BY SAMANTHA BRIGHT / Kalamalama Staff
The majority of your fitness progress starts in the kitchen, and improving your diet is one of the easiest and most effective changes you can make to improve your lifestyle.
If you’re looking to get in shape or build some muscle, hitting your daily recommended protein intake is a must.
For the average person, it’s recommended that you eat one gram of protein for every pound of body weight. Someone weighing 140 pounds should consume 140 grams of protein a day, while someone who weighs 210 pounds needs to eat 210 grams of protein a day.
This may seem like a lot, but there are plenty of high-protein foods that are easy to cook with and can be friendly towards your grocery budget.
Red Meat
Red meat seems like an obvious choice for protein, but there are different types of red meat that can be better for your budget or personal workout goals.
Both beef and pork have around 20 grams of protein in a 4 ounce serving, but this amount of beef has about 180 calories while the same amount of pork has closer to 280 calories.
This means that both are great as high protein options for muscle growth, but pork is better if you are looking to bulk or gain some weight, while beef would be better for maintaining or losing some weight.
Pork also tends to be a bit cheaper than beef, with the average price typically being close to half the cost of the same amount of ground beef.
This makes it better if you’re working with a budget. Both are high in nutrients and a great staple for any meal, and there are plenty of easy and delicious recipes for both beef and pork.
If you’re looking for a meat option that requires less cooking, deli meats such as ham and roast beef are great for making quick sandwiches and are cost-effective as well. Both deli ham and roast beef contain around 10 grams of protein and 70 calories in a two-ounce serving.
Poultry
Poultry is another great type of meat that is high in protein and easy to cook.
A four-ounce serving of chicken breasts has about 130 calories and 25 grams of protein; the same amount of chicken drumsticks has 180 calories and 20 grams of protein; and the same amount of chicken thighs has 250 calories and 19 grams of protein. This is because chicken has both light and dark meat, with darker meat found in the thighs and drumsticks having more calories than the light meat in the breast of the chicken.
This variety allows you to choose which part of the chicken to get based on if you are looking to gain or lose weight. Chicken breast does tend to be the most expensive of the options, but it also comes in canned form that has 90 calories and 18 grams of protein in 4 ounces.
Another poultry option is turkey, which is typically found either ground or as a deli meat. Ground turkey typically has around 170 calories and 21 grams of protein in a 4 ounce serving, while deli turkey has about 120 calories and 22 grams of protein in a 4 ounce serving.
Like other deli meats, deli-sliced turkey can be used in any sandwich and is the fastest and easiest way to add it to a meal. Ground turkey is great when made into meatballs, while chicken is easy to grill or pan-fry, and both can be added to any dish for a great source of protein and nutrients.
Fish
Like other types of meat, fish is another great source of protein and is also really good for you. It’s packed with vitamins D and B2, omega 3 fatty acids, and other nutrients.
One of the best fish options is canned tuna with ⅓ of a cup having 21 grams of protein and 100 calories. A four-ounce filet of salmon has 21 grams of protein and 120 calories, while the same amount of tilapia has 23 grams of protein and 110 calories, and the same amount of cod has 20 grams of protein and 85 calories.
With a wide variety of fish that have different amounts of calories with similar amounts of protein allow you to choose one based on your goals.
While fresh fish is going to be more on the expensive side, frozen fish filets typically cost 30 to 50 cents an ounce, with cod being one of the cheapest and salmon typically being the most expensive.
The most cost-effective, however, would be canned tuna. Canned tuna can be added to sandwiches, made into tuna salad, or added to things like mac and cheese. It is also a lot easier to keep and you can purchase it in bulk because it has a long shelf life.
Eggs
Eggs are already a common breakfast staple and can be cooked many different ways while giving your body 6 grams of protein and 70 calories per egg.
If you’re low on time in the mornings and need a quick breakfast, boiled eggs can last 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge and make for a quick and easy source of protein by themselves or on a salad.
If you boil them for less time and make soft-boiled eggs, they become a great topper on toast or ramen.
Omelets are another great option and allow you to add other ingredients such as meat and cheese and veggies to your eggs.
Greek Yogurt
Another amazing and versatile source of protein is greek yogurt.
Most kinds of greek yogurt have around 16 grams of protein in ¾ of a cup, however the calories can vary based on what percent of milk fat is left in. In ¾ of a cup, nonfat greek yogurt has around 100 calories, low fat has about 130, and full fat has around 170 calories.
These options typically cost close to the same amount making it easy to decide on one based around your nutrition goals.
Greek yogurt is great because it can be used with so many different things, you can mix it with fruit and honey and have it for breakfast, or add it to any smoothie or protein shake, or use it in place of sour cream in sauces or to add some creaminess to a dish.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is perhaps one of the easiest and best options to get some extra protein in your diet.
With two tablespoons having seven grams of protein and 190 calories, peanut butter in a jar does have some extra calories that is great for those on a bulking diet.
However, there are powdered peanut butter options that have the same amount of protein in two tablespoons but only 70 calories and are better for a lower calories diet.
Peanut butter can be added into smoothies, made into PBJs, spread on toast, or eaten straight off the spoon. It’s versatile and cheap, typically costing around 20 cents per ounce or less, with its powdered form being a little more expensive at around 50 cents an ounce.
Beans
Getting enough protein might seem like a challenge, especially if you’re vegetarian. But there are plenty of affordable alternatives to meats, and one of the best options is beans.
One serving of beans is typically ½ cup, and this amount has around 7 grams of protein and 110 calories. This may not seem like a lot, but one average 15 ounce can of beans has 3.5 servings in it, meaning a single can has more than 24 grams of protein and 385 calories.
This does put it on the higher end when it comes to calories but there are plenty of low-calorie recipes that use beans as the staple ingredient.
Soybeans are a great example of high-protein beans, and soybeans are used to make both soy milk and tofu. Soy milk is a great source of protein for those that prefer to avoid dairy, with one cup containing around 8 grams of protein and 110 calories.
Tofu is a great alternative to meat and can be made in place of meat for many different recipes, with an average 3.5-ounce piece of firm tofu having 100 calories and 10 grams of protein.
Wanting to better yourself and your eating habits should be easy, and achieving your fitness and nutrition goals shouldn’t seem out of reach because of your budget or lifestyle. These protein options make it easy to hit that protein intake goal while managing your calories — without breaking the bank.
Samantha Bright is a student at Hawaii Pacific University studying Animation and Multimedia Design. Follow her on Instagram at @sbright0324.
