More Protein Choices For Personal Training Clients

Many personal training clients have indicated recently that their protein levels are too low, or that they are just not sure what are some good choices, and how much to eat per meal/day.

Giving advice on nutrition is always a difficult one due to the fact that most people have partners, families, eat out often, etc. but there are some very simple rules to follow without having to radically change your diet (unless you really should!).

Protein is like the foundation of a house, trying to build an impressive looking house on a questionable slab is obviously not the best method. Neither then, is training hard at the gym and not supporting your diet, time and dollars spent at the gym or with your trainer, without the right fuel source.

Some very simple rules that anyone can follow are to eat 5 meals per day in line with what most people already (should) do and this is:

1. Breakfast  – Yes, this really is the most important meal of the day!
2. Mid morning snack
3. Lunch
4. Mid afternoon snack
5. Dinner

Then it’s simply a matter of adding some protein with every meal. Try and get 20-30 grams of protein with your main meals, ie. 1, 2 & 3 and at least some protein with your snacks and try and combine protein and carbohydrates with every meal. For in between meals, a piece of fruit is an excellent way to combine these two with the following good protein choices, in no particular order:

Food	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
Egg Whites	17	3.5	0	0
Whole Eggs (extra large 56g)	83	7	0	5.6
No fat yoghurt (200g container)	96	9.6	13.6	0.2
No fat milk (250ml)	113	11.5	15.5	0.3
Traditional Oats (100g)	380	12.8	56.7	8.8
Dry Roasted Cashews (30g)	172	4.6	9.8	13.9
Chicken Breast (100g – raw)	110	22.5	0	2.5
Rump Steak (100g – raw)	117	23.5	0	2.5
Canned Tuna (140g)	147	35	0.7	0.6
Tuna and sweet chilli (Can – 95g)	101	12.4	11.0	0.6

There are many others, but these are a good place to start. Leave a comment with your own suggestions and I will update the list.

Don’t forget to read the recent article on having hard boiled eggs handy as a source of protein. If you are eating more than 4-5 boiled eggs a day, consider not eating all of the yolks if you find fat content is too high if you are counting your calorie intake.