3 Easy High Protein Meal Prep Recipes – Tips and Ideas
Are you trying to gain muscle and lose weight?
Obviously, you know meeting your protein goal will help you accomplish that.
You can’t just drink protein shakes all day.
Well…
I guess you could if you wanted to, but…WHO WANTS TO?
Wouldn’t you rather have delicious high protein meal prep ready to eat at all times?
Keep reading to learn recipes and tips to help increase your protein intake.
What is High Protein Meal Prep?
Meal prepping involves making a large batch of food and portioning it ahead of time. This helps you save time and money.
High protein meal prep involves choosing higher protein meals.
You can take it a step further and add even more protein with a few extra ingredients.
We have the tips and tricks to help you do that.
How you will benefit from higher protein?
Of all nutrients, protein causes the human body to expend the most energy digesting, absorbing, and storing it.
This is called the thermic effect of food.
According to a study cited on National Institute of Health (NIH), “there is convincing evidence that a higher protein intake increases thermogenesis and satiety compared to diets of lower protein content”.
When you eat protein, 20-30% of it’s calories are used just to digest it.
Your body has to do a lot of work to process it, leading to fat loss.
Not only does protein help build muscle, but it also can assist the body in burning fat.
High Protein Recipes
Where should you start?
Start with recipes naturally loaded with protein.
Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Pasta is an easy way to add more protein to your diet.
One way to add protein is to use protein pasta.
Another way is to add parmesan which is naturally high in protein
Yet another way to add protein is by blending cottage cheese with a little bit of milk or bone broth.
This will make a creamier sauce, but make sure to test it will a small portion to make sure you like the taste.
Chili
Chili is a naturally high protein meal.
Filled with beef, beans, and any other meat of your liking.
To add even more protein, you can utilize bone broth or cottage cheese
As always, test this with a small portion so you know it tastes okay
Beef Tacos
Beef tacos are one of my go-to meals.
It’s naturally high in protein and is dynamic.
You can make tacos, burritos, or bowls.
Add it to some eggs and now you have a delicious high protein breakfast.
Combine it with cilantro, lime, bell peppers, or onions for more depth, contrast, and variety.
How do you add more protein to meals?
Don’t just stop with those high protein recipes.
Add these ingredients to your meals to increase your intake even further.
Before adding, always test with a small batch to make sure you like the taste of the food you’re adding and it works well in the recipe.
Quick Tip
Try high protein snacks between meals to up your intake for the day and hold you over until your next meal.
Meat
There are many ways to add additional protein to your meals.
The most obvious way it to add more meat.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese goes great with dishes that are designed to be creamy.
Always test with a small portion to be sure you like the taste.
Bone Broth
Nutrient Facts Per One Cup:
- Calories: 30-50 kcal
- Protein: 9 g
- Carbs: 0-2 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0 g
- Total Fat: .5 g
Unlike regular chicken or beef broth, bone broth has a substantial amount of protein.
It does have a stronger flavor than regular broth so use it carefully.
Deglaze pans with bone broth or use us to add more moisture when your food is dry.
Bone broth is a fantastic low carb and low fat option to increase your protein intake.
Edamame Beans
Edamame beans are a great source for protein.
Be sure to cook them to a consistency you like.
They can have a distinct flavor that stands out.
Nutrient Facts Per One Cup:
- Calories: 224
- Protein: 18.5 g
- Carbs: 13.8 g
- Dietary Fiber: 8 g
- Total Fat: 8 g
It is always wise to season them properly to help them blend with your dish.
They go great with Asian dishes like the Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap and Fried Rice
Beans and Lentils
Beans and lentils are packed with protein.
They go great with a lot of foods.
Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds have a pleasant nutty flavor.
They’re filled with protein and other nutrients like zinc and magnesium.
They go great when blended in shakes as well.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a fantastic rice replacement.
Loaded with protein and pretty flavorful too.
It contains all 9 amino acids that benefit the human body.
Tofu
Tofu is pretty flavorless and has plenty of protein.
It’s neutral flavor makes it a great addition to many meals.
There’s different firmness tofu available so you can change up the texture.
You can cut the tofu into cubes or smash it up into crumbles.
More Ways to Add Protein
- Parmesan Cheese
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Peanuts
- Mozzarella
- Green Peas
- Almonds
- Tahini
- Couscous
- Eggs
- Greek Yogurt
- Ricotta Cheese
- Millet
Conclusion
There you have it.
You’ve learned how to start adding more protein into your diet.
When you successfully create a high protein meal prep system, you’ll always have nutritious food ready to help you in gaining muscle and losing fat.
The tips and techniques in this article are things that helped me in my own experience.
Go and start prepping and don’t forget to checkout our other articles and recipes.
FAQ
How do I get 150g protein a day?
Focus on getting about 30g to 40g of protein per meal. This will get you to around 90g to 120g for the day. A protein shake and some high protein snacks can get you the rest of the way.
How to get 40g protein in a single meal?
Start with a high protein meat like chicken, fish, or beef. Combine this with a grain like quinoa and throw in some additional beans, seeds, lentils, or tofu.
What is the 3-3-3 rule?
The 3-3-3 rule is the idea of selecting 3 proteins, 3 carbs, and 3 fats you can mix-and-match throughout the week.