Easy Protein Meals WHERE TO START Part one
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AND DINNERS
Meal plans are a bad idea for most people.
High Protein Meals & Snacks for those that hate cooking.
They are too rigid and are unsustainable, and lack an intuitive component of just having food you fancy!
• With any calorie range
• In any setting (at home OR out to eat)
• For a lifetime
In addition to flexibility, my clients place a high premium on convenience and simplicity—so none of the meals I recommend are complex, time-consuming, or confusing to make. In fact, most of them have fewer than 5-6 components and take under 20-30 minutes (often much less) to make.
To save even more time, I recommend investing in these tools for your kitchen
Air fryer – takes less time to cook foods and reduces pan fried cooking.
Slow cooker – A game changer, set a timer (buy a plug in one like this) and make easy dinners that take little time to prep.
Food processor / food chopper – it makes food prep much quicker and easier
Scales – it’s usually not just what people eat that is making them struggle to maintain a healthy weight but its portion sizes. Weigh things out even if that’s just for 2 weeks but it will help to educate you on what the actual calories are your eating – when we go for huge portions its like spending more than we earn – it will leave you in debt or in food terms overweight. Little swaps be it more a little more lean protein and more veg and reducing carbs can see you losing body fat despite eating the same foods. eg – more salmon, more veggies and a little less rice, and opt for boiled or steamed rather than fried.
Breakfast
Smoothies
add whey protein or vegan/plant protein but add in oats, bananas, avocado, frozen veg, greens, whatever you fancy but the banana, avocado and oats will help fill you up (watch portion sizes)
Add greek yogurt. light is thinner and less filling but can contain more protein and normal thicker and more filling – more cals though. (watch portion sizes)
Add milk – soy, coconut, cows, oat whatever you fancy
Add ice cubes to help cool and thicken
Energy balls
Combine 80 grams of plain oats, 110mls of reduced fat peanut butter, 70g of ground flaxseed, 55g of chia seeds, 40g honey, and teaspoon of vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl, and put it in the fridge for an hour or two. Then, you take it out and roll it into small balls for breakfast the next day – couple at most. Add a selection of fresh fruit,
PROTEIN PANCAKES
here or here – I adore pancakes
Eggs
omelette, boiled, poached, scrambled – best protein out there! Add mushrooms, peppers or lean meat to omelette to add more bulk, be cautious how many rounds of bread and how much butter you apply.
Over night Oats
Add your whey or protein powder – pea, plant, rice, soy, whatever is your fav and add like the smoothie, what you fancy, yogurt, oats, milk, fruit but less milk and perhaps more fruit – very yummy. prep the night before – one of my favs. Ideas here
Cereal – No sugary ones and check portion sizes. Granola calories to portion sizes will shock the hell out of you. Add a scoop of protein powder to add more protein and improve taste.
Creamy yogurt Porridge
- 3 tbsp (25g) porridge oat
- 150g pot 0% fat probiotic yogurt
- Tip 200ml water into a small non-stick pan and stir in porridge oats.
- STEP 2Cook over a low heat until bubbling and thickened. (To make in a microwave, use a deep container to prevent spillage as the mixture will rise up as it cooks, and cook for 3 mins on High.)
- STEP 3Stir in yogurt – or swirl in half and top with the rest.
Menemen – brekkie Turkish style recipe here
Just aim to have 20-30 g but if you normally have 5 and you consume 10 g of protein that’s a win!
lunches
Wraps – check the calories as some of the thicker wraps are high in calories but instead go for a thin tortilla type wrap I like these
Add in a protein source – hummus, salmon, cream cheese, cottage cheese, chicken, tuna, seitan * (vegan) and pad out with sautéed veg or salad. Limit added fats like mayo.
Soups – add in a protein source like chicken, beef, lentils, ham whatever but think where you can add extra protein, limit the bread /croutons. This soup looks yummy
Last nights dinner or meal prep, if you live alone this is easy make a dinner and box them up to take to work or make a batch on a Sunday for the week ahead.
Omelettes and again see breakfast options but also frittatas are very tasty and easy and can be eaten through the week
I cook this for the kids in the evening but this is a lovely filling lunch
Not eating enough through the day can lead to binging when we are more tired in the evening try not to skip meals and eat enough through the day
Evening Meals
Stir frys – chicken, prawn, beef, tofu but again build a protein base and then add colour to the plate by adding a story fry pack if short on time or shredding cabbage, beans sprouts, peppers, mange touts, pak choy, I always have some staples in the spice cupboard and for asian inspired meals its Chinese 5 spice, mirin seasoning, hoisin sauce, white rice vinegar, oyster sauce, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. These come in time and time again.
Steak, Chicken breast, Salmon steaks can be added to jacket potatoes, or chips – they aren’t off the menu but id recommend air frying or limiting the portion size, perhaps add beans, salad, veggies
Pasta bakes, Lasagna, chilli, biryani – just watch the amount of cheese, full fat milk and white pasta you use, add veggies to it or use a cream cheese alternative there’s many low calorie high protein recipe books, – hire one out from the liberary or buy pinch of nom, check out my website or look on bbc but the more you practice the better you get,
Start with beans on toast, omelettes, lean meats – turkey, salmon steak, steaks and dont be afraid of bread or cheese or pasta just be aware of how much you have and importantly how much you eat when you cook it and also putting your hand in the cereal packet, heading to the biscuit tin or going to the choccie stash. Limit high carb sugary snacks and try a protein one instead,
I am going to say protein ice cream, yogurts, bars are gimmicky – some are rubbish about 5 g compared to 20 g but some are way too expensive, look on the grenade site for them to slash the prices.
But dont go cold turkey trying to east clean, be healthy, be perfect a 80/20 approach is fine, eat well most of the time but know you shouldn’t be made to feel ashamed for having treats whatever Eva the yogi says or whoever – never let anyone judge you and never judge yourself.
just be savvy on the amount and add in some swaps
more veggies and less rice
protein yogurt rather than ben and jerrys
wine over cocktails – once a year is ok ladies 😂
rice cakes over biscuits
halo ice cream over magnum
greek yogurt over mayo
1cal spray over coconut oil
poached egg not fried
It stacks up
B xxxxx