10 High-Protein Foods to Add to Your Grocery List & How to Enjoy Them
Click here below to download The MVMNT’s Whole Foods High-Protein Grocery List for FREE!
Greek Yogurt
This is one of my favorite hacks for increasing protein intake because it is SO versatile. A few of my favorite ways to enjoy Greek yogurt are:
Yogurt parfait with fruit and granola
“Liquid” in a smoothie for a super creamy treat
Sour cream substitute (make sure it’s PLAIN flavored, but trust me!)
2. Lentil or Chickpea Pasta
Before we continue, let me make it clear that THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH REGULAR PASTA. I love going out for Italian food and ordering an authentic pasta dish. But, when you are cooking at home and trying to increase your protein intake, lentil or chickpea pasta can be a great addition to the grocery list. Try these simple swaps that could increase your protein intake by nearly 5x:
DIY pasta salad
Pasta with red sauce & frozen meatballs
Pasta with any sauce of choice, veggies, & ground turkey or ground chicken
3. Lentils
Can’t get behind the lentil pasta? Or maybe you totally can and you want more?! I like to buy canned lentils and just give them a quick rinse before eating, but I also like how Trader Joe’s carries them steamed and ready-to-eat in the refrigerated produce section. Here are a few ways to enjoy them:
Lentils combined with lettuce or other greens for the base of your salad
Lentils combined with rice/quinoa for the base of your bowl topped with veggies and/or another protein
4. Liquid Egg Whites
Eggs can be a good protein source with 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat per 1 egg. However, as you increase the number of eggs in your omelet, your protein and fat increase.
While fat is absolutely necessary for good health, I always strive for clients to eat more grams of protein per day than grams of fat. Exact macronutrient counts are highly individual, although the USDA recommends 10-35% of calories should come from protein, 45-65% from carbohydrates, and 20-35% from fat. I tend to see clients have the most success and satiation (aka feeling FULL & SATISFIED after meals) when keeping protein 20-35% of total calories, or the upper half of the recommended range.
SO – back to liquid egg whites. Two of my favorite hacks for increasing protein are:
High-protein omelet using 2-3 servings of liquid egg whites with 1-2 eggs – bonus points for throwing in some veggies & maybe a sprinkle of cheese (or cottage cheese – see #5)
High-protein fried rice by cooking rice, then transferring to a pan with olive oil and egg whites. A good ratio is ½ tsp. of olive oil and ¼ cup of liquid egg whites for every ½ cup cooked rice.
5. Cottage Cheese
I feel like cottage cheese has gotten so trendy – a sentence I never thought I’d write – but I’m here for it. Search “cottage cheese recipes” on TikTok or Instagram and I know you will find a plethora of ideas. However, some of my favorites include:
High-protein twist on “ice cream” by blending cottage cheese with peanut butter/peanut butter powder and chocolate chunks and freezing
High-protein cheesy scrambled eggs by adding ~¼ cup cottage cheese to 2 eggs during scramble
Cottage cheese toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon and fresh fruit
“Liquid” in a smoothie – even creamier than the Greek yogurt swap!
6. Protein Pancakes or Waffles
Because who doesn’t love them?! And what a simple swap! You can buy something frozen such as Kodiak cakes, a boxed mix, or you can even chef it up using your own protein powder.
Pancake bowl – this has been my favorite dessert lately. I buy a box of Kodiak pancake mix (highly recommend chocolate chip), put ⅓ cup of a cup in a bowl, cover in water so that it’s not clumpy but not watery (I eye-ball but this is probably ~¼ cup water), and then microwave for ~90 seconds or until cooked through. Top with 1 tbsp. of chocolate chips or 2 dark chocolate squares, maple syrup, and dive in!
7. Fresh or Frozen Meat/Fish
This is probably what most people think of when they think of protein sources. I typically buy in bulk and then freeze all of these sources. This prevents me from running out of protein sources mid-week and helps me budget, as I typically do a larger spend at the grocery store monthly and then make my other grocery runs smaller and produce-focused. Some of my grocery list meat/fish protein staples include:
Ground turkey
Ground chicken
Chicken tenderloin or breast
Frozen turkey burgers
Wild-caught fish such as salmon and yellowfin tuna
8. Canned/Packet Tuna, Salmon, or Chicken
Looking for a minimal to no prep on-the-go high-protein snack? I see nutrition clients sometimes forget that this is an option. While we want to keep the majority of our diet focused around whole and fresh foods, canned/packet can be a great supplement here and there. Just check your nutrition label for minimal to no ingredients outside of the protein source and opt for fish that is wild-caught. A quick, easy, and affordable lunch idea is:
Tuna or chicken salad by mixing ~1 tbsp. mayo with 1 can of tuna or chicken and enjoying on a sandwich or salad – bonus points for adding diced fruit or veggies and a sprinkle of dill!
9. Deli Meat
Adult Lunchable anyone? Midday charcuterie? This can be the perfect snack whether at home or prepped for on-the-go:
Deli meat with a few crackers or pretzels, cheese cubes, nuts, sliced fruits, and veggies
10. Breakfast Meat Such as Chicken Sausage or Turkey Bacon
Another meat option, but again I feel like this is a category I see nutrition clients forget about at times. Your favorite breakfast might be a peanut butter bagel and banana or a bowl of oatmeal, but adding a chicken sausage link or a couple slices of turkey bacon can easily increase your protein intake without really having to change up your meal. It’s not always about swaps – sometimes it’s just adding to what you’re already eating:
Added to a breakfast you are already having
Chopped up in an omelet
Chopped up chicken sausage, diced veggies and potatoes sprayed lightly with olive oil on a baking sheet for an easy, nutritious, 1-sheet lunch or dinner
You’ll see a lot of my recommendations on this list come from animal protein – this is an intentional part of writing my grocery list.
Quick nutritional science lesson –
All protein is made up of amino acids – there are 9 essential amino acids, which cannot be produced by the body and therefore must be consumed through diet, and 11 non-essential amino acids, which are produced by our bodies. Animal proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids, meaning they are complete protein sources. Protein sources that are not derived from animal products (i.e. lentils, beans, nuts, etc.) are incomplete sources on their own and so they must be combined in order to form complete proteins.
Some ways to increase complete protein as a vegan or vegetarian are to combine foods such as grains and legumes, legumes and nuts, or legumes and seeds (i.e. black beans and rice, black beans and lentils, or cashews and pumpkin seeds).
At the end of day, remember variety is KEY to a successful, high-protein diet. If you want to know how to increase your protein intake, a great place to start is stocking up on a variety of sources and including a protein source at every meal and snack.
Need a high-protein grocery list to set you up for success? Download The MVMNT’s Whole Foods High-Protein Grocery List for free!
