If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: protein is key to weight loss
It makes sense when you think about protein’s function in the body. It revs up your metabolism, helps you feel full, and helps build muscle, which burns fat.
If you have gotten yourself into a protein rut, you may not only fatiguing your taste buds, you could be missing out on nutrients that can be found in sources of protein that you may be ignoring.
Here are some of the best-overlooked protein sources, even if you are following a meal plan without meat.
Read on for ideas, and then add a few to your shopping list.
NUT BUTTERS
No need to limit yourself to peanut butter. Try almond butter, cashew butter, or any other you might find on the store shelves. Too much can derail your weight loss, but a two tablespoon serving contains a significant amount of protein and healthy fat.
A study conducted in 2014 and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating peanuts could reduce the risk of cardiovascular and coronary artery problem.
Check the labels and choose a variety that has no salt, added sugar, or hydrogenated oils.
PB&J gets old, though. Consider stirring a spoonful into oatmeal, spreading on fruit, or blending into a smoothie.
PEAS
Believe it or not, peas contain nearly eight times the protein as spinach and nearly a full day’s worth of vitamin C in a single cup. Add them to a mason jar salad or omelet to help you fill up fast.
TURKEY
Not just for Thanksgiving, a whopping quarter pound turkey burger patty is only 140 calories, but packs 16 grams of protein and 8 grams of healthy fat.
Turkey is also high in omega-3 fatty acid which can boost your mood, switch off the genes that stimulate fat cells to grow, and protects brain health.
Just steer clear of dark meat, white meat has less fat.
EGGS
Eggs are an inexpensive and highly versatile way to boost your protein. One egg contains 85 calories and 7 grams of protein. They’re also packed with amino acids, antioxidants, and iron.
When buying eggs, go for organic whenever possible.
2% GREEK YOGURT
Yogurt is delicious and one of your greatest health and weight loss allies. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that probiotics helped women lose almost twice as much weight. Yogurt is one of the best sources of these gut-healthy bacteria.
Yogurt is an excellent way to get your protein and probiotic boost first thing in the morning. Be sure to check labels and avoid varieties with added sugar.
