By Malia Frey

People usually expect to get hungry when they go on a diet to lose weight. But if you eat more protein, losing weight doesn’t necessarily mean going hungry. Lean protein helps you to feel full and satisfied during the day, which may help to curb your cravings.

Sarah Berndt, MS, RD, CD, CPT is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer. She explains that not only does protein improve satiety – that feeling of fullness – but lean protein also helps to stabilize blood sugar, provide immune support, and helps you to maintain a healthy metabolism.

So how do you get enough protein to lose weight? Sarah suggests getting some form of protein at every meal. These are just a few ways to get creative and include protein at each meal, during snack time and even at dessert.

One of the most common reasons that people don’t eat more protein is that it is too hard to prepare. Let’s face it, meat doesn’t microwave well. Instead, I keep my George Foreman Grill on the counter. It takes just a few minutes to heat up, it cooks the protein quickly and it’s easy to clean.
Sarah also points out that the GFG is a good way to prepare food without too much fat. The sloped surface and non-stick trays help you keep your meal lower in fat. In addition to chicken, Sarah suggests grilling turkey, lean pork, lean beef and even tofu. “The George Foreman Grill gives tofu an awesome texture,” she says.

Get Creative with Egg Whites I won’t bore you with ideas for healthy omelets and egg white scrambles. Most people already know about those. But what about making a healthy veggie and egg frittata on Sunday night and portioning it out for lunch during the week? Unlike meat, eggs do microwave well and they are easy to carry to work in single serve containers.
In addition, add cooked egg whites to other foods you might not typically consider. Throw scrambled whites into tacos, diced cold egg whites into a three bean salad or sliced hard boiled egg onto a sandwich. Egg whites have little flavor so you can add them to almost anything without changing the taste.

Pick Veggies with Protein

In general, animal sources have more protein than plant sources. But that doesn’t mean that the protein content in vegetables can’t contribute to your overall intake. But some veggies are better than others. Good vegetable sources of protein include broccoli, spinach, kale, cauliflower and asparagus. Some fruit even contains protein. A banana, for example, can contain up to 2 grams of the nutrient.

Stock Up on Legumes, Beans, Nuts

For non-meat eaters, your best source of protein will be legumes. One cup of butter beans, or example, contains 14 grams of protein. That’s less than you’ll get from a single serving of chicken breast, but if you combine beans with protein rich vegetables, you’ll end up with a high protein meal. Quinoa is another popular legume that is rich in protein.
Beans and nuts also make good snacks because they are easy to cook in advance and carry around. Just be careful about choosing the best varieties. Canned beans are fine, but many contain added salt and sugar. If you can make the time to cook your beans from scratch, you’ll be better off. And choose nuts that aren’t heavily flavored or salted.

Protein for Dessert?

Believe it or not, you can even include protein in a healthy dessert. Lowfat yogurt with fruit is a great example. Greek style yogurt tends to have more protein, but remember to eat this sweet treat in moderation (both the frozen and refrigerated varieties) as some of the brands and flavors contain quite a bit of sugar.

https://www.verywell.com/how-to-lose-weight-with-lean-protein-3495933