Adding protein to your diet

Making sure you get all the nutrients you need in your diet is important. Especially since I have started working out a bit more again since I got back from vacation, I have found that my body is craving two things: protein and carbs. After a few weeks of working out more steadily again I suddenly had this craving for meat, which is odd as I have lived with very little meat for a very long time. But that had me thinking of what I do to make sure I eat enough protein. Here’s my 5 favorite foods for doing just that.

Now I am not vegan and not vegetarian. I know there are very good reasons to choose for either of these life styles, but it just isn’t for me. For one, because I don’t overdo the meat intake: I eat meat twice a week on average, if that. I have milk OR yoghurt in a day, not more than that and I do love a bit of cheese, but again I only eat it once or twice a week. So you could boil down my two main sources of protein to dairy and meat.

Greek Yogurt

I love some Greek yogurt for breakfast in the morning. I usually eat it with some granola, flax seeds and a banana with a little drizzle of honey on top. But I like changing up the fruits if need be. I find this goes well with blueberries, peaches and raspberries in particular. Greek yogurt has fewer sugars than most yogurts and I love the creaminess of the full fat version. It is very satisfying and great for a late morning start.

Full fat milk

Milk is a product I have a love/ hate relationship with. I used to love milk and drank it all the time, but from one day to the next I never had it anymore. Cold milk has become one of the biggest no-no’s in my life. I dislike the taste and texture of it. I do still like this warm though so I use this for making oatmeal porridge in the mornings or hot chocolates at night. I have tried using plant based milks for both purposes, but I genuinely don’t like those when they are heated up.

Cheese

I love a bit of cheese from time to time. I have a slice on crisp bread or melt it over an omelet or some fried eggs. I like using grated cheese over pasta, but I generally forget to do that. Again not something I eat on a daily basis, but definitely something to add those proteins into my diet.

Raw ham

Sliced raw ham is my latest obsession. Ever since I found I craved meat this is what I have been having to quench that appetite. I like having this on crisp bread as well and that is the only way I will eat this. This isn’t necessarily the best meat to eat though as the ingredient list looks kind of spooky (but then again, all cured meats suffer from the same), but it is easier to have after a long day at work than grilling a piece of chicken.

Bacon

If I really want to cheat, I’ll have a few slices of bacon. I only really eat this fried up with some eggs or inside of an omelet though so I don’t have it too often. This also makes a great lining for breakfast bacon & egg muffins. Yet again, not something I eat all the time, but definitely a way to adding a little bit of protein into the mix. Plus I love how it adds a salty flavor to your eggs if you fry them up in the bacon grease afterwards.

How do you ensure you get some protein into your system?