High Protein Diet

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Tel No: 01223 216655

Who is the leaflet for?

This leaflet is for anyone who would benefit from increasing their protein intake without increasing their overall energy (calorie) intake to the same extent. People with injuries, ulcers, burns, wounds or with long-term health concerns that can affect their weight or nutritional status may be advised to follow a higher protein diet. During periods of weight loss or pregnancy, people are also often advised to ensure that their diet is providing adequate protein.

Why is a higher protein diet required?

Protein is an essential component of a healthy diet. It is necessary for growth, renewal of cells and repair of tissues. Protein is important for maintenance of muscle mass, can reduce the time it takes for a wound to heal and it helps you to feel fuller for longer. Animal- based foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products, are high in protein. Plant-based foods like pulses, tofu and Quorn® are also rich in protein. The aim is to increase protein intake without increasing the overall calories in your diet, so we recommend choosing lower fat options of these foods. Examples include low fat dairy, lean meats and plant based high protein foods.

In a typical diet 10-20% of the calories are derived from protein. The amount of protein that you need changes during your life and factors such as age, disease status and activity levels may mean that you need more protein.

You have been advised to consume ________________ g/day protein.

Good sources of protein

We recommend that you spread your protein consumption throughout the day, to optimise its use in your body.

Protein fortification of meals

The protein content of meals and snacks can be increased with the addition of the following:

• Yoghurt or Skyr, milk or cheese: Yoghurt can be added to sauces for instance salad sauces or as a side sauce with main meals. You could try yoghurt dip mixed with herbs such as dill or mint and a small amount of olive oil. The addition of a tablespoon of yoghurt to thicken a curry sauce would also increase the protein content of the dish. Semi skimmed milk can be added in hot drinks or milkshakes and glasses of milk can be consumed as a beverage. Lower fat grated cheese can be added into main meals such as pasta Bolognese and can be mixed into soups.
• Addition of skimmed milk powder: Add 4.5 heaped tablespoons (57g) of dried skimmed milk powder to a pint of semi- skimmed milk (total 39.8g protein). This can then be used throughout the day in beverages including coffee or tea, added to breakfast cereals or porridge, or when making sauces or fruit smoothies. Skimmed milk powder can also be mixed into soups, mashed potato, sauces or yoghurt.
• Unsalted nuts and seeds are a good source of protein and can be added to breakfast or eaten as a snack. Pumpkin, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, peanuts and cashews can be added whole or ground to salads and soups or can be mixed with breakfast cereal/ porridge and with yoghurt. Nut butters such as peanut butter can be used as a spread or can be added to porridge and smoothies.
• Pulses such as beans, lentils and chickpeas are a good source of protein and can be added to soups, sauces, casseroles or curries as a way of increasing the protein in the meal. Hummus or black bean salsa can be a healthy, high protein addition to accompany breads, breadsticks or crackers.

High protein snack ideas

• One pot of 0% fat Greek yoghurt with a handful of berries (11g of protein)
• Cold porridge prepared the night before consumption made with 150ml semi skimmed milk and 35g of oats (8.5g of protein)
• One (200ml) glass of semi skimmed milk with no added sugar milkshake flavouring (7g of protein)
• Four crackers or crispbreads with one slice of low-fat cheddar cheese (9g of protein)
• One slice of seeded bread with one slice of lower fat cheddar (11g of protein)
• One slice of seeded bread with one egg (11g of protein)
• One tablespoon of peanut butter on a slice of seeded bread (7.5g of protein)
• One tablespoon of peanut butter with celery, carrot or apple sticks (5g of protein)
• A handful of peanuts, walnuts or cashew nuts (or any other nuts) (9g of protein)
• 1/4 of hummus pot with vegetable sticks (3g of protein)
• Two scoops of Greek style frozen yoghurt (7g of protein)
• 1/4 can baked beans on a seeded slice of toast (9g of protein)
• Four rice cakes with one tablespoon of cottage cheese on each (9g of protein)

Sustainable diets

You may have concerns about the environmental impact of increasing your protein intake by eating more animal derived products such as meat and dairy.

These are some simple food swaps that can make meals more environmentally friendly. You can substitute:

• Soya or pea drink for milk
• Lentil soup for cream of chicken soup
• Pulses (such as beans, lentils or chickpeas) for meat in curries
• Quorn or lentils in pasta Bolognese for cottage or Shepherd’s pie

Additionally, you may choose to have some meat free days in the week and use vegetarian options as your protein sources on those days. You may also want to replace some of your meat portion with an alternative protein source. An example would be replacing half of the minced meat with lentils when making pasta Bolognese. To calculate the exact amount of protein that your meal contains after this replacement, please refer to the quantities in Table 1.

To reduce food waste, you can freeze food products that are nearing the use by date or freeze leftover cooked food.

Protein powders

People who exercise often consume protein powders. However, adequate protein intake can be achieved through food consumption. Protein powders might be a convenient way to increase protein intake, but they do not contain the added benefits of other foods such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. Protein powders can also have a significantly high cost and depending on the type, can also contain high amounts of added sugar.

Under certain circumstances, there are nutritional supplements that can be advised by your dietitian or your GP when your protein and/ or energy needs cannot be achieved through your diet. If there are concerns that you are not achieving your protein targets you can consider discussing supplements with your health care team.

Sources

• How to get protein without the meat. (opens in a new tab)
• Protein: What you need to know. (opens in a new tab)
• BDA tips for a sustainable diet (opens in a new tab)
• Love food hate waste. (opens in a new tab)