How to Shop for Higher-Protein Foods

Many of the foods Americans love to eat are loaded with all the things that aren’t good for your body – saturated fat, added sugars and sodium – and deficient in the nutrients you do need – fiber, protein and good fats.  

As it relates to protein, there are easy fixes to make when shopping to get more protein into your diet. Whether it’s revamped products that feature more protein or existing products that are healthier alternatives, consider these swaps the next time you’re at the store. 

The power of protein

Protein is one of the three main macronutrients (along with fats and carbohydrates) your body needs to function. Considered a building block of life, protein contains amino acids that are vital in cellular repair and to grow bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. Hemoglobin, one of the more important proteins, also plays a key role in transporting oxygen. 

Since protein is so important, eating foods with good sources of protein helps supply the amino acids your body needs to grow and develop. 

Dietary proteins can come from animals or plants. When digested, it takes more energy to break down proteins compared to fats or carbs. This is one possible explanation of why some people can have meat sweats when consuming high quantities of protein. 

Protein also impacts satiety, or the state of being full after a meal. Protein suppresses ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates your appetite. It also increases the production of peptide YY, a hormone produced after you eat that suppresses your appetite to signify you’re no longer hungry. 

Do you need more protein in your diet?

Daily protein needs depend on your weight. In general, you should consume 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. That amounts to about 7 grams of protein for every 20 pounds, or 70 grams of protein for a 200-pound person. 

This may seem like a hefty benchmark, but you can find protein in a majority of foods – it’s a common misnomer that only animal-based products contain protein. For example, eating a cup of black beans provides you with 16 grams of protein. 

On average, Americans usually meet the recommended daily amount of protein. Analysis included in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 edition showed both men and women ages 19 to 59 met or exceeded their protein intake. 

However, in 2019, a large-scale study of more than 11,000 adults over the age of 51 concluded 46 percent didn’t meet their daily protein goals. 

High-protein shopping list

The next time you drop into the grocery store for your weekly haul, consider these higher-protein options. 

Almond tortilla instead of flour tortilla:

• A standard flour tortilla (49 grams) has 4.3 grams of protein.  
• When made with almond flour, the same size tortilla has 6 grams of protein. It may not seem like much, but if you have two or three tacos for a meal, it can add nearly six total grams of protein. 

Black bean chips instead of tortilla chips: 

• Tortilla chips are tasty, but they don’t offer much in the way of nutrients, as consuming 10 chips provides just 2 grams of protein.  
• Black bean chips, on the other hand, contain 5 grams of protein for the same serving size. 

Chicken breast instead of chicken thigh:

• Most people may not know this, but chicken breasts have more protein and less fat than chicken thighs.  
• A single chicken breast contains 37 grams of protein and just 4 grams of fat. A chicken thigh has 31 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat.  

Cottage cheese instead of ricotta:

• A half cup of cottage cheese has 14 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat and 26 percent of  the recommended daily value of calcium. Some versions of cottage cheese have upwards of 16 grams of protein due to the addition of chia seeds. 
• A half cup of ricotta cheese has 12 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat and 16 percent of calcium.  

Gluten-free flour alternatives instead of white flour:

• A cup of refined white flour has 13 grams of protein.  
• Soy flour packs in 32 grams of protein per cup, a cup of almond flour has 24 grams of protein and a cup of chickpea flour has 21 grams of protein. These high-protein alternatives can be mixed into cookies, crackers, waffles, pancakes, cakes and more. 

Greek yogurt instead of sour cream:

• Greek yogurt has 11 grams of protein per ½ cup compared to 4 grams of protein in a ½ cup of sour cream.
• Greek yogurt is a common swap for sour cream to thicken dressings, marinades and sauces. 

Nut/seed crackers instead of white crackers:

• A majority of crackers, such as Ritz and Saltentine’s, have 2 grams of protein per serving.  
• Instead, try Mary’s Gone Crackers, made with a blend of brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds and sesame seeds to reach 4 grams of protein per serving. 

Nutritional yeast instead of grated parmesan or Romano cheese:

• Nutritional yeast, made from deactivated yeast, has nearly 4 grams of protein per tablespoon compared to grated cheese that has about 2 grams of protein for the same amount.  
• This may not seem like much, but if you’re a pasta lover or like making cheese sauce, nutritional yeast is an easy way to sneak in more protein. Nutritional yeast, also called nooch, has a similar umami flavor to cheese, making it an easy swap for recipes. 

Protein ice cream instead of traditional ice cream:  

• Most people don’t splurge on ice cream for the protein – they do so because it’s comforting and tastes good. However, others prefer their sweet treats to include some nutritional component.  
• Halo Top, one of the biggest players in low-calorie ice cream, boasts 9 grams of protein compared to 5 grams of protein for most brands of ice cream (Ben and Jerry’s has 7.5 grams of protein due to a higher cream content). 

Quinoa instead of white rice:

• White rice is a staple on the dinner table in many homes, especially dishes that focus on Asian and Mexican cuisine. The problem is white rice doesn’t offer much nutrition and has just 4.3 grams of protein per cup.  
• Instead, swap this refined grain for quinoa, a type of seed that contains more than 9 grams of protein per cup. 

Red lentil pasta instead of refined white pasta:

• A 4 oz. serving of dry red lentil pasta (roughly equal to 1 cup of cooked pasta) has 30 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber. Chickpea pasta is also a better choice, boasting 24 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber per serving. 
• By comparison, 4 oz. of white pasta has 14.8 grams of protein and 3.6 grams of fiber. 

Silken tofu for mayonnaise:

• Swap in silken tofu and you’ll get 3.3 grams of protein per two tablespoons and save on fat (just 1 gram of fat). Use it in sauces and dressings where you’d typically add mayo for creaminess and consistency. 
• Recipes that call for two tablespoons of mayo may not seem like much, but that amounts to 20 grams of fat with just 0.1 grams of protein.  

Turkey sausage instead of pork sausage:

• A link of turkey sausage has 18 grams of protein and less than 8 grams of fat.  
• The equivalent of pork sausage has just 13 grams of protein and a whopping 19.5 grams of fat. Because turkey is leaner, it also contains less saturated fat. 

Ultrafiltered milk instead of whole milk:

• Ultrafiltered milk uses a process that separates the cream and runs the remaining liquid through a filtration system to remove the lactose and most of the sugar.  
• Ultrafiltered milk contains 13 grams of protein per cup compared to just 8 grams of protein for whole milk. 

For more news on trending health topics and nutrition, visit the INTEGRIS Health For You blog.

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