What’s on my Plate: How I’m Eating more Protein #EatwithMe
At the end of last year, I returned to the gym, and with the increased focus on strength training, I started reflecting on whether I was getting adequate nutrition to support my goals. I knew I was lying to myself about my protein intake—a high-protein diet does not start with a doughnut and coffee for breakfast. Yet, protein is an essential macronutrient, especially if you want to build muscle. Heading into 2025, I started tracking my food with the primary focus of monitoring and increasing my protein intake. Almost two months in, I’ve noticed a few things and I’ll share some examples of what’s been on my plate (literally) these past couple of months.
Observations
The act of tracking food/protein intake alone led to eating more protein
It’s harder to get to over 100g of protein if each meal doesn’t include at least 20 grams, and more often 30 grams, of protein (presuming you have 3 main meals a day).
Eggs are a source of protein, but a single egg is not a huge stride towards your cumulative total. 3 eggs… you’re getting there, but eggs are best paired with another source of protein (e.g., cheese, bacon, yogurt etc.)
Fish isn’t so bad & a nice way to mix things up.
Eating a higher protein diet is more satisfying.
Eating out, or having ready-made food, isn’t a direct obstacle to hitting protein goals, especially if that goal is 30g a meal, BUT it does usually spike other categories like daily calories, carbs, sodium, etc.
It’s a good idea to be aware of the differences between eating out and eating home-prepared food
You can usually eat a higher volume and feel more satisfied if you prepare more meals at home.
What’s On My Plate for Breakfast
Experts are calling out sweet and sugar-laden breakfasts… the Glucose Goddess is just one example. Don’t tell them I once ate an Oreo ice cream sandwich for breakfast in my university days. However, like doughnuts and coffee, ice cream sandwiches are not aligned with my protein goals and I like that savoury breakfasts lend themselves to more protein-rich options. Having a sweet tooth I often go for the sweeter breakfast option, the last two months though I’ve been trying to make sure my sweeter option is not at the expense of my protein intake.
Breakfast favs:
Skyr (Icelandic Dairy Product similar to Greek Yogurt, with a thicker texture).
Protein oats (Protein powder, oats, and a couple of squares of chocolate!)
Eggs with something like a cup of Greek yogurt or turkey breakfast strips
Ricotta on toast or an English muffin with fruit, avocado, and hemp seeds
Last month’s breakfast experiment:
ricotta, smoked salmon, and grapefruit on a sourdough English muffin!
What’s On My Plate for Lunch or Dinner
I don’t have a strict distinction between lunch and dinner foods. Often dinner from the night before becomes lunch the following day. In my early days in the fitness industry, I fell into meal prepping, often resulting in incredibly boring meals repeated throughout my week. I live for variety now, I rarely eat the same meal more than twice a week. Although I do find certain ingredients cycle through on repeat depending on what was in the grocery haul. You might notice many of my lunch and dinner pictures feature pea shoots or other microgreens!
Some dinners/lunches I’ve been loving:
Tuna or salmon melts on sourdough
Sōmen noodles, kimchi, micro greens, veggies, and some form of protein like chicken, tofu, or fish.
Pizza… because life is too short not to enjoy your favourite food!
Ramen noodle packs with added veggies and protein (often tofu)
Nachos with shredded chicken, chopped bell peppers, and a good side of salsa
Couscous with a variety of veggies and chicken
If you’re looking to achieve a specific goal, such as building muscle and increasing protein intake, I encourage you to start by tracking your protein intake. Knowing where you are starting from will help you make better-informed decisions about what you put on your plate. And, I hope some of my meal favs inspire you and show that you don’t need to be on a restrictive diet to achieve your goals!
Love your food and nourish your bodies, my friends <3
