There is a lot of attention on protein & this ‘high protein craze’ isn’t going away – at least not anytime soon. Of the three energy nutrients, protein, fat & carbohydrates, protein is perhaps the most highly regarded. Even the name, a Greek word ‘proteios’ means ‘of prime importance’. Protein is one of the most important nutrients needed to sustain ourselves. Here are five, easy high-protein weeknight mains to help with your meal planning.
For when you want dinner fast, Thai Pineapple Beef Stir-Fry is not only quick but so flavorful & makes a good addition to meal prep.
One Pan Lemon Shrimp Zucchini Orzo saves on clean-up – which is always a bonus.
Korean BBQ Chicken is so simple to make & big on flavors. A delicious way to get your protein.
I think we all agree on one thing: we love a good frittata. Pizza Frittata has all the flavors of a pizza without the carb overload. It is also perfect for meal prep as it’s good warm or cold. Just add a crisp salad.
A stir-fry is one of my favorite ways of cooking a quick & easy meal. Once the chopping is done, then a stir-fry comes together in mere minutes. A perfect addition for a busy week is Hoisin Beef & Snow Pea Stir-Fry.
I hope you try a couple of these protein forward mains. Have you ever tracked your protein? Worked out how much protein is in the food you’re eating. For many it will be quite startling to see you’re not even close to the recommended grams of protein you need to consume for optimal health & wellbeing. The best way to calculate your minimum is to use your weight: Multiply your weight in kilos by 0.8 (this is grams). If you weight 68 kg (or about 150lbs) then you’ll want to eat 54g of protein a day. Now we’re hearing differently to this. Some fitness trainers tell you, you need 1.5 to 2g of protein per kilo of body weight – this more than doubles what I learnt as a nutritionist & what many dietitians may suggest. I think if you’re in the .8g being a minimum & 1.5g being maximum range, unless you’re excessively working out & body building, you’ll be okay, especially if you’re wanting to lose weight & be in a calorie deficit. Yes, it gets very confusing but deciding what to have for your dinner shouldn’t be so hopefully a few easy meals will help.