Want some ideas to add some extra protein in to your diet? Take a look at some of the top foods we regularly turn to when we need to want to add in some extra protein for building and repairing muscle.
Beef Steak
Beef is an easy one to start with – it’s very quick to cook and you have it grilled as a main, sliced up on a sandwich or in chunks in a stew. Typically, most cuts of steak will have anything from 25 – 30g of protein per 100g of steak so are a great addition to any diet. Be sure to watch out for fat content as some popular cuts like Rib-eye are quite high in fat which may be the exact opposite of what your diet needs. Sirloin steak tends to be lower in fat, but a visible check when you buy it will easily show you how much fat is on the meat.
Chicken breast
Chicken is one of the best ways to get protein – strip away the skin and there is virtually no fat content but plenty of that precious protein! Stick to chicken breasts and you’ll be getting around 30g protein per 100g, and you can do so much with it! Roast it, fry it, boil it – have it in a curry or stew. This makes chicken one of the more versatile foods to have in your diet and you can incorporate it in to many meals.
Tuna
Most fish are great sources of protein, but I think Tuna is my favourite. With 22-30g protein per 100g, it is a right up there with the top foods and there really isn’t anything in it that is bad for you. In addition to protein you’ll also get plenty of vitamins and minerals, and whether it is from a can or you’re cooking a whole Tuna Steak you’re not going to lose any of that.
Dairy – Milk, Yoghurt, Eggs
OK, so technically this is three foods, but all three of these share a dairy theme and are all packed full of protein. Milk, if you stick to semi or full fat provide a massive boost to calories and protein, and even the leftover – skimmed milk – can still provide some nutrition. Yoghurts come in all shapes and sizes and plenty of different flavours to help you add protein from a small snack. Chuck some fruit in with a Greek yoghurt and you have a tasty desert you can enjoy anytime.
Likewise, eggs can be cooked however you like and mixed with a lot of different foods to provide a great protein boost with any meal.
Pistachio Nuts
Nuts of all kinds are great sources of protein, and their versatility means they can be enjoyed anytime as a snack. Pistachios are the best for this as they contain around 20g of protein per 100g, though most other nuts have between 10-15g too. Just watch out for some packets containing excessive amounts of salt or being roasted in hydrogenated oils.
