Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor and weight-loss coach for women. She hosts “Step It Up with Steph” on PBS. Join her complimentary health and weight-loss challenge and follow her for daily inspiration on Instagram and in her new app.
Welcome to Start TODAY. Sign up for our Start TODAY newsletter to receive daily inspiration sent to your inbox — and join us on Instagram! Protein has been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason.
The macronutrient is incredibly important for our bodies in so many ways. 'Protein is known for its role in muscle building. Protein is the building block of muscle tissues, so eating enough of it contributes to muscle growth,' says Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, nutrition editor for TODAY.com. 'It also plays a part in structural support within the body, organ and hormone function and appetite control.' If weight loss or building muscle are among your health goals, getting adequate protein in your diet is an important habit. “Without enough protein in the diet, you may feel hungry all the time and may start to lose lean body mass, which can lower your metabolism and increase your risk of obesity,' says Rizzo. 'On the flip side, since protein helps keep you full, eating a high-protein diet has been linked to sustained weight loss.' Because protein is so important for weight loss and maintenance, muscle building and repair and speeding up the metabolism, I encourage my clients to eat protein-packed meals throughout the day — and make it a priority for myself as well! But as someone who is constantly on the go, I know the struggle of finding time to make healthy meals, let alone worrying about getting in enough protein. Over time, I have come to rely on these three super-simple meals to fill me up and pack in protein and produce. These are on a regular rotation throughout my week! Green smoothie A fun way to pack protein, fruits and veggies into a quick meal or snack is to blend up a smoothie. If you are on the go or just don’t feel like cooking a full meal, a smoothie is a simple and delicious way to drink up some nutrients! Ingredients: ½ frozen banana½ frozen mango1 handful spinach1 cup water 1 serving vanilla protein powder Blend and enjoy! Chicken salad The mustard and lemon juice add just the right amount of zest, making this chicken salad stand out from the rest! The cucumber and pickles add a nice crunch, creating a protein-rich snack to keep in the fridge at work or as a full meal wrapped in lettuce cups or served with whole-grain crackers. Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts or ½ rotisserie chicken 1 cucumber2 pickles2 tbsp mustard2 tbsp olive oilJuice of 1 lemon Chop chicken, cucumbers and pickles to the size of your liking. Whisk mustard, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss the chicken, cucumbers and pickles in the dressing. Healthy tuna open-faced sandwich I love this recipe because it's filled with flavor and is so simple to make. The cucumber, celery and onion add a nice crunch while the apple cider vinegar gives it just the right amount of tart to satisfy your tastebuds. Ingredients: 1.5-ounce can light tuna1/4 diced onion2 stalks celery, chopped1/2 cucumber, slicedHandful of arugula2 tsp olive oil1 tsp apple cider vinegar, unfiltered Dash of salt and pepperOptional: peppers cut in half Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Split into 2 servings. Spoon one serving onto a slice of whole-grain bread and top with arugula. Or, for a lower-carb option with even more crunch, split a bell pepper in half and scoop out the seeds to use as the 'bread' slices to make a sandwich.
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