When Sophie Gastman, a registered nutritionist, counts macros like protein, it can lead to overthinking.
“Staying away from hyper-focusing on any kind of number is more helpful,” she told Business Insider.
Instead of tracking her meals or counting macros, Gastman incorporates high-protein ingredients into her dishes, alongside generous portions of vegetables, fibrous foods like beans, and healthy fats like avocados. Despite social media trends like protein-maxxing and debates over how much of the muscle-building nutrient we really need for optimal health, most of us tend to eat enough protein without trying, the author of “Find Your Healthy” said.
Research suggests that active people should aim to eat between 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. To put that into context, a 130-pound woman should aim for around 90 to 130 grams of protein a day, while a man weighing 176 pounds should aim for between 125 and 176 grams a day. In a day, that might look something like eating: a half-cup of Greek yogurt, two eggs, a chicken breast, a cup of beans with rice, and a glass of milk .
She shared the easy protein sources she always has in her kitchen that help her eat protein at every meal without planning ahead.
Tinned fish
Tinned fish is affordable, high in protein, and can last for months, even years, if left unopened in a cool, dry place.
“I’ve got tuna, sardines, mackerel, salmon, literally always,” Gastman said.
She chucks tinned fish onto salad, smashes them on toast, and stirs them through a stir-fry or a bowl of rice. “You could literally put them on anything,” she said.
Eggs
Gastman always keeps eggs stocked in her kitchen.
One large egg contains about 6 grams of protein and cooks in minutes, she said. Eggs can be added to salads, breakfast tacos, or the classic avocado on toast.
Frozen edamame beans and peas
Peas and edamame beans have a regular spot in Gastman’s freezer. She loves to add them to stir-fries, salads, and rice bowls.
A 100-gram serving of cooked edamame beans contains 11.5 grams of protein, while the same amount of peas contains around 4.7 grams.”They’re a really great source of protein,” she said, “They make meals really satisfying.”
“Once you combine ingredients like eggs and edamame beans and peas, you’ve suddenly got something that is actually quite high protein,” Gastman added.
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