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Week 3 - PROTEIN – Are you getting enough?

Go through last week’s food diary and this time continue to highlight the extras and look at the timing of your meals and snacks, but also circle the protein foods.

Aim to include a source of protein from the meat and alternatives group or the milk group at each main meal.  (If you are quite active or a big person you can also have protein food at your snacks.)  The protein in these foods will act as an anchor for your carbohydrate energy so that your meal lasts you longer. Ensuring there is protein at each meal will help stabilize blood sugars and enhance satiety (makes you feel full longer, helps you eat less and ultimately reduces snacking on the wrong foods). 

-Some examples of protein foods for breakfast include:  Nuts and nut butters like almond or peanut butter, seeds, tofu, egg, ham, yogurt, milk, soymilk, cheese. 

Lunch and dinner protein foods include: beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, poultry, milk, yogurt, soymilk, cheese.

-Plan ahead.  Write a menu for the week and a grocery list to go with it.  Keep this for the weeks to come.  It is an initial time investment but in the end it will save you time.

-Go for variety.  If you eat 7 dinners per week, aim to have 2 vegetarian meals with beans or tofu, 2 fish meals with salmon or halibut, 2 poultry meals and only one with red meat (if you eat meat).  This way you ensure you are getting a variety of protein foods and you are not relying on chicken only.

-Aim for 2-3 servings of meat and alternatives per day and 2-4 servings of milk products per day.  Smaller people or those that don’t exercise 5-6 days per week should be eating the lower number of servings.

Go to www.dietitians.ca to find more tips on getting organized and planning ahead.