Struggling to consume enough protein? Fitness coach shares 5 ways to include protein in daily diet for long-term gains

Health experts and doctors have time and again emphasised the importance of having a sufficient amount of protein each day for a healthy life. Protein performs many functions in the body, including improving muscle health, bone density, and weight loss. When consumed in meals, it prevents hunger pangs by lowering blood sugar spikes and crashes.

While the benefits of consuming protein are many, most people still struggle to incorporate the power-packed nutrient into their diet sustainably.

Fitness coach Raj Ganpath took to his Instagram account and shared 5 ways to do so, keeping a long-term goal in mind.

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• Include proteins in your meal: The fitness coach shared that including protein is more important than worrying about which form to take it in and how much. “Make sure every meal you eat contains some form of protein. What protein doesn’t matter, how much doesn’t matter—just make sure there is some form of protein in any meal that you eat. It could be breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack at home, outside in your city, outside your city—it does not matter. Just make sure it is a part of your meal,” he said.

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• Find protein-rich foods: Sharing a more flexible approach, he asked people to focus on which foods could provide them with maximum protein based on their diet. He suggested some of them in the video as well. "Identify protein sources that are actually rich in protein, based on your dietary constraints and make them a part of your day. For instance, if you are a meat eater, eggs, meat, sea food all that is great. But if you are a vegetarian, you need to eat low-fat cheeses, tofu, tempeh, soya chunks, things like that. You may not be used to it but try to identify them and include them, get used to them.”

• Avoid proteins on the side: One of the most useful tips was consuming protein-rich food as part of the meal and not on the side. Any forceful eating pattern indicates it’s not sustainable and hence, not long-term.

"Make these protein-rich options a part of your meal, not just a side where you are force-fitting it into your meal. That means don't create a protein-free meal and then have protein on the side and think okay, I just have to somehow eat the protein, then I can enjoy my protein-free meal. Instead, try and make it a part of the meal, how do you include it in your recipes, that is the only way to make it a part of your life in the long term,” he added.

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• Use supplements: Offering practical advice, he suggested being open to taking protein supplements if you are not able to meet your daily requirement.

“If you are doing the first three steps and you are still not getting enough protein, you most definitely should supplement. This is precisely why supplements exist. So don't fight it. Don't overthink it. Try to get protein from real food if you are not able to supplement wisely.”

• Track but don’t obsess: This is what mostly happens with people when they begin to track protein. “You should know how much protein you are getting. It is important because you are not getting enough of it, so maybe once a month or once in two months, do a breakdown and understand how much protein you are getting in grams, but don't get into the habit of counting protein grams every day,” he concluded.

Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis.