Protein bombs

As discussed in our Quick guide to nutrition, Protein is essential to developing strength and in rebuilding muscle and tissue that has been broken down during training. Eating lean protein with healthy carbohydrates in small frequent meals helps keep your body in anabolic (growth and repair) mode.

There is a lot of debate on the best way to get your protein on board and the rise of the supplements industry has spawned many different synthesised protein sources such as protein shakes and bars. While these might be convenient for the busy lifestyles most of us lead, your protein intake should come in the form of natural, whole foods.

Substituting natural foods with synthesised foods like protein supplements means that you may be missing out on other essential nutrients that come just as nature intended it. There is nothing in a protein shake that you cannot get from natural food.

So lets have a look at some quick and convenient protein bombs that will add a bit of variety to your nutrition plans

Real men eat cottage cheese

Okay. Let's be honest. Eating cottage cheese is about as pleasurable as being punched in the face. It doesn't look very nice. Most of the time it doesn't taste very nice. But it is the boxer's friend. The Longley Farm Low Fat variety (as pictured below) has an incredible 10g of protein. 'Hmm, not bad' I hear you say. ‘But surely not that impressive?’ That is until I tell you that there is less than 1g of fat in this bad boy. That's right friends and neighbours, you heard it : 7 grammes of muscle-developing protein and almost zero fat. How d'ya like them apples?

So it's a no-brainer. In the world of low fat/high protein convenience food, cottage cheese is Manny Pacquiao.

Have it with bagels, or whole-wheat crackers or on a baked potato. Or get all 'Rocky' on us and just gulp it neat from the carton. Like a real man. Grrrrrrrrrrr ...

Egg whites (aka Egg beaters)

We've all seen the film. Sly Stallone necking his raw egg cocktail. But what Sly maybe didn't know is that where the yolk is full of cholesterol, the egg white is packed with protein and contains none of that pesky cholesterol or fat. The average egg contains 71 calories. Remove the yoke and you are left with a measly 17 calories. So, if you are looking for a pure protein hit, just crack the shell and siphon the egg whites into a dish. They are great in an omelette or for quickness just micro-waved. With a sprinkling of salt they don’t taste half bad. Probably.

And you don't even need to throw the yolks away - Just stick them in the fridge. They can be used by the mere mortals in your family who aren't on the path to sheer, unadulterated awesomeness.

Quark

What's not to like about cheese? Nothing, that's what. It tastes lovely on toast, is perfect with crackers. It makes a perfect butty. It's all good. Unfortunately, cheese tends to come with high levels of fat.

'If only there was a cheese with most of the fat taken out!' I hear you cry. Well, cry no more - Meet 'Quark': The cheese with most of the fat taken out.

The only drawback is that when they took the fat out, they also took all of the taste out. So it doesn't taste much like cheese. In fact it doesn't taste much like anything. But as you chomp on the taste of nothingness with a glassy, robotic look in your eyes, console yourself with the fact that your tired muscles are crying out with delight from yet another infusion of lovely old protein.

Fish

Tuna, mackerel, salmon, cod – Fish (and seafood in general) is packed with protein. It also contains natural fats – Essential to a healthy metabolism. Win / win, as they say.

Peanut butter

There are two kinds of people in this world. People who love peanut butter and people that just haven’t realised that they love peanut butter. Peanut butter is awesome - FACT. It’s tastes great. But like most things that taste great, there is a slight drawback. It contains high levels of fat. But if we are talking about natural peanut butter (like the jar pictured below) then we are dealing with good old natural fats.

Peanut butter is perfect as a late evening snack, but remember to enjoy in moderation. If you want to be seeing your abs anytime soon, caning a jar a day of this fella will end in disappointment.

Chicken turkey, and lean red meat

Yep, poultry and meat also tick our protein box. But the emphasis here is on the word ‘lean’. We are not talking franchise burgers. We are not talking chicken that has been ‘southern fried’. We are not talking kebabs. And no, we are not talking ‘Dinosaur slices’ or ‘Chicken Dippers’ .

Natural (or ‘Greek style’) yoghurt

There’s nothing like a tasty, mouth-watering dessert to finish off a hearty meal … And natural yoghurt is nothing like a tasty, mouth-watering dessert to finish off a hearty meal.

But if you chuck in some fresh strawberries, pineapple or even some hand-picked blackberries, it's getting there.

So there you go. More protein than you can shake a stick at, and not a shake in sight.

'The Workout' A quick guide to nutrition

Tags: nutrition, protein

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