You might know that as we get older, the amount of protein we need increases. 

Our bodies are not as efficient at using the protein we do eat and so we need to consume a little more. If you want to maintain muscle mass or build more muscle tone, proteins are the building blocks. 

I remember my mom as she got older hating those cans of Ensure – but her diet was not providing her enough protein. Both of my grandmothers (🧡) were tea and toast kinda gals and they became very fragile from that diet. 

I have a loose protein goal for myself each day of 100 -120 grams. This is based on my goals and my activity levels and my age. You can calculate yours here. 

When you count your protein grams, you may be surprised at what you actually consume. For example, eggs are a good source of protein but to get 25 -30 grams of protein per meal, you would need to eat 5 of them. I don’t really see nuts or peanut butter as a protein source but i do eat them! Yum. And you can definitely get your protein as a vegetarian or vegan but it is harder to do. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

Having said that, these suggestions are not about cooking more chicken breast or whatever. The best ‘diet’ for you is the one you can maintain and sustain so these are things I enjoy eating but hey – maybe you actually like hard boiled eggs 😆

1.Higher protein yogurt. Check the grams of protein on your yogurt and measure out the serving size once or twice to see what that looks like. 

I like to get plain yogurt and sweeten it with a little maple syrup and add some crunch with granola and berries. It is a quick breakfast with protein, fruit, fats and carbs as well as probiotics and calcium. 

2.Powders. I know protein powders get a bad rap sometimes but they are an excellent way to get a big dose of useable protein. I also love this powdered bone broth, it is really tasty and is great with toast to crackers or instead of tea in the afternoon. 

This ‘orange julius’ smoothie is a favorite right now. 

1 cup of Orange juice

1-2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder

Half a banana 

3 frozen strawberries (optional) 

tbsp of vanilla

2 packets of stevia (optional) 

3-4 ice cubes

Blend 

3.Pasta. These chick pea or lentil pastas are available widely now. When I was in Mexico I loved this easy meatless meal. Pasta with pesto (the tomato pesto!) and lots of parmesan cheese. The pasta has 23 grams of protein and parmesan cheese (25 grams) has about 9 grams of protein. Boom. 

What are some of your favorite protein sources? let me know in the comments below!