As a vegetarian, it’s difficult to meet the recommended protein intake levels that experts suggest. And as an Indian woman, it was even more difficult when I found out the majority of vegetarian South Asian diets are carb-heavy. When I began to research how to incorporate more protein into my meals for my gym goals, I was overwhelmed by the amount of recipes online. Today, I wanted to share some higher protein meals and snacks I have been incorporating in my diet to build muscle!
I know, when you look up protein-rich foods, you primarily see recipes for overnight oats, smoothies, plant-based meat substitutes which are all amazing meals! For my South Asian girlies, this doesn’t mean you have to swear off the South Asian diet to meet your protein goals. Our culture’s diet still has the benefits of having gut-healthy, anti-inflammatory plant-based meals with plenty of fruits, vegetables, lentils, legumes, and whole grains. However, instead of just having a classic meal such as dahl (lentils) and rice or roti and sabji (vegetables), I try to add protein-rich side dishes such as Greek yogurt bowls. I also try to prioritize eating more protein rich South Asian dishes with yogurt-based sauces, paneer (cottage cheese), tofu, kidney beans (rajma) or white or black chickpeas (chana).
I also have been loving the Barilla red lentil pasta with 25 grams of protein. I make a batch of the pasta and meal-prep it in different containers with different sauces such as marinara, pesto, or a Greek dressing to switch up the flavors. (Pro-tip: you can blend some silken tofu into your Italian pasta sauce to increase the pasta’s protein content and creaminess).
I additionally find most protein shakes to be chalky but I have recently been loving Premier Protein shakes. They have 30 grams of protein and so many classic flavors such as vanilla and chocolate but also unique flavors such as cinnamon roll or caramel. My personal favorite flavor was root beer which sounds questionable but don’t knock it till you try it! (Pro-tip: you can use vanilla protein shakes as creamer in your coffee to up its protein content).
In my personal experience, after I began prioritizing protein in my diet, I feel more satiated, focused, have less of a post meal slump and have been able to grow muscle but every person is different!
Happy cooking! Let’s get stronger together!