If you've trained with us for any length of time, you will have heard us talk about how critical it is to get protein in our diets to support the development of muscles. Without adequate protein intake, time spend on resistance training is literally wasted - like trying to build a brick wall with mortar and no bricks! But protein is actually vital for so many other bodily functions beyond building muscle:
Supports growth and repair
Supports digestion, cell structure, neurotransmitters
Makes hormones
Builds structure
Balances PH
Maintains fluid balance
Improves immune system (immunoglobulins and antibodies)
Helps transport nutrients around the body
Protein is the one nutrient that helps with growth and repair, so if you aren't getting enough in daily, your body could be breaking down its stores (muscle tissue) just to help with day-to-day functions.
As recently as a few years ago we'd hear that clients struggled to find enough variety in protein options. Many felt confined by 'meaty' choices best suited for mealtimes or protein shakes that required a bit of planning/preparation (and aren't always the most palatable.)
How much protein should we be getting a day you might ask, a good rule of thumb is to aim for 1.5-2g per kilo of body weight. So a 60kg female should aim for 90g of protein a day as a minimum, and an 80kg male should aim for 120g of protein a day as a minimum. Putting that into the prospectus, 1 egg is only 6g of protein, so you can see how easy it is to miss your protein intake in a day. This BBC article "How much protein to build muscle" gives more info about this range and some of the other benefits of ensuring you're getting adequate protein in your diet.
Happily protein has never been easier to get into your diet than now. With so many options available with a huge improvement in flavour, texture, and protein quality. Just going back a few years, everything that was in the market had a lingering taste, and poor texture and was only eaten by the hardcore gym goers. I would eat protein bars knowing they tasted terrible, but I would power through it for the protein hit and recovery benefits. That's not the case anymore, thankfully.
Here I have made a snack list of protein goodies and rated them so you can make your mind up as to what you would wish to try and where to get them from. As far
Luckily there are many products out there to help us reach that target easily, and they are tasty. Also, you will find protein shakes, bars, and yogurts in most small local shops, petrol garages, and supermarkets. These are great for meal replacements, snacks between meals or to boost up your protein if you haven't eaten a protein-packed meal.
Best places to find high quality protein snacks
The good news is that we have a lot of choices, the bad news is that the word is out - and it's a daily occurrence that supermarkets run out of stock early of the best tasting options. Happily, protein snacks normally have a sell-by date at least 10-14 days out, so it makes sense to buy in bulk (which explains why stocks are always low!!)
"Aldi has the best choice, but you need to get there early as I find that their entire supply can be clear out by 3pm. Larger Sainsburys have an excellent choice as well, but smaller Sainsburys can lack any choice at all. Waitrose has the most limited choice, but you can usually find one or two options."
Product | Link | Protein | Shop | Taste |
​Lindahls Protein Pudding -Chocolate  | 14g | Morrisons, sainsbury’s, tesco, waitrose, asda, | 9/10 | |
​Lindahls Pro+ - Banoffee Pie  | 18g | Morrisons, sainsbury’s, tesco, waitrose, asda | 9/10 | |
Arla Protein Chocolate Flavour Pudding  | 20g | ​Morrisons, sainsbury’s, tesco, waitrose, asda | 9/10 | |
Morrisons Chocolate Caramel Protein Yoghurt  | 22g | Morrisons | 8/10 | |
​Arla Protein Blueberry Yogurt  | 20g | Morrisons, sainsbury’s, tesco, waitrose, asda | ​8/10 | |
​Arla Protein Strawberry Yogurt Pouch  | 20g | ​Morrisons, sainsbury’s, tesco, waitrose, asda | 8/10 | |
​UFIT Lite Protein Shake Drink Smooth Chocolate  | ​15g | Morrisons, sainsbury’s, tesco, waitrose, asda | ​6/10 | |
​For Goodness Shakes Strawberry Protein Drink  | ​25g | Morrisons, sainsbury’s, tesco, waitrose, asda | 7/10 | |
​Arla Protein Chocolate Milk Shake  | ​25g | Morrisons, sainsbury’s, tesco, waitrose, asda | 7/10 | |
​Grenade Carb Killa Bar Fudged Up  | ​20g | ​Morrisons, sainsbury’s, waitrose, asda, budgens, tesco | 8/10 | |
​Brooklea Chocolate Protein Pudding  | 20g | Aldi | ​10/10 | |
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