When it comes to bodybuilding, there are few things more important than adequate protein intake.
Most people interested in gaining or retaining muscle during a cut will want to consume 1 – 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body-weight.
I stay on the higher side and stick closer to the 1.5 grams per pound, especially while I’m dieting/ cutting.
My summer weight (when I’m lean) is around 205.
205 x 1.5 = 307.5.
While I’m bulking I still stick to this same protein intake but increase my carbs and fats to get the extra calories I need to put on weight.
So, for me, my number is 300. I make sure to get 300 grams of protein every single day. I don’t count the little bits of protein in my oats or nuts so I’m actually a little over but I call it 300 – a nice round number.
Featured Image: You might be asking yourself, “What is that disgusting looking concoction?” If so, you are not alone. I have been asked this question by my wife, co-workers and friends. It’s one of the best tasting and most convenient protein sources around …. Shredded beef mixed with cottage cheese… Served cold. This is where the old “Don’t knock it til you try it” saying comes in. It does look gross, but it tastes a lot better than it looks. Give it a try!
How to Eat 300 Grams of Protein Per Day
Eat 2.2 lbs of cooked chicken breast every day. That’s it.
Not really. I mean, you could eat only chicken breast and get there, but it doesn’t have to be that hard.
Right now, I am following the 6 meals per day approach and consume 50 grams of protein per meal.
300 grams per day (or whatever your number is) might sound like a lot but it’s not too bad if you get to split it between 6 meals.
What I look for in a protein source
- Quality – Quality of protein is important. Specifically, the amino acid profile of the protein your consuming.
- Taste – It has to be palatable. I’m not too picky but I like to eat the same foods every day so I have to be able to choke it down relatively easily.
- Convenience – I have a demanding job and a wife and Kids. I need the preparation and consumption of my protein to be easy.
- Cost – This one isn’t quite as important to me, but when you’re consuming lbs of protein every week, you need it to be cost effective. Filet mignon everyday isn’t going to work for most people.
My Top 3 Sources of Protein
Most experts would agree that it’s best to get your protein from a variety of sources. Different protein sources will have different qualities and amino acid profiles. I like to mix it up as much as possible. Sometimes I eat chicken, pork or Greek yogurt but the below 3 are my overall favorites when it comes to getting in my protein:
Shredded Beef
I eat a pound of meat every day. That meat is typically in the form of lean shredded beef.
Shredded Beef is a medium (speed) digesting protein that has an excellent amino acid profile. It is higher in Leucine content than chicken, fish or pork.
Side note: Leucine is the most important amino acid when it comes to muscle growth stimulation.
It’s very easy to make. I buy a big lean roast from Costco every week and put it in the crock pot. I let it cook all day or over night and then shred it up using rubber gloves.
I then season it with things like garlic salt, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
I divide the meat into portions, put the portions into zip-lock freezer bags and put them in the freezer.
Shredded beef tastes good, it’s easy to make and is a high-quality protein source.
Cottage Cheese
The protein in cottage cheese is made up of 80% Casein and 20% Whey.
Whey gives you a quick absorbing dose and immediately raises blood amino acid levels. This allows you to start building / repairing / preserving muscle right away.
Casein protein, on the other hand, is a very slow digesting protein. It is slowly absorbed by the body over several hours.
Because of its slow digesting nature, cottage cheese is great for preserving muscle. It slowly releases aminos into your bloodstream allowing your muscles to be constantly fueled.
Both Whey and Casein have excellent amino acid profiles and are higher in Leucine that any meat, including beef.
I like to put cottage cheese on everything. Most of my meals include 25 grams of protein from cottage cheese on top of 25 grams of protein from meat such as shredded beef or chicken.
I buy 16oz containers of cottage cheese at the grocery store and they cost between $1 and $1.39. That’s under a buck fifty for 48 grams of high quality protein! You really can’t beat it. I stock up when they are on sale.
This 16oz container also contains 10 grams of fat and 20 grams of carbs. On it’s own, its a meal. Cottage cheese is quite possibly the perfect bodybuilding food. If i could pick only 1 thing to eat forever, this would be it.
Protein Powder
Let me start off by saying that real food is better. If you can, just eat more meat, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, etc… and skip the protein powder all together. Real food is more filling and this is especially important during a cut.
I buy Optimum Nutrition brand powders because they’ve been rigorously tested and are definitely of high quality. They are also relatively inexpensive, taste good, and are very easy to mix. You can mix 2 scoops of ON Gold Standard whey in 4 ounces of water with a spoon. Its just super easy.
I shop at Costco and they carry ON Whey. When it goes on sale, I buy a bunch and stock up. I have 3 bags at my house right now.
I also buy ON Casein on amazon. The casein takes more water and preferably a shaker cup or blender to mix. I actually mix my shake in a bottle the day before and let it sit in the fridge over night. Then, I shake it up again just before I drink it. This gives the casein plenty of time to dissolve.
I like to mix a scoop of whey and a scoop of casein together in the same shake. This gives me a quick boost from the whey and also the slow release of aminos from the Casein (very similar to cottage cheese)
As one of my meals, I have a shake containing one scoop of each (whey and casein), a half of cup of oats, and a tablespoon of MCT oil. I often eat this meal just before training. It’s light / not too filling and gives me a good amount of energy from the carbs and MCT’s.
Protein Powder is just so convenient that I can’t leave it out of my diet and out of my list.
If you’d like to check out the Whey and Casein I buy, click the below links. You will be redirected to Amazon where you can read some reviews.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Casein
Thank you for reading! If you liked this article or have any questions, please leave a comment, and then go….. Pump Some Iron!!!
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