Written by NCL Coach Allison Brewer.

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As nutrition coaches, we are often encouraging our clients to increase their protein intake.

If you are working with a coach, they have likely explained to you that eating a good amount of protein will help with many things, from building muscle to healthy aging. When this is new to you, consuming the recommended .8+ grams per pound of body weight can seem daunting, especially if you are a vegetarian.

Rather than thinking about how much protein you need in a day, it can be helpful to break your goal down into targets for each meal and snack. 

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For example, if you are aiming for 135 grams of protein, it could look something like this:

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Breakfast 40g

Lunch 40g

Dinner 40g

Snack 15g

If you prefer smaller meals, you may want to add a second snack- do what works best for you!

Next, take a few minutes to think through what you will eat for the day. Pre-logging your food in an app such as MyFitnessPal can be a great tool, especially when you’re new to estimating the protein content of foods. 

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Once you have logged the foods you plan to eat, check to see how close you are to your protein goal:

TIP: If you’re tracking all macros (protein, carbs, and fats), it can help to think of your snack as a “macro cap”- or a way to get as close to your daily macro goals as possible. Log your meals first, then built a snack that fills in the gaps. 

Need more protein? 

Leaner Proteins

• Low or nonfat Greek yogurt 
• Low fat cottage cheese 
• Whey protein isolate 
• Egg whites
• Tofu, tempeh, pea protein crumbles

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Higher Fat Proteins

• Cheese
• Nuts & nut butter
• Whole eggs
• Meat substitutes
• Protein bars

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Higher Carb Proteins

• Low fat dairy or fortified non-dairy milk
• Beans, lentils
• Quinoa, farro, & other whole grains
• Sprouted bread
• Plant-based protein powder
• Protein pasta or rice
• Protein bars

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Ideas for increasing your protein:

• Increase serving sizes of protein foods
• Add protein powder and/or nonfat Greek yogurt to oatmeal 
• Top soup, stew, chili, etc. w/a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt
• Replace some of the flour in pancakes, waffles, or baked goods w/protein powder
• Whip egg whites and fold them into pancake or waffle batter 
• Add protein powder to yogurt
• Add low fat cottage cheese to scrambled eggs
• Use nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream or mayonnaise 
• Stir low fat ricotta cheese or nonfat Greek yogurt into sauces
• Replace regular pasta and rice with high protein versions
• Add egg whites to whole eggs when you’re having an omelet or scramble

If you are completely plant-based, it can be a bit more challenging and you may need to rely on larger servings of protein powder and meat alternatives to meet your protein goal. 

A sample day as a vegetarian:

Breakfast 40g: 

Oats with Greek yogurt, low fat milk, whey protein powder, almonds, and fruit

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Lunch 35g: 

Tofu, protein rice, pumpkin seeds, veggies

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Dinner 35g: 

Tacos made with black beans, pea protein crumbles, cheese, and guacamole 

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Snack/Dessert (“macro cap”) 25g: 

Low fat cottage cheese blended w/ whey protein and peanut butter and topped w/dark chocolate and graham crackers 

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DID YOU KNOW? If you’re using MyFitnessPal, you can turn your phone sideways to view the macros for individual meals:

Starting From Low Protein Intake?

If you are starting from very low protein intake (this is common!), it can take your body a little time to adjust, so gradually increase your protein over time. It is also important to drink plenty of water! 

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Your body uses water to metabolize protein, so eating more protein will increase the amount of water you need to stay hydrated.

A Note About Fiber

Whether you are vegetarian or vegan, it is important to be mindful of how much fiber you are consuming. Eating enough is fairly easy when you’re eating a lot of plant-based foods, so getting TOO MUCH can be an issue. 

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We all have our own fiber “sweet spot” where we feel our best. It may take a little trial and error to find that for yourself, but you can start with aiming for around 14g per 1000 calories or 21-25g per day for women and 30-38g per day for men.

Increasing your protein may seem challenging at first, but it will get easier over time!

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Blog written by NCL Coach Allison Brewer who herself has been a vegetarian for about 20 years (and manages to hit her protein on a near daily basis :).