Recipes: Protein Edition

I get asked all the time by clients what recipes I recommend for getting adequate protein. There are so many possibilities. Here are four recipes that work great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and of course, there are many more!)..

In general, I love to mix and match different recipes for my week to create a selection of meals that are tasty and easy to pull together.

Eating healthy can taste good. I promise you!

So, why focus on protein?

All of our cells are made up of proteins, including our muscles, hair, skin, and bones. Protein is essential to building tissues, especially muscle tissue, throughout the body.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, compounds that are essential to many of our body’s critical functions. The human body can’t synthesize all of the amino acids that we need to stay healthy, so we are required to ingest many of these amino acids through our diet. As a result, it’s critically important to eat enough protein in our diets to repair our tissues, build muscle, and regulate our immune function.

Protein contains 4 calories per gram. Good sources of healthy proteins include:

• Eggs and egg whites
• Lean meats, such as chicken, fish, or beef
• Vegetarian proteins, such as tofu, tempeh, or other soy products
• Low-sugar dairy products, such as Greek yogurt
• Protein supplements, such as whey or casein protein powders

All recipes included are under 45 minutes of prep per recipe. You can also “mix and match” the lunches and dinners. I cook between 1-2 times per week but have gotten away with prepping once a week! My nutrition programs includes many more recipes with an in-depth nutrition guide. For more information, please reach out.

Recipe 1: Breakfast Cake Batter

Dessert for breakfast? I’m here to tell you, yes, you can definitely do sweet things for breakfast. Check out Running with Spoons for a delicious recipe to try out. 

FOR THE BAKE:

• 1/4 cup (20 g) quick oats
• 2 Tbsp (14 g) almond flour
• 2 tsp (8 g) cane sugar*
• 2 tsp (5 g) arrowroot powder**
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• rainbow sprinkles

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 2 Tbsp (30 g) yogurt
• 2 Tbsp (10 g) of your favorite protein powder

Recipe 2: Garlic Lemon Shrimp

Who doesn’t love garlic lemon shrimp? This is a great recipe for either lunch or dinner that includes cauliflower rice. Each serving contains 32grams of protein! This is a great option for those of you who are busy and looking for simple, tasty recipes to get you through the week.

Check out Lillie Eats & Tells for the full, detailed recipe.