Get your grams in, one whey or the other.
1. Swap out the pasta in your dinner recipes for quinoa.
2. ...or have it for breakfast instead of cereal.
3. Experiment with less common grains, too.
4. Make brownies with black beans instead of flour.
5. Find a protein powder that you *actually* like.
6. Put nuts and seeds into EVERYTHING.
7. Switch all of your yogurt to Greek yogurt.
8. Stir protein powder into your iced coffee.
9. Bake Quest Bars in the oven to make warm, soft COOKIES.
If you've ever eaten a Quest protein bar, you have probably noticed that the texture can be a little bit, um, challenging to chew. The solution? Pop a bar (any flavor) in a 375 convection oven for five minutes, and it'll turn soft and melty.
You can also cut a few bars into cookie-like shapes and bake them in a muffin tray or on a cookie sheet to make a portable cookie stash.
10. Think beyond the boring chicken breast.
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An unseasoned chicken breast and some limp steamed broccoli are the unfortunate stereotypical dieting meal. But when it comes to lean meats, turkey breast, pork, fish, and even beef (lean cuts like top round, sirloin, and flank steak) also pack a protein punch. You can also make chicken breasts NOT boring.
11. Eat half an avocado every day.
Sydney Oland / Serious Eats / Via seriouseats.com
Some experts recommend eating half an avocado every day, especially if you use it to replace unhealthier foods. One avocado packs in 4 grams of protein, which might not sound like much, but the fruit contains all nine essential amino acids. Use it instead of butter on toast, or bake an egg in it for even more protein. (Here's one recipe for baked eggs and avocado.)
12. Try nutritional yeast as a tasty, healthy way to add flavor.
A vegan staple, deactivated yeast has a nutty, cheesy flavor and can be sprinkled over pretty much anything. (Also, two tablespoons contain nine grams of protein.)
Try it over air-popped popcorn or in MAC AND CHEESE.
13. Stir an egg white into your oatmeal.
This protein pumpkin oatmeal uses either 1/4 liquid egg whites or 2 egg whites to make the oatmeal light and fluffy and deliver 14 grams of protein in one tasty bowl. (Stir the egg whites constantly while adding so that they blend in smoothly.)
14. Use cottage cheese as an ingredient instead of a stand-alone snack.
Does the thought of digging into a big bowl of cottage cheese make you feel queasy? You're not alone. But you can still sneak some of the high protein stuff into your recipes — like these blueberry pancakes, which, believe it or not, contain an entire cup of cottage cheese.
15. Remember: Canned salmon and tuna are your friends.
For a super quick lunch, pop the can and top a salad with some fish, which can pack up to 17 grams of protein per serving. Bonus: It's super portable!
Many canned salmon brands use wild salmon, not farm-raised, but be sure to check if that's important to you.
16. Snack on roasted chickpeas instead of crackers or chips.
Pop these in the oven and add whatever spices you'd like, from wasabi to rosemary. You'll get about 15 grams of protein per half cup. Recipe here.
Or just, you know, buy a bag.
17. And when in doubt, put sprinkles in it.
Counting protein grams every day can get super monotonous, so try to have some fun with it. This birthday cake protein shake is made with TWO SCOOPS of whey or other protein for nutrition, and sprinkles because SO FUN.
I also recommend the Oh Yeah! One birthday cake protein bar, which is the best protein bar I've ever tried.