7 Fast and Simple Recipes to Meet Your Daily Protein Requirements

Balancing work, friends, family, exercise and a healthy diet can be tough for just one person, but it doesn’t have to be. Once you’ve developed a workout routine that works for you and your schedule, you should familiarize yourself with a handful of easy, nutritious recipes. The key to a healthy lifestyle centers around incorporating regular physical activity and a nourishing diet into your everyday life.

Many people fall into the trap of buying lunch or going out to eat for dinner because it’s tiring to cook after a long day, but with these easy recipes, you can save money, cook a quick meal and ensure that you’re consuming the proper amount of protein each day.

Breakfast

By this point in your life, you’ve probably had the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” drilled into your head, but many people still decide to skip their morning meal. Some people claim they don’t feel hungry in the mornings, while others cite a lack of time. No matter your excuse, if you’re not eating breakfast every morning, you’re putting yourself at a severe disadvantage for the rest of the day. Breakfast is so essential because it helps provide your body with its first bit of fuel to get you through the morning and kickstarts your metabolism. Eggs, oats and coffee protein powder are great sources of protein to integrate into your morning meal. Here are some favorite breakfast recipes that pack in the protein:

Over-Easy Egg on Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 avocado
• Olive oil
• 1 lime
• 1 lemon
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• Cumin
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Red pepper flakes

Directions:

First, you should make your avocado spread. This recipe has measurements for one serving of avocado toast, but you can multiply the ingredients by four if you’d like to make enough avocado spread for several days. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and put in a mixing bowl. Then, add the juice from half of a lime and half of a lemon. Next, add a dash of olive oil before mixing in the red onion, cumin, salt and pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Using an avocado masher, combine all ingredients while giving the avocado a smooth consistency.

Next, fry the eggs to your liking. Toast the whole wheat bread, spread the avocado mixture on top and finally, lay the eggs on the avocado toast. To finish it off, you can top the entire plate with some red pepper flakes for an extra kick.

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are one of the easiest and most delicious options for a quick morning meal, but it must be prepared the night before. This recipe is for just one serving, though most people prepare several servings at once to last through the week. Before making the recipe, you’ll need to gather a mason jar or a Tupperware container. For even more ideas on overnight oats, check out these simple recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1-½ cups milk or almond milk
• 2 scoops peanut butter
• 1 scoop protein powder (vanilla recommended)
• Sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredient in a container or mason jar and then leave in the fridge for two hours or overnight. If you choose, you can also make this recipe in your Ice Shaker protein bottle to keep the oats cold in the morning.

Lunch

In order to consume the proper amount of protein, you should try to fill up on a big lunch. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s best to consume more calories in the first half of the day so you have more time to burn them off during the day. Between meals, you can snack on healthy nuts to satiate hunger and still consume protein. Try these simple lunch recipes to keep your protein intake up.

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is an ancient grain that is actually very high in protein—often considered one of the best non-animal sources of protein. For an extra protein boost, add chickpeas to this recipe.

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups spinach
• Cherry tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup red onion

Dressing Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Prepare the quinoa according to the instructions. Let it cool before adding chopped veggies and stir well. To prepare the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Pour dressing over the quinoa and mix well. Add salt, pepper and other seasonings to taste.

Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast
• 1-2 Roma tomatoes
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Whole wheat bread

Directions:

Mix the balsamic vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and garlic together and then let the chicken marinate in this mixture for one hour to overnight. Cook the chicken breast on the stovetop or over the grill. Toast the bread, lay sliced tomatoes and basil down and then place the chicken on top.

Dinner

Most people get the majority of their daily protein during dinner, but if you’re diligent about consuming protein throughout the day, you can cut back a bit when it comes to your evening meal. Try integrating fish into your dinner routine for a boost in good fats.

Soy-Glazed Salmon with Asparagus

Ingredients:

• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Juice from half of a lemon
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 salmon filets (8 oz. each)
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus

Directions:

To make the marinade, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, lemon juice and garlic. Then, pour over salmon in a bowl or plastic Ziploc bag. Let the salmon marinate for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When the oven has heated up, place the salmon on a greased baking pan and put it on the middle rack for 20-30 minutes. As the salmon is cooking, coat a saucepan with olive oil on medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, adding salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado and Shrimp

For this recipe, you’ll need to purchase pre-cooked zucchini noodles or invest in a vegetable spiralizer to make the noodles yourself.

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 zucchinis
• ¼ to ½ lb. raw shrimp
• 1 avocado
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ⅛ cup shelled pistachios
• Olive oil
• Grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Use the vegetable spiralizer to cut the zucchini lengthwise into noodles, avoiding the seeds. Sprinkle salt over the noodles and then let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze any excess water after this time. Mix avocado, lemon juice, basil, pistachios and pepper into a food processor and add olive oil as needed to give the pesto a smooth consistency.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and then add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and cook until the shrimp is almost done. Drain the zucchini noodles and toss into the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes and then remove the pan from the heat and add pesto. Stir well and serve with grated parmesan on top.