Protein is an essential nutrient in your diet because it provides amino acids, which your body can use to make its own proteins. If you are trying to gain muscle mass, you may want to add more protein to your diet because muscle tissue is dense in protein. You can obtain protein from a variety of different food sources, although you can also take supplements to increase your protein intake.
Step 1
Eat lean cuts of meat. Meat is an excellent source of protein and choosing leaner cuts of meat can help prevent you from adding unnecessary calories and fat to your diet. The American Dietetic Association recommends skinless poultry, lean ground beef, fish and flank steak.
Step 2
Add more protein-rich foods to your daily diet. You can try including cheese and beans to salads and other vegetable dishes. Top a baked potato with yogurt, or add nuts and seeds to cookies and other baked goods to increase the protein contents. You can also snack on low-fat dairy products like frozen yogurt and puddings.
Step 3
Eat soy products and quinoa if you're a vegetarian, as soybeans and quinoa are the only plant foods that contain all the essential amino acids. You can snack on boiled edamame, or soybeans, or enjoy them lightly roasted. Quinoa is a nutty-flavored grain that you can incorporate into recipes or use as an alternative to rice or pasta. For a breakfast that really packs a punch of protein, have a bowl of quinoa topped with a lightly fried egg and sprinkled with nuts.
Step 4
Supplement your food with protein powder. Many health food stores and groceries sell protein powders made from soy, whey and other sources of protein that you mix with water or milk and drink. You can also add the powder to baked goods, sauces, casseroles, potatoes and other foods to naturally increase their protein contents.
Member Comments