3 tips to meet your daily protein requirements
Building muscle requires dedicated focus in the gym and a meticulous approach to meeting your daily protein requirements to support tissue repair and growth.
Preparing nutritious, protein-packed meals to eat throughout the day takes preparation and dedication. However, meeting your daily protein requirements for muscle growth from whole food alone can prove challenging as science-backed¹ recommendations typically range from 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/d).
That equates to 120-165g per day for a 75kg male or 91-125g per day for a 57kg female. If you’re struggling to nail your daily protein targets, consider these tips to boost your intake and achieve your goals:
1. Add plant proteins to meals
Many of us rely on animal protein, like beef, fish, chicken, turkey, venison, milk and eggs, to hit our macros.
Adding plant proteins to your meals, even if you aren’t vegetarian or vegan, can boost your intake. Pairing your preferred animal protein with quinoa, brown rice or oats improves the protein content of your meals. Other suitable sources of plant-based protein include peas, lentils, soya beans and miso soup.
2. Drink more protein
Incorporating well-formulated supplements into your daily diet plan is the ideal way to boost your daily protein intake without all the stress and hassle of preparing extra meals.
A serving of Primal Whey or Primal Plant Based Protein in a shaker bottle is the perfect post-workout recovery drink or an ideal way to replace a meal to nail your macros.
The range of Primal RTD (ready-to-drink) Protein Shakes offers even greater convenience. Each 350ml bottle contains 25g of protein with a range of delicious flavours, offering an ideal on-the-go snack to avoid convenience or snack foods.
Juicing plant proteins or mixing up a shake and drinking them as an accompaniment to your meal can also boost your protein intake at each sitting.
Wheatgrass, for example, contains 17 different amino acids and is a popular ingredient in juicing recipes. You can also boost the protein content of your freshly juiced protein drink by simply adding some protein-rich superfood powders like spirulina – a tablespoon provides 4g of protein.
In fact, research² suggests consuming a protein supplement with meals, rather than between meals, can have a more pronounced impact on body composition, decreasing fat and increasing lean mass when combined with resistance exercise.
3. Boost everyday dishes with protein
A protein powder supplement is a versatile product that you can use in more than just post-workout shakes.
For example, add a few scoops of protein-fortified Primal Peanut Butter Powder to your pancake, flapjack or muffin mix to enjoy this firm-favourite flavour and up the protein content of these meals.
Morning smoothies with added Primal Egg Protein, Primal Blended Whey or Primal Plant Based Protein gets your day off to the ideal start with a full dose of protein. These versatile products offer a range of tasty flavours to liven up your smoothies and a range of protein sources to meet different diet preferences and requirements.
Choosing liquids that serve as a source of protein for smoothies and other drinks will also deliver more protein per glass. For instance, dairy milk (8g per 1 cup serving) or soy milk (7g per 1 cup) will add extra protein to your smoothie or coffee.
You can also add amino acids to your water bottle with a product like Primal Amino Force or Primal Amino Energy (also available in convenient sachets!) to mix up a refreshing and energising drink to sip on at work or varsity to feed muscles with a steady supply of amino acids throughout the day.
References:
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med 2018;52:376 84.doi:10.1136/bjsports-017-097608.
- Hudson JL, Bergia RE 3rd, Campbell WW. Effects of protein supplements consumed with meals, versus between meals, on resistance training-induced body composition changes in adults: a systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2018 Jun 1;76(6):461-468. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuy012. PMID: 29697807.