Getting enough protein to create those rippling gains can be tough. And doing it without going over your calorie count can be even harder. But if you divide your target by the number of meals you’re having and have bigger portions of the higher percentage items, that can really help.
Protein is a prickly beast. Too much of it is a rarity but can cause you all sorts of problems. Not enough of it means that no matter how hard you work in the gym you won’t get bigger. And don’t get us started on getting enough protein without going over your calorie count.
To help you with this problem, coach Sam Forget has come in with a savvy Instagram post that has some solid gold tips on how to get the right amount of protein without consuming too many calories. Speaking to his followers, coach Sam said: “If you have weight loss goals this year, and you struggle to get enough protein without going over your calories… pay close attention to this.”
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He then listed a bunch of protein high foods, including their so-called protein percentages. The list included chicken breasts (~95% protein), tuna (~95% protein), egg whites (~94% protein), pea protein (~90% protein), whey protein (~88% protein) and shrimp (~85% protein).
The next slide included sirloin steak (~75% protein), beef jerky (~75% protein), deli turkey (72% protein), 93/7 ground beef (~54% protein), 93/7 ground turkey (~53% protein) and salmon (~51% protein).
Next, there was another slide with tofu (~40% protein), flavoured greek yogurt (~37% protein), protein bars (~36% protein), cheese sticks (~35% protein), whole eggs (~34% protein) and edamame (~32% protein).
Finally, there was rib-eye steak (~31% protein), lentils (~31% protein), black beans (~24% protein), peanut butter (~17% protein), quinoa (~15% protein) and almonds (~14% protein).
Of the list, Sam said: “These percentages refer to how much of each item’s calories come from protein,” adding that “if you struggle to get enough protein without going over your calories, you’re probably not choosing enough items with a high percentage.”
He also said: “These numbers aren’t perfect, and you can probably find sets of nutrition facts that at least slightly contradict what you’re seeing. But the list isn’t supposed to be the be-all, end-all. It’s supposed to get you in the ballpark.”
“The lower percentage items are NOT ‘bad,’ or inherently ‘worse.’ Plenty of them offer meaningful amounts of protein.”
He finished: “The easiest way to get more protein is to divide your target by how many meals you’re having (ex. 120 grams per day spread across three meals = ~40 grams per meal), and have bigger portions of the higher percentage items.”
“I know this sounds painfully simple – but many people start their day with 10-15 grams of protein or have a protein-less lunch and wonder why they struggle to ‘catch up’ later on.”
There you have it. Put that on a fork and eat it. A strategy we’re willing to bet more than a bunch of gym enthusiasts will be willing to try.
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