Four Surprisingly Good Sources of Protein

Although usually filed in a lot of people's minds under "gym stuff", protein is actually the raw material your body uses to build almost anything. It's a collection of amino acids, and those amino acids form the building blocks of your muscles, skin, hair, nails, hormones and immune cells.

Low protein doesn't just affect gym bods in that case. Low protein intake looks like thinner hair, nails that chip and split, hunger that comes back soon after eating, slower recovery and flat energy that sleep (or another coffee) won't fix.

Unfortunately, age makes it worse. From our 30s onwards, we naturally start losing muscle, and adequate protein is what helps us keep hold of it and stay strong.

How much should you be eating? The general recommendation is around 1g of protein per kilo of bodyweight per day. For a 70kg adult, that's roughly 70g.

But if you're dieting, skipping breakfast or eating lighter meals to cut calories, it's surprisingly common to fall well below it without realising.

Read on for four foods you probably didn't realise were so full of protein!

1. Cottage Cheese

Most people overlook cottage cheese when trying to up their protein intake. Look no further than this if you're looking for a satisfying mid-day snack!

It usually tastes great paired with fruit, but you could get a bit creative and maybe top it on your toast instead of the usual butter, jam or avocado. Delightful all round!

Protein: 11g per 100g

2. Pumpkin Seeds

Nuts and seeds are a great choice for a snack if you're looking to keep your hunger pangs at bay, but you definitely need to choose pumpkin seeds next time!

These bad boys contain iron and magnesium and can be mixed into just about any food you can think of, such as granolas, pestos, pies and soups.

Protein: 19g per 100g

3. Greek Yogurt

That's right - it is actually possible for plenty of protein to be packed into one relatively small container! It's also a great source of probiotics and calcium.

The taste may be too plain on its own, so feel free to use it as a replacement for sour cream in your savoury dishes or mix it into a spinach and yogurt dip!

Protein: 10g per 100g

4. Milk / Soya Milk

Good old cow's milk comes out on top against almond milk in the protein battle! Aside from the protein, it also provides you with nine essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D and calcium.

If a glass of milk isn't your thing, try chocolate milk, which works well after a workout to reduce muscle soreness. If you're vegan, then you're covered, as soy milk has around the same amount of protein!

Protein: 8g per 250ml

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that a lot of people don't realise just how much protein they consume in foods which aren't perceived as being the go-to sources of protein.

So if you're worrying about not consuming enough protein because you're trying to gain muscle, or if you just want to up your intake, then chill out, because protein is everywhere (even in the places you probably didn't expect!)