High-protein meals

In our blog on protein, we already tell you that protein is crucial for our bodies. That means it is extremely important and good for us. The main way we take in protein is by eating high-protein food. The name says it all: high-protein food is food (or drink) with a lot of protein in it. Do you want to stick to a certain diet? Or keep your nutritional values on track? Then high-protein food can be a good solution. But what is high-protein food? What different types of protein are there? Which products contain a lot of protein? We answer all these questions in this article on high-protein food!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is high-protein food?

• What do we need protein for?

• Is high-protein food harmful?

• Different types of protein

• Which foods contain a lot of protein?

• High-protein food for vegetarians

• Protein for every sports goal

WHAT IS HIGH-PROTEIN FOOD?

High-protein food refers to foods that contain a relatively high amount of protein compared with other nutrients, such as carbs and fat. Protein is an essential building block for our bodies and plays an important role in building and repairing tissue, muscles and organs.

Some examples of high-protein foods are meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds and legumes. These foods all contain different amounts of protein and can help you meet your daily protein needs.

High-protein food can be useful for people who want to increase their muscle mass, speed up their recovery after exercise, or lose weight, because protein makes you feel fuller and helps you keep your muscle mass while you lose weight. However, it is important to keep in mind that a balanced diet, with a combination of protein, carbs and fat, is essential for good health and wellbeing.

WHAT DO WE NEED PROTEIN FOR?

These days, we are all a lot more conscious of what we eat. Many of us also track our food, including the amount of protein we take in. But let's go back to basics: why do we need protein? Protein is essentially the building material of our bodies. Protein and carbs are the nutrients your body needs. Your body converts the protein you take in into amino acids. With these, your body lets your muscles recover and grow. Protein and muscles go very well together. Without protein, it can be harder to reach your training goals, for example. Your body digests protein fairly easily and then decides for itself where it goes. Your body also regulates how fast the protein is distributed. That way, every muscle always has enough protein available. But can protein also be dangerous?

IS HIGH-PROTEIN FOOD HARMFUL?

We have been eating protein for years, and today it is even more popular than ever. That is one reason why we want to know more about it. The question of whether high-protein food is harmful is coming up more and more often. It is suggested that eating too much protein can be harmful to your health. But is that true? Your liver breaks protein down into urea. This leaves your body again through your urine. The more protein you take in, the more urea you produce. Some studies claim this can be bad for your liver and kidneys. But is too much protein harmful to your health? High-quality research has shown that this is not the case. It does help to drink enough water, eat mainly healthy protein and keep your other important nutrients on track.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN IS BEST TO EAT?

How much protein you can eat per day differs from person to person. You can easily calculate it by multiplying your body weight by 2. This is the number of grams of protein that is best for you to take in per day. But in principle, your body has no maximum protein intake limit per day. That is because your body regulates where it needs protein and how fast that protein is distributed. Anything that is surplus leaves your body again with your stool. But the best advice on protein is to stick to the calculation we just gave you. This ensures an optimal protein intake.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROTEIN

In the world of protein, a distinction is made between two different types: animal protein and plant-based protein. Both are good proteins for us and are fine to take in. In fact, both are very good for us. Animal protein includes the protein from meat, the protein from fish and the protein from chicken. One category contains more protein than another, but they all count as high-protein food. They also contain all the essential amino acids our bodies need, and are generally considered a complete source of protein.

PLANT-BASED PROTEIN

Plant-based protein comes from plant sources such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy and some grains such as quinoa. They also contain all the essential amino acids, but to a lesser extent and in different proportions than animal protein. By combining different plant-based protein sources, however, we can create a complete protein.

Although animal protein is often considered more complete, plant-based protein can still play an important role in a balanced diet, and it is also often rich in other important nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. It is important to have a varied diet that contains both types of protein. You can also add high-protein products to this diet, for example.

WHAT IS HIGH-QUALITY PROTEIN?

High-quality proteins are proteins that contain all the essential amino acids, in the right proportions, that the human body needs. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and our bodies use them to make new protein for muscles, organs and other tissues. In total, our bodies need 20 amino acids. 9 of them are essential and cannot be produced by our bodies. These 9 essential amino acids must therefore come from our food. Below you can see a list of all the amino acids:

ALL AMINO ACIDS (INCLUDING THE 9 ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS)

Animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products generally contain all the essential amino acids in the right proportions and are considered high-quality protein sources. This is because these products have a complete amino acid profile. Plant-based products, on the other hand, do not contain all the essential amino acids in the right proportions and are considered lower-quality protein sources. However, combining different plant-based protein sources can help you get a complete amino acid profile.

WHICH FOODS CONTAIN A LOT OF PROTEIN?

Now that we know how good protein is for you and what it helps with, it is good to know exactly which foods contain a lot of it. That way, you can easily put together a high-protein recipe and know exactly how much protein you are getting. There are all kinds of forms of protein. The table below lists all kinds of high-protein products with the amount of protein per 100 grams. These products are sold in different variants. For example, you can buy chicken breast whole, but also as a high-protein sandwich topping. So always check the nutritional values on the back of the pack carefully.

Are you not much of a fan of cooking, or do you not have time to weigh everything to get enough protein? Then you can also choose to order high-protein ready-made meals. SportMeals offers meals packed with the right nutrients, including protein. These meals are freshly prepared by our chefs and frozen straight away. That way, the meals keep all their vitamins and nutrients, as well as their great taste. You can even order the meals in meal packages. For example, we have 14-day meal packages. With these, you get food in the house for the next two weeks. You no longer have to think about what to eat every day or do any grocery shopping. You only have to heat up the meal. So you get all your protein, without the hassle of cooking. How handy is that?

HIGH-PROTEIN FOOD FOR VEGETARIANS

For vegetarians, it can sometimes be a challenge to get enough protein into a vegetarian meal without using animal products. Fortunately, there are many plant-based protein sources available that make a healthy and balanced diet possible. Beans, lentils, chickpeas and other legumes are excellent sources of plant-based protein. They also contain fibre, folic acid, iron and other important nutrients that are needed for a healthy lifestyle.

Tofu and tempeh are also excellent sources of plant-based protein that can be used instead of meat in many dishes. They are also rich in iron and calcium. It is important to vary which of these high-protein plant-based foods you eat, so that you get enough of different nutrients.

Besides the benefits for building and recovering muscle, plant-based protein sources can also help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. By eating a healthy and balanced diet, including enough high-protein plant-based foods, vegetarians can easily meet their daily protein needs and stay healthy and fit.

PROTEIN FOR EVERY SPORTS GOAL

Every athlete knows that protein is important for reaching certain sports goals. Protein contributes to your muscle growth and the recovery of your muscles. That is of course essential when you exercise. But did you also know that protein helps you lose weight? Protein is useful for every sports goal and helps you reach these goals faster. So how does it do that?

PROTEIN HELPS YOU LOSE WEIGHT

High-protein food can help with weight loss. Protein makes you feel fuller, so you stay full for longer and are less likely to overeat. In addition, your body uses more energy to digest protein than to digest carbs and fat, which can lead to a higher metabolism and more calories burned. Eating high-protein foods can therefore help you lose weight while keeping your muscle mass. When your goal is to lose weight, it makes sense to stick to lean protein. It is healthier and helps you reach your goals faster.

MUSCLE GROWTH AND PROTEIN

You can think of protein and muscles as best friends. When you train intensively, tiny tears form in your muscles. Protein helps repair these tears and lets the muscle tissue grow. To build muscle, it is important to consume enough protein, preferably within 30 minutes after exercise. It is recommended to take in 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to optimise muscle growth.

BETTER FITNESS WITH PROTEIN

Protein can also help improve your fitness. Protein helps produce red blood cells, which carry oxygen to your muscles. This helps improve performance and endurance during long or intensive workouts. Consuming enough protein helps you get the energy you need to keep up and improve your training sessions.

It is important to remember that high-protein foods should only be one part of a balanced diet. Don't forget to also get enough carbs, fat and other nutrients to support a healthy and active lifestyle.

WHAT DO OUR CUSTOMERS THINK OF OUR HIGH-PROTEIN MEALS?

At SportMeals, we always aim to deliver delicious meals along with top-quality service. That is how we make the experience the best it can be for our customers. Our customers rate us 4.6 out of 5. We are very proud of that! Read, for example, the review from this customer, who was looking for a meal with a lot of protein:

“I have been ordering the Build muscle sport meal package, 14 days, chicken, 7 variants, twice a month for some time now. For taste, texture, freshness and quality, these are the best meals I have ordered so far. The protein values and kcal are a lot higher compared with other meal prep companies.”

Of course, we always go for the best result and always want to improve. We learn from the feedback we get and improve our products and service. Curious what other customers think of us? Then check our reviews!

ORDER YOUR HIGH-PROTEIN MEALS AT SPORTMEALS

Have you become interested in the high-protein ready-made meals from SportMeals? Then order your meals from SportMeals today. Ordered before 23:59 on a working day? Then the next day you can put a surprisingly tasty dish on the table.

Fancy a cheat meal or a different kind of meal one evening? Then take a look at our sport meals and see our full range. Or do you want to order meals for two weeks straight away? Then check our meal packages! Do you want to lose a few extra kilos or build your ideal physique for a special occasion? Besides training consistently and hard, nutrition largely determines how well it goes. To support your goals, we have the perfect meals, supplements and sports accessories for you.