dose of Casein protein containing 24g of protein it’s also a great way to increase your daily protein intake.

                                                       

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