High Protein Recipes for Weight Loss!
Before I share these recipes with you, let’s quickly talk about protein and why we need it for weight loss. Protein is one of the three macronutrients, along with carbs and fats, that your body needs to survive. I don’t subscribe to the idea that, to lose weight, we should eliminate our carbohydrate or fat intake. As a certified nutritionist, I know the important roles each of these macronutrients play in our body, and I can see the detrimental effects it would have on the body if we went for a long time without any of them. So all my high protein recipes also include an appropriate amount of healthy carbs and fats!
But I do want to also acknowledge how powerful protein is when it comes to weight loss. First, protein does so, so much in our body, so I won’t be going over all its functions, but with respect to weight loss, it has quite a few things going for it. First, studies have shown that meals higher in protein tend to have a satiating effect, leaving us feeling fuller, longer, meaning we’ll be eating less overall. Second, meals higher in protein also seem to lead to fewer spikes in blood sugar, and a more stable, longer release of insulin, meaning less potential for cravings and binge eating. In fact, protein seems to do a lot of the same things that Ozempic does (check out my thoughts on ozempic here)! So I try to make sure that all my meals contain a decent amount of protein.
One thing to note: the body can only consume so much protein at a time, so aiming for between 15 and 30 grams per meal is ideal. Anything over that is likely to be excreted by the body!
Greek Yogurt Parfait
1 Serving - 5 min
INGREDIENTS
0.75 Cup 2% Plain Greek Yogurt
1 tsp Cinnamon
15g Vanilla Protein Powder
0.5 Cup Strawberry Slices
0.33 Cup Gluten Free Granola
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix yogurt, cinnamon and protein powder together
Top with strawberry slices and granola
NUTRITION
AMOUNT PER SERVING
Cal: 332
Fat: 8g
Carbs: 38g
Protein: 32g
Shredded Chicken Tacos
4 Servings - 15 Mins excluding time to cook chicken
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
1 Onion
4 clove Garlic
2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
½ Cup Vegetable Broth
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
½ lime, juiced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Salt
8-12 Romaine Lettuce Leaves
2 Cup Finely Shredded Purple Cabbage
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
When hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions have softened and begin to brown.
Add the shredded chicken, broth, maple syrup, lime juice and all the spices to the pot and cover.
Reduce heat and let it simmer until about 1/2 of the liquid is absorbed. About 5 minutes.
To assemble the tacos:
Scoop mixture into lettuce leaves and top with shredded cabbage, sugar free hot sauce, extra chillies or if your Macros allow it some avocado!
NUTRITION
AMOUNT PER SERVING
Cal: 238
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 15g
Protein: 29g
Turkey Chili
8 Servings - 1 hr
INGREDIENTS
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 Cups pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 Cups Red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 Cups reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, chopped
3 Tbsp Avocado Oil
16oz Shredded Turkey (leftover from thanksgiving) - remove this bit
4 chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 pinch ground cumin
INSTRUCTIONS
To a large pot add tomatoes, tomato sauce, pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, onion,turkey, oil, green chilies, chili powder, garlic, oregano, and cumin.
Stir well and bring to simmer at low heat for an hour. (if using a slow cooker, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours)
NUTRITION
AMOUNT PER SERVING
Cal: 353
Fat: 11g
Carbs: 39g
Protein: 25g
Give these a try and let me know what you think!!! Enjoy!!
Xo,
Simone
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