9 best high protein foods to build muscle and lose fat

Protein makes up the building blocks of our muscles, skin, hormones and organs. This means that we need to eat high protein foods to build and maintain our best health.

Protein also helps with weight loss and losing belly fat!

Resistance exercise paired with eating protein can boost your metabolism meaning you burn more fat.

Now you can see the importance of consuming protein, let’s look at some of the best foods to get more of it in your diet. Remember the key is to eat a variety of these foods every day!

1, Eggs

Eggs contain all the essential building blocks your body needs to build muscle, maintain skin and organs and produce hormones. 

Plus they are low in kilojoules (calories), so they are great for weight loss. 

They will keep you full, build muscle and help burn fat.

2 eggs will give you one protein portion for the day. How many portions of protein do you need? Login and download your nutrition plan to find out!

Try our protein pancake for a low calorie, but high protein post workout brekkie. 

2, Nuts & Seeds

Nuts are an easy way to add an extra splash of protein to your meal. You only need a small handful though because nuts are high in fat. Although they are high in healthy fats, nuts are quite high in kilojoules (calories). However, a small portion of nuts will not only give you a kick of protein but their high fibre content will keep you full to prevent cravings.

30g of nuts or 1 TBSP of peanut butter will give you one protein portion.

Sprinkle some nuts over your porridge, add a handful to a salad or add some almonds in the oven with your roast veggies.

3, Chicken breast

Chicken breast is very high in protein and a very popular food. Almost everyone loves chicken! It’s extremely high protein content will keep you full for hours, preventing you from having cravings.

Chicken is also a lean protein if eaten without the skin. This means it is low in kilojoules (calories).

100g of raw chicken breast gives you one portion of protein.

Try our Honey Lemon Chicken or Turmeric Chicken Chickpea Bowl 

4, Greek Yoghurt

Did you know that greek yogurt has more protein than regular yoghurt? Make sure you choose varieties without added sugar. If you are trying to lose weight, then choose a low fat variety. 

¾ cup of low-fat yoghurt will give you one portion of protein. Remember you can Login and download your nutrition plan to find out how many portions of protein you need.

Try out our healthy and delicious Banana Split recipe to get your serving of greek yoghurt

5, Milk

Good old milk. One cup of milk is an excellent source of protein. If you’re trying to lose weight chose low-fat milk. If you can’t drink dairy milk, soy milk is a good source of protein.

1 cup of low-fat milk will give you one portion of protein.

Add some milk to your smoothie to increase the protein content and make it nice and creamy.

6, Chickpeas, lentils and beans

Chickpeas, lentils and beans (legumes) are amongst one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Along with them being a high source of plant protein, they are full of fibre and bursting with antioxidants. A fantastic source of protein for our vegetarian friends!!

1 cup of chickpeas, lentils and beans will give you one portion of protein.

Try our warming Dhal, San Choy Bau or Pumpkin & Chickpea Pita Pizza for a good serving of legumes.

7, Tofu

Tofu is another high source of plant protein, good for our vegetarians or those who are looking to eat more plant based meals. The handy thing about tofu is that it can be replaced with meat in a lot of your favourite dishes.

170g of tofu will give you one portion of protein

Try our yummy Red Curry Noodles with Tofu

8, Cheese

Who does not love cheese! The good news about cheese is that it’s a good source of protein. The bad news is that you don’t need much because it is very high in kilojoules (calorific). 

40g of cheese (about the size of your thumb) will give you one serving of protein.

We probably don’t need to tell you how to include cheese into your eating as melted cheese on almost anything is delicious. Just be mindful of your portion size and try to keep it to the size of your thumb.

Remember to try to include a variety of these foods into your day. And login to download your nutrition plan to find out how much you should be eating each day.

9, Broccoli

A vegetable high in protein? Yes, that’s right, broccoli is one og the highest plant sources of protein after side soy, chickpeas, beans and legumes. Although you are going to have to eat quite a lot to get a full serving of protein.

You will need to eat 2 cups of broccoli to get a decent portion of protein. Yes we know that’s a lot of broccoli. We suggest just adding a big handful of broccoli to one of your meals to add an extra sprinkle of protein and a big load of vitamins and antioxidants.

Download our family healthy eating plan to find a 7-day meal plan full of yummy healthy eating or login to download your personal nutrition plan to help create a healthier eating pattern. This is FREE to all members.

We’ve got everything you need to stay active so login and book your active training, yoga class and meditation either in the park or online now.

WANT TO START FEELING GOOD BUT NOT A LIVE LIFE GET ACTIVE MEMBER?

Fill in our registration form to become an online member and gain access to FREE Pilates, Tai Chi, Meditation, Fitness, Yoga and Nutrition programmes.