Protein

Protein, the magic word on the internet nowadays. How much do you need? Are you getting enough?!  Last month I set out to track what I was eating, by macros, which is another buzz word. The recommendations I found said your day should consist of 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein, and 20% fat and extrapolate it out for the number of calories that are required for you personally.  I was never able to follow it exactly, but I learned a lot by paying attention to the food I am eating. I am not going to keep doing this all the time since it can turn into something a bit obsessive, but it was definitely a worthwhile exercise. 

Something that I did find is that if I'm reaching for a snack, it should be protein forward, since that is what I always seemed to fall behind on. Here are some of the higher protein snacks/lunches that I made and will continue to make:

23g of protein

Mix together: 3/4 cup plain Greek yoghurt, 1 tbsp all natural peanut butter, 1 tsp honey, 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, and cinnamon, to taste

24g of protein

Spread 2 tbsp cream cheese on 2 Ryvita crackers, top with 4 oz of smoked salmon, and squeeze of lemon.

23g of protein

Spread 2 tbsp cream cheese on 2 Ryvita crackers, top each with 1.5 slices of turkey meat, eat with 2 boiled eggs, salt and pepper to taste.