How to Increase Protein without Adding Fat
Hitting your protein goal each day is the most important thing for weight loss and long term health. It is the most nutrient dense food (more on that HERE and in the video HERE), and ensures we maintain our muscle as we age. But we also know that eating too much fat means less fat burned off the body (more details in the articles HERE, HERE and HERE).
The ideal goal for weight loss and health is to eat the most nutrient dense foods (animal proteins) with lots of complete protein (animal proteins) while not consuming too much carbohydrates (animal proteins contain little to none) and not consuming too much fat. So the answer becomes clear. Eating leaner animal proteins is the best choice for weight loss and healing.
However, many clients of mine ask, “Maria, how do I increase protein without adding fat?” Here is a good chart of leaner proteins.
As I have discussed many times before, there are no essential carbohydrates. The body can make all the carbohydrates (glucose) it needs. But there are essential fatty acids (fats like omega-3 and omega-6) and essential amino acids (proteins). They are called “essential” because the body can’t make them.
Therefore, you can’t eat zero fat like you can eat zero carb. You do need some fat in the diet for hormone production and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Generally, you need about 30-50g of fat day to day. The amount of fat grams you consume can dip to 20-30g on protein sparing modified fast days, but those days should only be done 1-3 days a week as we outline in this video:
But with the above image of lean protein sources you will likely easily get 30-40g fat just with the protein, not added fats. So, staying above the minimum amount is pretty easy to do even just eating the fats coming with the proteins. Of course, this is all in the context of weight loss. If not trying to lose weight, you want to increase fat to achieve a maintenance level for your activity, etc. while still hitting your protein goal each day.
HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE
To build and maintain muscle you need about 3.2 grams of leucine. This is one of the essential amino acids. It is also one of the main factors that differentiates a food as being a complete protein or not. For example, collagen isn’t a complete protein and shouldn’t count towards your protein goal because it is low in key amino acids for triggering muscle building (mainly leucine). This also differentiates animal protein as complete sources of amino acids from plant proteins. Most plant proteins are far less complete meaning you need a lot more protein from plants to equal the amount of muscle building protein from animals.
A good example of this is the vegan propaganda after shared online stating that broccoli has more protein per 100 calories than beef.
That’s right, you would need to eat 9 entire heads of broccoli to trigger muscle building once! Talk about a lot of gas! But if you ate the steak, you only need 7 ounces of sirloin steak. Oh, and the steak beats out the broccoli in 11 of the 15 essential vitamins and minerals.
ARE CHICKPEAS HIGH IN PROTEIN?
Why is everyone going wild for Chickpeas? Claiming they are high in protein! Not in my opinion! Do not be fooled into thinking chickpeas can replace animal protein for a good source of amino acids.
Chickpeas are high in Phytic Acid which blocks the absorption of essential minerals. Phytic acid also inhibits the digestive enzymes called amylase, trypsin and pepsin. Amylase breaks down starch, while trypsin & pepsin break down proteins into usable material.
Industry and transportation dwarf agriculture in emissions. More on that HERE. If we decided to tell the truth about health and people could get off prescription drugs, which would really help the ecosystem as drug companies are one of the biggest polluting industries! Check out THIS article for more on the emission of the pharmaceutical industry. As we have shown with this small sample of client success stories HERE from our 20 plus years of helping clients, the vast majority of the issues that pharmaceuticals try to address can be reverse by addressing the root cause (and no longer need the drugs) with diet and lifestyle changes.
Share this information with friends who need to know the facts!
WHAT TO EAT TO GET MORE PROTEIN
To me, the idea of eating a chicken breast or egg whites sounds terrible and bland. I am a foodie. I love tasty food and I want all of you to be able to enjoy delicious food while losing weight!
This is why I am so passionate, not just about educating others on how to have success, but on what to eat! I spend copious amount of time, money and messing up the kitchen creating delicious recipes for all of you to enjoy!
Even if you want something other than meat for protein, I have the BEST recipes for you! Yep, my protein sparing Boston Cream Donuts are packed with protein and very little fat!
If sweets aren’t your thing, but you miss Doritos, I have a recipe for Doritos that is ALL protein and zero fat! Serve them with my protein sparing sour cream which is also all protein and you have a great meal to hit your protein macro without adding fat!
My recipes for protein sparing Doritos and hundreds of other tasty ways to increase protein without fat are on my website Keto-Adapted.com! For as little as $9 a month, you can get my personal support and all of my exclusive recipes so you can have success!
Click HERE to change your life!
TESTIMONY OF THE DAY
“Week 1 Summary- down 6 pounds and 10 inches!
Things I learned this week:
1. I am stronger than I thought I was, I have skirted around the idea of PSMF for too long thinking that it was too extreme.
2. The protein sparing course (on Keto-Adapted.com) is worth the $$ (thank you Maria Wojcik Emmerich and Craig Emmerich for the resources and efforts you put into teaching others)!
3. I love intermittent fasting and taking one or two meals out of the equation makes meal planning and prep so much easier!
4. I MUST track my food, last month just doing a lazy “this is keto so I can eat it” plan had me eating way too much!
5. I do not have to eat something just because someone else is, there has been no snacking, no nuts for almost two months!!” Jaclyn
Most people I consult are doing keto totally wrong. Get fast results with the my Mind-blowing Keto School!
Click HERE to check out my supplement plans!
Go ahead…OPEN THAT RESTAURANT…just so I can finally go out somewhere that’s safe for me (with my multiple food allergies) to eat! I haven’t been out to eat anywhere in the last 25-30 years, and am DEFINITELY craving a Boston Creme doughnut right now. 🙂
Big hugs!!
Maria, I have been following you and your advice, using your recipes, purchasing your cookbooks, almost all of them, for over 5 years. I am 72yo, I have fought with my weight all of my life. I have never been obese, but always 15-20 pounds more than what should have been ideal for my height and build. I have spent a lifetime studying nutrition, but until I found low carb/keto, it was always a fight. I have also fought Cancer 4 times in the past 10 years. I believe the ketogenic lifestyle is what has helped me regain my health, my life. 10 years ago I weighed 140 at 5’4”. I am now 116#. I am in amazement. I intermittent fast every day, and I am never hungry. I love your PSMF recipes and use them daily. However, I also eat a protein rich dinner every night with adequate good fat, like Avocado, and butter or cheese added in to my recipes. I am so grateful to you and all of the knowledge I have gained from you and Craig. Thank you.
That is fantastic! I like using the psmf recipes too even though I am not fasting.
I eat it almost daily!! 🙂
You made my day Nancy!!
Great article! A few years ago someone told me broccoli had more protein than beef, I wish I’d had this article to send to them. The only thing I could come up with at that time was, why is it categorized as a carb and not a protein then.
Crazy!!
I’ve been wondering about the collagen thing since trying psmf this past week. Maybe that’s why I often found myself a bit hungrier than expected. Tracking my protein, it would count the protein in my collagen and having PCOS I am afraid to go too high on protein and spiking insulin. Maria, is that really a thing? I’m training for my first marathon in September and every day counts especially being 15 pounds from my goal weight.
Is it alright then to subtract the protein (not the calories) from my collagen powder and add more animal protein? Thank you!
Collagen is not a complete protein and should not count towards your protein goal. Eating “too much protein” is almost impossible (unless you are drinking multiple whey protein shakes daily on top of consuming high protein like bodybuilders). Eating a protein-prioritized diet will not cause significant blood glucose spikes.
THANK YOU!!! 😘😘😘😘
I love reading all of your post. I am just starting your psmf challenge again to get rid of my last 8lbs that just wont budge. I saw you post about your protein sparing Boston Cream Donuts, which look delicious but I searched your recipe index and couldn’t find the recipe? I have almost all of your books and don’t remember this recipe? Where can I find it?
Thanks Cathy
Oh wait, I just found the answer to my question. I see that the recipes are on your other website and available to people with your membership. So nevermind and disregard my last question.
Thank you for all that you do! You have taught me how to truly change my life.
You’re welcome 🙂
They are one of many exclusive recipes on my amazing support site for members: https://keto-adapted.com/subscriptions/
Which cookbook has the Boston Cream donuts and which as the Doritos?
Separately, did you have a cousin in Amery WI and visited him/her when you were around 15? I know we crossed paths then. You even mentioned how your father had a friend that invented the frozen pizza idea and your father didn’t join him in that endeavor. For some strange reason, I want validation for that memory.
Those recipes are exclusive for members on my support site: https://keto-adapted.com/subscriptions/
And yes! So cool! 🙂