 Hi friends, welcome back to my channel and a very special welcome if you're new here. My name is Jen I'm a certified weight loss and nutrition coach and today we're talking about protein specifically 16 healthy protein packed foods as a nutrition coach I get asked daily several times a day. What do you eat for protein? What are the best foods to go to to help you reach your protein goals now? I've actually done quite a few videos on protein foods and how to reach your protein goals I will link those videos down below But it's been a hot minute and I feel like it's time for an update And I wanted to share with you the 16 foods that I have been leaning on for the last several months that helped me reach My protein goal keep me full and satisfied and have helped lead to my almost 140 pound weight loss So if you are excited give this video a big thumbs up Subscribe if you're not because I upload five videos every single week And don't forget to check out the description box down below for nutrition coaching Personalized macros and calories one-on-one coaching definitely invest in yourself get your macros and calories done And I am here to help you with accountability and to answer your questions with one-on-one coaching I will link all of the protein foods that you can't buy at your local grocery store down below for you as well Along with links and discounts to my other favorite things and my Facebook group definitely come on over and join us there We would love to have you so let's hop into my favorite 16 foods that are packed with protein healthy delicious and help me reach my protein goal Enough protein on a daily basis is essential for your overall health Healthy sources of protein include eggs, nuts, lean meats, fish, dairy, and certain grains So you might be wondering how much protein first of all am I supposed to be having every day now? This is very personal the protein that I need every day is going to vary from the protein that you need every day That's why personalized macros and calories are essential But there are four things that really determine the amount of protein that you need daily Number one is your body size or your weight your activity level your age and your pregnancy Status like I said some people need more protein than others I know for me because I am so active and I'm trying to build and maintain lean muscle My protein needs are more which are again determined by your personalized macros and calories Side note macros are protein fats and carbs So you're given a goal for all three of those not only is protein essential for overall health It's actually the most filling macro much more filling than carbs and fats And it's the macro that it that your body takes the longest to digest Which basically means it's going to keep you fuller for longer Because it's sitting in your stomach waiting for your body to digest it and on a side note during the digestion process Your body is burning calories so the harder it is to digest protein the more calories you burn just digesting your food And that sounds pretty good to me the recommended minimum amount of protein every day is about a hundred grams for a woman And this is going to be a sedentary woman I will tell you that all of my coaching clients eat well over a hundred grams of protein every day So if you find that you're under that hundred gram mark It is time to step up your protein game and these 16 high protein foods are really going to help you reach Your goal food number one is eggs eggs are really a superfood in a powerhouse when it comes to weight loss But are also packed with protein and healthy fat They're very easy for your body to digest They're full of vitamins minerals and of course the protein and healthy fat Of course the white portion of the egg is all protein In fact the majority of the protein from an egg comes from the white But don't skip the yolk because the yolk is where you're going to find all of those vitamins Minerals the healthy fat and some additional protein for me I like to do one whole egg and then some egg whites to really bulk up the protein without adding all the extra calories and fat And if you're worried about cholesterol rest assured that a lot of recent research shows that the cholesterol and eggs is not the bad Cholesterol so go ahead and eat eggs freely In fact make them a part of your daily diet for protein number two is going to be almonds nuts in general Really really good for a snack, but almonds are really the king of nuts when it comes to getting in your protein They're also packed with fiber vitamin E Manganese and magnesium all of which are essential nutrients for health There are plant-based protein and they are linked to lowering bad cholesterol You can eat almonds by themselves You can add them to things like oatmeal you can put them into bowls and salads for a boost of protein and fiber I love to have almonds is a snack whether they're raw almonds or some of those fun bold almonds like wasabi and soy sauce or smoked almonds introduce almonds into your life and Even though they're a little bit higher in calories the protein and fiber that you're reaping from them as well as all the vitamins Minerals and nutrients make these an excellent healthy protein pack snack number three is going to be chicken breast now Chicken breast makes this list for me because it is a lean source of protein. It's low in calories Zero fat and it is super super charged and packed with protein We're also going to get B vitamins selenium and zinc from chicken breast and it's so versatile There are so many things that you can do with it. I love to shred it up and make KFC style bowls out of it. I love to make chicken salad add it to a salad mix it into a casserole Use it as a source of protein for pasta The chicken breast is really the best source of lean protein and it has endless possibilities One half of a chicken breast is going to give you about 27 grams of protein and less than 200 calories So protein versus calories. This is a go-to for me number four is cottage cheese And if you follow me, you know that I eat cottage cheese almost every single day actually probably every single day It is such a low calorie pet protein packed snack has so much calcium Bosphorus selenium vitamin B12 riboflavin and a lot of nutrients The only negative thing about cottage cheese is it can be high in sodium But for me it's worth using that as a source of sodium because it is so low calorie and packed with protein One cup of cottage cheese actually delivers about 28 grams of protein So half of a cup has at least 14 grams and is only about 80 calories So really it's a great source of protein and a great source of dairy Which is essential for maintaining a healthy body number five is another one of my staples and this is greek yogurt I generally choose non-fat greek yogurt But any type of plain greek yogurt flavored greek yogurt whole or fat free is going to again Similar to cottage cheese give you all of the benefits of a good healthy dairy with a lot of protein Greek yogurt makes a great substitution for sour cream. You can add it into scrambled eggs for a punch of protein I love to make yogurt bowls where I top my greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola You can even throw greek yogurt into a smoothie It makes it nice and creamy and gives you more protein A little seven ounce container of greek yogurt or serving of greek yogurt can be upwards of 20 grams of protein You know that I love to mix my little clean simple eats protein in with my non-fat greek yogurt I top it with a little bit of whipped cream and it is a pudding like consistency dessert And it gives me anywhere from 35 to 45 grams of protein My favorite protein powder to mix into greek yogurt is 100 percent clean simple eats I just find that it does that it blends really easy with the greek yogurt doesn't leave a weird gritty texture And is the best flavor in my opinion I will link clean simple eats down below for you with a discount. It is as you know my go-to protein powder Number six is milk now. I don't love milk fun fact about me. It's not my favorite thing in the world I always used to choose almond milk in place of milk because i'm just not a big milk lover until I discovered fair life Now fair life milk has 13 grams of protein in one cup. I love the low fat fair life milk I love the chocolate fair life milk Again one cup of chocolate fair life milk one scoop of clean simple eats protein powder a few ice cubes Blend it up and it's a literal milkshake. It is so good My favorite flavor of clean simple eats protein to do with the chocolate fair life milk is german chocolate cake It's literally a dessert and again 40 grams of and again 35 to 40 grams of protein But milk in general and dairy products in general are going to be some of your biggest sources of protein We already talked about greek yogurt cottage cheese cheese in general eggs These are all dairy products that really give you a big pack of protein Unfortunately, if you're dairy free, it's a little harder to reach your protein goal You really have to rely on plant-based proteins in order to get there But if you can incorporate dairy into your diet without any negative consequences I highly recommend having two to three servings of dairy every day to not only help reach your protein goals But reap the rewards that dairy gives you as far as vitamins minerals calcium and just a healthier overall body My number seven may come as a little bit of a surprise and this is going to be lentils I have recently rediscovered lentils and have been loving them They are such a versatile Bean that you can make so many different things out of again if you're dairy free or plant-based Lentils have the most plant-based protein of any other food They also contain fiber full-ate magnesium potassium iron Copper and meganese all of which are essential vitamins and minerals And in fact people who consume lentils on a regular basis have a lower risk of heart disease and liver disease 100 grams or about a half cup of cooked lentils is going to give you about 10 grams of protein That's a lot of protein and all the fiber in a half of a cup of lentils You can make soup you can eat lentils cold or warm You can add them to casseroles to pastas to salads You can eat them by themselves as a side with a little salt and pepper Lentils have recently become a major favorite for me Number eight is lean beef now besides chicken breast lean ground beef is going to give you a lot of protein And here's a fun fact for you the macro profile of lean ground beef like 93 percent 96 percent Is pretty similar to chicken breast The only difference is there's going to be a little bit more fat since chicken breast is virtually fat free But all of the other macro nutrient profile is very similar So you don't only have to eat chicken breast You can introduce lean beef into your diet as well beef has iron Which is really important along with zinc selenium vitamins b12 and b6 So there's a lot of added benefits of lean beef Of course, you want to eat plant-based proteins fish and poultry as well And I would recommend limiting red meat sources to maybe one to three times per week depending on your diet I know for tori and I we eat red meat at least twice a week sometimes three times a week We just prefer it especially he prefers it over chicken And again, like I said the macro nutrient profile doesn't vary that much from chicken breast In fact a three ounce serving of lean beef is going to give you about 25 grams of protein Where that same amount of chicken gives you about 27 grams of protein So you can see that the protein is very similar So don't eliminate lean beef in fact included in your diet several times per week Number nine is fish now. I love fish my husband doesn't love fish So I tend to order fish out a lot or I like to incorporate it into my lunches or my meal preps Because I typically am the one that eats those but similar to chicken breast fish is packed with protein Very very low calorie and virtually no fat of course depending on the type of fish that you're choosing Salmon of course is going to be higher calorie higher fat than a white fish like cod halibut or tilapia But all fish salmon included is beneficial for weight loss and is an amazing source of low calorie low fat protein People who consume fish on a regular basis have a lower risk of heart disease and to type 2 diabetes Plus fatty fish is like salmon actually give you what your body needs for omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential My good fat is generally a little bit low because I don't eat enough fish So I've really tried to incorporate more fish including salmon into my diet And I do take a fish oil supplement every day as well Just to supplement any of the omega 3 fatty acids that I'm missing in my diet Half of a salmon place going to give you about 31 grams of protein plus all that healthy omega 3 Healthy fat and white fish like cod is going to give you 41 grams of protein Really for protein fish is the biggest thing for your buck So if you like fish Eat it more often if you don't like fish reach for white cuts of fish that don't have a fishy flavor But still give you all of the protein. I know for me My goal is to include fish at least once if not twice per week Number 10 may come as a surprise as well And this is quinoa if you saw my last meal prep on monday. I made a quinoa Ground turkey bake with cashews. It was amazing by the way I will link this week's meal prep video down below for you But quinoa although it's a grain is a superfood and has a lot of protein It's rich in fiber, folate, copper, iron and zinc and of course protein Quinoa is also a complete protein because it contains all nine of the essential amino acids that make up a complete protein And like I mentioned quinoa has been touted to be a superfood One cup of cooked quinoa delivers about eight grams of protein. It's pretty good for your carby side I like to include quinoa in my diet in place of things like rice that doesn't have any protein Any swaps that you can make from foods with zero protein to foods with protein Is just going to be one step closer in you reaching your protein goal and your weight loss goals Number 11 is protein powders and protein shakes in general. This is something that I rely on In fact, if you're a coaching client of mine, you know that when we have a conversation or I coach you Throughout your weight loss journey that I recommend one to two protein supplements every day to reach your protein goals Now protein supplements are things like protein shakes protein powders protein water protein bars But protein powders in my opinion are some of the easiest most convenient protein supplements out there I have three protein powders that I reach for daily number one clean simple eats We talked about that mixing in with that chocolate milk mixing being with nonfat greek yogurt That I would say is my number one protein powder of choice. I also love the motivate chocolate and vanilla protein powders I love everything motivate puts out in their protein is a no exception And lastly, I love a scent a scent makes some really great clean proteins and you can buy them right off of amazon So I'll link all three of my favorite protein powders down below for you I have discounts for both clean simple eats and motivate. So I'll put those down below as well But protein powders are super convenient. You can make protein shakes out of them You can mix them into greek yogurt like we talked about earlier and they're portable You can take protein powder with you and mix it in with water Or milk you can even stop at your local gas station and pick up a bottle of water Or a bottle of milk and make a protein shake on the go It's a great way to get in protein quickly and conveniently now, of course protein powders protein content is going to vary Plant-based protein powders have a little less protein than whey protein But still you can get anywhere from about 16 grams to about 40 grams of protein per serving I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty low calorie convenient way to pack in protein So utilize protein supplements like protein powders daily number 12 is a zeal bread One thing that I really started doing when I had a protein goal in mind Which is really how I've lost the majority of my weight is making swaps for things that don't have protein to things That do we talked about how I used to drink almond milk and now I choose fair life milk same goes for bread I used to buy the low calorie bread serially six four seven bread 45 calorie bread that basically has zero fiber and zero protein And by making a swap to things like a zeal bread or sprouted bread you can not only get Fiber but you can also get anywhere from about five to eight grams of protein per Slice of bread a zeal bread is top notch You usually can find this in the freezer section of really any grocery store or health food store It's typically made from organic and sprouted whole grains and legumes including millet barley spelt wheat Soybeans and lentils tie in protein fiber and other nutrients one slice of a zeal bread is going to give you fiber And six grams of protein So think about swaps swap out the foods that you're eating that don't help you reach your protein goal With similar foods that help you get a little bit closer and bread is one of those Really simple swaps that you can make number 13 is pumpkin seeds. I have rediscovered and refallen in love with pumpkin seeds I love them on my granola bowls. I love them on my yogurt bowls I love to eat them just as a crunchy snap in place of other types of nuts They're great to add to oatmeal There are so many ways that you can introduce pumpkin seeds into your diet They are a great source of iron Phosphorus magnesium and zinc. They are packed with plant-based protein So again, if your focus is plant-based pumpkin seeds are a game changer and of course fiber I also love to mix them with almonds and unsweetened dried fruit to make kind of a granola and nut based granola You can take this on the go with you. It doesn't require refrigeration And again, it allows you to get in pumpkin seeds, which are going to give you fiber and protein A quarter cup of pumpkin seeds is nine grams of protein That's like this much pumpkin seeds for nine grams of protein So if you forgot about pumpkin seeds or you haven't introduced them into your diet Now is the time because I know for me they become a staple number 14 similar to chicken breast lean beef is going to be turkey breast I love ground turkey. In fact, I generally reach for ground meat over whole meat So chicken for example, I prefer ground chicken over a chicken breast I prefer ground turkey over a turkey breast But any type of turkey is going to give you a lot of protein for little calories and very little if any fat You also get a lot of vitamins and minerals including selenium zinc and vitamins b12 and b6 A pound of ground turkey can be made into multiple dishes throughout the week I actually recommend prepping some protein sources and having them on hand things like ground turkey Cook it up. Don't season it. Just put it in your fridge and when you need a meal on the go You can add things like taco seasoning to it throw it in some marinara Add some seasonings to make a great turkey bowl the possibilities are endless And you're just setting yourself up for success by having Pre-cooked meats and protein sources in your refrigerator a three ounce serving of turkey Whether it's in the turkey breast form or ground is going to give you 26 grams of protein Number 15 is shellfish. We talked about fish But shellfish is a really great kind of fun way to get an extra protein And change up those freshwater cold water sources Shrimp oysters clams and scallops are excellent sources of protein Plus they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals again zinc selenium vitamin b12 and iron Put them in pastas add them to a salad I love just cooking shrimp up and eating shrimp with cocktail sauce Put them into things like salads pastas and stir fries and it's a great way to get in protein In fact a three ounce serving of clams cooked provides about 22 grams of protein And the same serving of shrimp is going to give you about 20 grams and you have to remember shellfish is very low calorie So if you're watching your calories, but trying to reach your protein goal Shellfish and fish in general are great ways to keep your calories low But get in your protein and number 16 Peanut butter peanut butter almond butter cashew butter Butter nut butters in general are a great source of protein and a great source of healthy fat If you follow me, you know, I eat nut butter daily. I love my american dream nut butter It's my all-time favorite I'll link that down below for you with a 10 discount code But nut butters are a staple for me. I sometimes eat it by the spoon Put it on rice cakes put it on toast mix it into smoothies. I love nut butter You're going to get protein fully magnesium and a punch of healthy fats Nut butter also keeps you full because there's a mixture of the protein and fat and when you pair those two together It's a recipe for fullness and satisfaction between Meals for me one of my favorite pre-gym pre workout snacks is a rice cake with peanut butter It's a fast acting carbohydrate paired with the nut butter which has protein and fat So it's going to slow the digestion of the carb But the carb is going to give me energy to make it through my workout I also eat this a lot as a post workout snack I love celery with peanut butter on it. And like I said, sometimes I just eat it by the spoon It's such a great filling snack choice two tablespoons of most nut butters is going to give you anywhere from seven to 10 grams of protein So like I said, it's a delicious way to get in your protein So those are my top 16 foods that I've been loving recently and really throughout a big portion of my weight loss journey That not only keeps me full and satisfied are foods that I love but also help me reach my protein goal I have a pretty big protein goal every day and I would say that out of a 30 day period I reached my protein goal at least 29 if not 30 of those days And that has really been the catapult and the key to my weight loss success When I started focusing on macros and calories specifically calories and protein at the start of 2022 I was able to lose 90 pounds Last year alone and I've been able to continue to lose weight and maintain my weight loss while building lean muscle And really becoming the healthiest fitness strongest and leanest version of myself and I attribute that to reaching my protein goal every day I know this can be daunting and challenging for a lot of people So I wanted to put out another video with my protein staples I really hope this helps you incorporate these into your life And you will be able to reach your protein goal and your weight loss goals pretty much effortlessly Like I mentioned, I'll link everything I shared with you down in the description box Besides what you can buy at your local grocery store My other protein videos that I've put out in the past I highly recommend checking these out for more protein food ideas and just ways in general on how I get in my protein every day I also have links and discounts to my other favorite things and of course come join our facebook group We'd love to have you and this is how you can keep up with me a little bit more day to day Thank you so much for watching and I really hope this helped you out Happy sunday, and I'll see you in the next one. Bye