How To Hit Your Protein Busy Girl Style

We all know protein is important. But between work, family, training, partners and a social life it can often be the first thing to fall down.

Hitting your protein target each day doesn’t need to be hard and it certainly doesn’t require hours in the kitchen meticulously planning and preparing your meals. I’ve put together my top tips to nailing your protein intake with a busy lifestyle, and it may be easier than you think! Let’s take a look…

1. Ensure you are having protein at each meal or snack of the day

Something I often see is girls getting to the end of their day with a huge amount of protein left to hit their target, and this is just not enjoyable or sustainable. Instead, plan the protein for your meals and snacks FIRST then build the rest of your meal around it. For example, you might have 200g of yoghurt with breakfast, 150g of chicken at lunch, 100g of beef at dinner and a protein shake for a snack. This will help to ensure you are spreading your protein intake out across the day, assist with satiety, maximise muscle protein synthesis (your ability to grow muscle) and allow for more balanced meals.

2. Eat the protein portion of your meal first if you get full quickly

If you are someone who gets full quickly or is in a muscle gain phase on a higher amount of calories, try consuming the protein portion of your meal first. This will ensure that even if you are not able to consume the entire meal, you will still have consumed the protein portion to keep you moving towards your goal.

3. Include protein supplements if you struggle to hit your protein with food

It is absolutely fine to consume a protein shake or bar to help you reach your protein target. Many girls love to include a protein shake in their day as a convenient protein top up with the added benefit of hitting that sweet tooth! Bear in mind that protein bars can be quite expensive and may lead to stomach upset in some individuals, so test your own personal tolerance first.

4. Take pre-packaged high protein snacks/meals with you

We’re spoiled for choice at our supermarkets these days and convenient, protein packed snacks are now widely available. To help with ticking that high protein snack box, try grabbing some of the following next time you do your weekly shop:

• Protein yoghurt (YoPro and Chobani)

• Tuna tins

• Cottage cheese

• Protein bars

• Beef jerky

• High protein muesli bars

• Cheese & crackers

• Pre-packaged protein smoothie’s and up&go’s

These snacks can really help to boost your protein between meals, preventing you from having to play catch up later on.

In Conclusion

Protein is an important macronutrient for both body composition goals and general health. By implementing a few of the tips above you can take the stress out of hitting your protein target each day and do so in an enjoyable way.

Kirst xx