How to Get More Protein into Your Diet

First things first, what is protein?

Protein is one of the major nutrients in our diet alongside carbohydrate and fat. If you think of it as building blocks, there are 20 different pieces (amino acids) that are used in various sequences to make up protein. Eleven of these are classed as "essential', meaning our body cannot make them and they must come from ouR diet - what we eat & drink.

When a food is said to be a "complete" protein it means it contains all essential amino acids. Animal proteins tend to have better availability of essential amino acids, however, you can combine plant protein sources to get the full combo.

If you're active, it's important to get sufficient protein into your diet to support energy levels, fuel exercise and promote recovery to help become fitter, faster and stronger. Remember if you are a masters athlete (aged 40 plus) you will require even higher protein levels in your diet.

Daily Protein

It's important to spread out your protein intake throughout the day to ensure your consistently supplying your body with the goods (aka amino acids required to do the jobs needed). Aim to include ~15-20g of protein into snacks and ~20-40g of protein into main meals each day. Remember more is not always better, our bodies have limited capacity to digest and utilise protein.

Foods ideas to include in meals and snacks:

Milk, cheese or yoghurt (plain unsweetened)
L.S.A. (ground linseed, sunflower seed and almonds)*
Eggs
PURE Whey Protein
Nuts and seeds (chia seeds are a good option)*
Peanut butter*
Quinoa (grain)*
Beans and lentils*
Hummus*
Lean meat
Seafood

*Vegan friendly

Exercise Protein

Generally, our diet provides us with enough protein to support training and racing without needing to supplement during exercise. There are some exceptions and these include; individuals with high training loads (or multiple sessions per day) and ultra-endurance sessions or events (2 hours or longer).

Protein suggestions to support exercise:

Bacon and egg bites
Cheese rolls (Southlands best-kept secret!)
Peanut butter and jam sandwich
PURE Endurance Formula (carbs, mineral salts, NZ whey protein isolate)
PURE Recovery Shake (mixed with water on-the-go so handy when packing weight is a limiting factor).

Recovery Protein

When it comes to recovery the aim is to stop the body breaking down muscle so it can begin the repair process. The first step is to refuel within 30 minutes of exercise so your body can get the nutrients on board to do the job. Carbohydrate and protein are a good combination for this, so aim to include ~20g of good quality protein in your immediate post-exercise snack then don't forget to keep including it into meals and snacks to support ongoing recovery.

Post-exercise recovery protein suggestions: