Ways to Get 20 Grams of Protein
The Jean Challenge starts next week and one of the item of focus is ensuring your are getting enough protein. So I wanted to share 10 more ways to Get 20 Grams of Protein.
(Here’s our first installment of 20 ways to get 20 grams of protein for under 200 calories.) Getting enough protein without going over your calorie budget is always a challenge. It is a challenge that is worth rising to meet, but it is a challenge. Here’s a quick recap:
- Protein is the most filling of all macronutrients (macros being carbohydrates, protein and fat).
- Protein helps us to recover from workouts, get stronger, improves bone health and strength, reduce body-fat and more.
- The number one principle to remember about hitting your protein goal without going over on calories is to seek to minimize the fat in your protein sources.
- Vegetarian (Greek yogurt, protein powder, etc.) sources of protein are very calorie-efficient (few calories needed for the protein), and time efficient (no need to cook anything).
- Many people have been convinced that being a vegetarian means it is going to be difficult or impossible to reach your protein goals, but this simply is not true.
- 1 gram of protein has 4 calories, so the fewest calories anything can have per gram of protein is 4. Fat-free Greek yogurt is a very calorie-efficient vehicle for getting protein, and it has approximately 6 calories per gram. Anything 10 or less is pretty good.
1. Pork tenderloin: it takes just 3 ounces (122 calories) of trimmed pork tenderloin to get 20 grams of protein. This is 6.1 calories per gram of protein.
Pro-Tip for cooking lean protein: If you sous vide the tenderloin you can cook it to the perfect temperature on the inside without drying it out, and then toss it on the grill or under the broiler quickly for a little bit of color on the outside. In general, sous vide is the best way to cook lean proteins (chicken breast, etc.) as lean proteins love to dry out and sous vide prevents that while allowing perfect temperature control.
You can think of this as using sous vide to cook the inside, and then doing something else to cook the outside. Another nice feature of sous vide is that since the protein is already vacuum sealed, it is very easy to freeze in small portions to use in the future.
2. Clear protein: probably the least tasty of all protein supplements. I describe it as sweet-chalk-water. However, the trade off is that it is the least number of calories for the protein, which frees up a few calories for other foods. They’re usually 98-100% protein. 4-5 calories per gram of protein.
3. Scallops: it takes a little under 3 ounces (117 calories) of scallops to get 20 grams of protein. 5.7 calories per gram of protein.
Cooked scallops with salt and/or other seasonings on them are quite good. They pair well with tomato based sauces, which tend to be pretty low calorie as sauces go.
4. Top sirloin: it takes just 2.3 ounces (114 calories) of trimmed top sirloin to get 20 grams of protein. 5.8 calories per gram of protein.
I talk a lot about steak being a bad source of protein (while also being delicious), because it is super high in fat. A ribeye, for example, is 70% fat by calories. Top sirloin is a delightful exception. To get this much protein for very few calories be sure to trim the fat and cook it under a broiler or in an air fryer (you could also sous vide), and mind what you put on it.
5. Catfish: it takes a little under 4 ounces (114 calories) of cat fish to get 20 grams of protein. 5.7 calories per gram of protein.
Broiled or air-fried cat fish is pretty low calorie. Obviously, I prefer battered and fried catfish, but we can’t always get what we want.
6. Fat-Free cottage cheese: it takes 1.5 cups (125 calories) of fat-free cottage cheese to get 20 grams of protein. 6.5 calories per gram of protein.
You can mix this up with fruit (canned pineapple is a popular and convenient accompaniment), or use it to make high protein pancakes, and more.
#7-10 Beans
When it comes to beans for protein they do have a lot to offer, but they are not as low calorie as egg whites, fat-free Greek yogurt, chicken breast, etc. However, beans do have a lot of fiber in them. (What’s really cool is the preceding link is actually installment number 2 of our fiber fit tips… if you can’t laugh at that your sense of humor might be constipated.)
Beans are typically low fat (soybeans being the primary exception), but they also have a lot of carbohydrates in them. Beans usually have 2-3 grams of carbohydrate for every gram of protein, which increases the calorie cost per gram of protein. That’s a long way to say that there’s no possible way to get 20 grams of protein for 200 calories from any bean, but they are still worth including in your diet.
Personally, I like beans with some kind of stock or broth and veggies cooked down until it is fairly thick.
#7. Lima beans: it takes 1.25 cups (280 calories) to get 20 grams of protein. This will include at least 15 grams of fiber. 14.7 calories per gram of protein.
#8. Kidney beans: it takes 1.3 cups (300 calories) to get to 20 grams of protein. This will include at least 16 grams of fiber. 14.7 calories per gram of protein.
#9. Black beans: it takes 1.3 cups (299 calories) to get 20 grams of protein. This will include at least 18 grams of fiber. 14.9 calories per gram of protein.
#10. Lentils: it takes 1.12 cups (258 calories) to get 20 grams of protein. This will include at least 20 grams of fiber. 12.8 calories per gram of protein (The winner of the bean protein race). (Natillie loves Madras lentils with her Greek Yogurt.)
Coach Josef Brandenburg — ACE | NASM | Precision Nutrition | Training Peri and Menopausal Women | Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification | Functional Kettlebell Training | 28 years coaching | Specializes in strength training for women over 40.
Josef Brandenburg, best selling author, is the co-owner and a coach at True 180 Personal Training, Charlotte’s most effective personal training studio for women since 2016. With decades of experience and multiple certifications, he shares his research with you including Ways to Get 20 Grams of Protein!