Sometimes it feels like there’s a limit to the amount of protein you can consume via traditional methods — how many servings of chicken, pork, turkey, or beans can you eat in a day, after all? Yet it’s no secret that eating sufficient amounts of protein benefits our bodies in a myriad of ways, making it advantageous to try to maximize the amount in your meals.
Here, a few Dynamic Personal Trainers from Life Time share some of the inventive ways they bulk up their diets with protein — protein cookies or coffee, anyone?
1. Loaded Breakfast Power Bowl
A favorite of Nathan Rodgers, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time Lakeshore–Irvine in Irvine, Calif.
A go-to meal for me is a loaded breakfast power bowl — it tastes like brunch in a bowl and it packs in more than 35 grams of protein.
I scramble four eggs with a few slices of turkey sausage and then top it with black beans, sliced avocado, and a little hot sauce. On the side, I’ll have a small bowl of berries mixed with kefir. The kefir is tangy and creamy and adds a probiotic boost with even more protein.
This meal is the perfect combo of savory and fresh, and it keeps me full and energized for hours. When protein comes in the form of a delicious meal like this, it never feels like a chore to get in — it’s something I look forward to eating!
2. Protein Cookies
A favorite of Jermaine Collier Jr., Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time in Princeton, N.J.
My wife makes protein cookies and they’re excellent for a healthier dessert. She doesn’t follow a specific recipe, she just freestyles based on what we have at home. But one thing that never changes is the main ingredient: chocolate- or vanilla-flavored LTH Vital Vegan Protein — that’s the foundation she builds around.
From there, she mixes it with ingredients like oats, nut butter, banana, and a little almond milk until she gets the right texture. Sometimes she’ll also add dark chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut. Then, she forms the cookies and bakes them at 350 degrees F for about 10 to 12 minutes.
(You can also try this recipe: “Nut Butter Buckeyes”)
3. Protein Coffee
A favorite of Anna Taylor, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time in Woodbury, Minn.
One of my favorite protein hacks is my protein coffee, or my “proffee” as I like to call it.
I make my “proffee” with 8 to 10 ounces of brewed coffee, adding one serving of either vanilla LTH Prime Collagen Peptides or vanilla LTH Whey Protein, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Mix well (I use an electric frother), pour over ice, and you have a drink with 19 to 20 grams of protein.
(You can also try this recipe: “Blended Coffee”)
4. Protein Pancakes
A favorite of Will Turner, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time in Princeton, N.J.
My favorite protein hack is making protein pancakes. For the pancake batter, I use half a cup of cottage cheese, half a cup of oats, two scrambled eggs, and for even more protein, protein powder.
Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Pour the batter onto a pan or skillet on the stove at medium heat. (You can make roughly three small pancakes or pour all the batter on the pan to make one big pancake.) Flip the pancakes after about four to six minutes, continuing to cook until done. Top with honey, agave, maple syrup, or butter if you choose — just be mindful of portions.
Other ways to customize this would be to add cinnamon, chocolate chips, or other spices you enjoy to the batter.
(You can also try this recipe: “Protein Pancakes”)
5. Protein Cereal
A favorite of Amanda Agnew, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time in Princeton, N.J.
I love boosting my protein intake by mixing vanilla LTH Vital Vegan Protein with either almond or coconut milk and then pouring it over my cereal in the morning. You have to be careful with cereal because of the number of options out there that feature unhealthy ingredients or will just spike your blood sugar.
I’ve recently found a cereal with quality ingredients that’s high in protein and combining [the cereal with the milk provides] 47 grams of protein per serving at 300 calories.
I’m a pescetarian, so with limited protein options due to my diet, having easy, accessible forms of protein from sources other than meat has been critical to my training success and recovery.
