Getting in my protein intake is harder than I thought, especially while being a full-time college student and a full-time gym girl. I am always on the go between my internship, classes, taking the bus, and events. Sometimes I even forget to eat or don’t have time to cook. As someone who is trying to build muscles, protein is essential. Protein is important because the amino acids, the building blocks of protein, help repair muscle tissues and recover tight muscles after a workout. It is recommended that we should take a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For more information on protein and muscle building, click here.
Here are some hacks I have picked up while in college:
- Meat
- Rotisserie Chicken: At Costco’s, rotisserie chicken is only $5! It’s cheap, high in protein, and low in fat if you don’t eat the skin. You don’t have to do any cooking. I usually peel off the skin and cut up the chicken into portions for meal prepping. All you have to do is pop it in the microwave.
- Canned Tuna: I never realized how much protein a can of tuna has. Not only is it high in protein, but it’s also cheap – $1-$2. One can of the Bumble Bee Albacore Tuna has 29g of protein! I have been eating it with rice, mixed with kewpie mayo and sriracha, and a side of seaweed. It’s the affordable version of Emily Mariko’s Salmon Rice Bowl.
- Ground turkey or beef: Whichever your preferences are, both are high in protein. I prefer the 93/7 ground turkey, which means it’s 93% lean and 7% fat. I like having a little bit of fat so that the meat doesn’t taste chalky and dry. One serving of ground turkey, 4oz or 112g, has 22g of protein.
- Tofu: For those who are plant-based, tofu has a good source of plant protein. It doesn’t take too much cooking either. I usually like to pan-fry or sauteed with soy sauce. If you have an air fryer or oven, crispy tofu is also a good option.
2. High Protein Snacks
- Protein Bar: My current favorite protein bar is the Barebells Protein Bar. They sell them at Trader Joe’s for $1.99 each or $23.88 for a whole box of 12.
- Yogurt: Oikos Triple Zero Greek yogurt has 0g of added sugar, 0 artificial sweetener, and 0% fat. Each cup has 15g of protein, or if you want even more protein, the Oikos Pro has 20g of protein.
- Cheese: Low-Fat cottage cheese, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese are high in protein and easy to snack on.
- Nuts/ Peanut Butter: The trail mix is always a good grab-and-go snack. Nuts have a good source of protein and fat. I also love to add peanut butter to my yogurt, oats, protein shake, or with fruits.
3. Protein Powder/Protein Milk
- PEScience & Dymatize ISO Whey Protein Powder: This protein has been my favorite. I always go back to these. My go-to flavor is vanilla because it’s flexible with whatever flavor I’m craving.
- Fairlife Protein Milk: I like to get the single bottles in bulk because it’s super convenient when you don’t have time to make a shake. They have options of 26g of protein up to 42g of protein a bottle.