You think you're getting enough protein, but are you?

Think You’re Getting Enough Protein? These Foods Might Be Tricking You.

If I asked you right now, "Are you eating enough protein?", you’d probably say yes (or at least think you're close).

But here’s the thing… a lot of foods we think are high in protein actually aren’t. 

• Peanut butter? Mostly fat

• Beans? Mostly carbs

• Most yogurts? More carbs than protein

• Cheese? Fat first, protein second

• Eggs? About equal amounts protein and fat

• Chickpea pasta? Mostly a carb

And if you’re building meals around these thinking they’re protein-packed, you’re likely falling short on the  protein needs of what your body actually needs without even realizing it. And, while we thrive with a balance that includes fat and carbs of course, you might bee accidentally overdoing those.  Example: you want to make yourself a big salad as a lunch. You have lots of greens and colorful veggies as your base. You use olive oil or avocado or dressing as your fat. You include some fruit for a carb source (like a delicious Summer salad with strawberries) and then you think, "I need to add protein" ... so you add some beans or chickpeas or nuts or seeds. But the first 2 are more carbs than protein. And the 2nd 2 are more fat than protein. So your salad ends up being too light in protein and possibly over in your carbs or fat needs for that meal. Is it a big deal? No! But could it increase hunger, throw off blood sugar and make it harder to reach fat loss goals over time? Yes!

"Tara, why does it even matter?"

Protein is essential for:

• Building muscle and supporting metabolism

• Keeping energy levels stable (bye, afternoon crashes)

• Managing hunger and cravings so you’re not snacking all day

• Optimizing fat loss, recovery, and overall body composition

And when you’re not getting enough, you might feel:

• Hungrier, even after meals

• Low-energy or sluggish

• Like you’re losing muscle instead of fat

The good news? You don’t have to guess your way through it.

Between work, homeschooling and life, I'm secretly juggling THREE massive projects behind your back ... so naturally, last week I chose to procrastinate a little and spent some time randomly putting together a free, simple guide for you. :-) It contains high-protein meals that are actually balanced and satisfying.

What’s inside?

• Meal ideas with 30+ grams of protein

• The best protein sources (that won’t trick you)

• Quick, real-life ways to hit your protein target without overcomplicating it

Grab it here

Try a few swaps this week and see how you feel -- your energy and progress might just take off.

XO,
Tara

P.S. I posted this reel about this on IG last week, if you're more of a visual learner.

Putting together balanced, healthy meals for fat loss

I put a "Whatcha wanna talk about today?" question box up in my instagram stories last week.

Did you catch it? I like to do that sometimes because 1) it helps when I'm having a block in creativity and 2) I don't have to read minds when you actually tell me what you need my help with! Win win.




While I answered the questions up in stories there, this one question I decided to reserve for this newsletter so that I could really pull back the curtain and help in a better way than a 60-second story.



"Can you help us put together PFF meals?"




That was the question. My answer: yes! Let's do this.



If I've been visiting your inbox weekly for a while now, you know all about PFF + intentional carbs. Basically, what I find works best for most people most of the time is when all meals have appropriate amounts of protein, fat and fiber. Starchy carbs require a slightly different approach as not everyone thrives with them at every single meal. A sedentary person, for example, might find they do best with one PFF meal and 2 PFF + intentional carb meals per day.



We dive into this MUCH deeper in TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. Enrollment for the next round starts in a couple of weeks! I teach the science and give all the tools and guidance and then you get to decide how you want to eat, what you want to eat, how you want to move your body, etc. So while it isn't custom -- it's a group course -- I do teach about the variables and who might need more carbs and why, for example.



So let's say you get the whole PFF + intentional carb premise but you don't know how to actually make meals out of the various components? The optional meal plans and recipe collections in TRANSFORM: Body + Mind will be great resources for you! But I want to give you some help NOW and FOR FREE in case the course is just not in the cards for you right now.



If you're creating a PFF meal, pick 1 thing from each the protein, fat and fiber categories below. If it's a PFF + intentional carb meal, add a carb on top of that.



Here are a bunch of ideas for each category:


Protein
(One portion is 20-40g or about 4-5 oz of meat or fish)

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Beef

• Greek yogurt

• Cottage cheese

• Eqqs (1 full egg plus 1 cup egg whites)

• Salmon

• Shrimp

• Tuna

• Pork

• Deli meat

• Protein powder

• Edamame

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Other meat or seafood

• 4 T nutritional yeast

Fat
(One portion is about 10g fat. Aim for 1-3 portions per meal, depending on goals)

• 1 T olive oil / avocado oil / coconut oil / butter / ghee / mayo

• 1 oz cheese

• 8-10 olives

• 1/4 cup nuts

• 2 T nut or seed butter

• 2 T seeds (chia, flax, hemp, sesame, pumpkin)

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

• 1-2 T heavy cream

• 1/2 medium avocado

Fiber
(One portion is at least 5g fiber)

• Spinach

• Arugula

• Lettuce

• Celery

• Carrots

• Cabbage

• Asparagus

• Brussels

• Broccoli

• Sprouts / microgreens

• Cauliflower

• Tomatoes

• Zucchini

• Mushrooms

• Onions

• Kale

• Bok choy

• Swiss chard

• Collard greens

• Green beans

• Cucumbers

• Bell peppers

• Other non-starchy veggies

• Acacia fiber

• 2 T chia / flax

Carbs
(One portion is 25-35g net carbs ... or about 1/2 - 3/4 cup -- cooked, if applicable. These options have fiber too! But they also count as an "intentional carb".)

• All fruit

• Beans

• Lentils

• Chickpea or lentil pasta

• Quinoa

• Corn

• Oatmeal

• Rice

• Peas

• Potatoes

• Sweet potatoes

• Beets

• Pumpkin

• Butternut squash

• High fiber crackers (like Mary's Gone Crackers)

• High fiber bread (1 slice)

Use this to comb through recipes or even take out and restaurant meals to make tweaks or make it really easy and just build your plate with this method. Hope you LOVE how you feel with more balanced, PFF-friendly meals!



XO,
Tara

Breakfast, Lunch + Dinner Ideas

Recipes are cool and all, but sometimes I need to just throw something balanced together as I put out life's dumpster fires and just call it a day.

You too? Here are some meal ideas for you -- both plant-based and omnivore -- that include at least 30g protein. I've included some high protein snacks below, too.  And no, you don't have to eat breakfast foods for breakfast or dinner foods for dinner, so feel free to mix it up, you rebel you.



Breakfasts:

• Protein box dupe -- 2 hard-boiled eggs, 3 ounces organic deli turkey, apple

• 1/2 cup oats with 1 scoop protein powder, 1 T nut butter, cinnamon, and a small handful of blueberries

• 1 serving low sugar Greek yogurt or dairy-free high protein yogurt with 1 T nut butter + 1 T pumpkin seeds

• Smoothie with 1.5 - 2 scoops protein powder, water, pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and 1 T flaxseeds

• 1 full egg + 1 cup egg whites scrambled in coconut oil or butter and topped with greens. salsa, and sauerkraut. Bonus: Add sriracha if you like it spicy like me. :-)

• Dinner leftovers including 4-5 ounces meat or seafood, veggies, and a fat source like oil or avocado.

Lunches + Dinners:

• Smoothie with 1.5 - 2 scoops protein powder, water, spinach, 1/2 cup berries, and chia seeds

• A 20g protein veggie burger salad (cook, break up, and add to greens, veggies, beans, and olive oil)

• 4-5 ounces of meat / seafood alongside some veggies and additional fat, if needed

• Travel -- 2 hard-boiled eggs. packet of pistachios, apple with almond butter, raw + cut veggies

• 1/5 cups tofu stir fried with colorful veggie mix and a Thai peanut sauce (mix together 1 T PB, 1 TB coconut aminos, 2 T lemon juice, garlic powder, and add water to desired consistency)

• Chickpea pasta (like Banza) with peas and tomato sauce

High protein snacks:

• Fruit w/ cottage cheese or Greek yogurt

• Egg / tuna / chicken salad with high-fiber crackers (like Mary's Gone Crackers)

• Organic deli meat roll-ups with matchbook veggies

• Mini smoothie -- 1 scoop protein, water, 1/2 banana, 1 T chia seeds

• Less processed protein bar like Raw Rev Glo in Creamy Peanut Butter + Sea Salt or PaleoValley

• Raw veggies with an edamame hummus dip (blend steamed edamame with your favorite humus)

• 2 hard-boiled eggs + a piece of fruit or veggie

• "Granola" made by tossing nuts + seeds in coconut oil and some flavorings (like cinnamon and vanilla) and roasting. 

• Organic meat stick and an orange

Feel free to screen shot these lists for future reference!



Reminder: Tomorrow is the LAST day to sign up for this January round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind, my 28-day metabolism-boosting course. We have a group of people who are about to change their lives (it's a really big deal when we start to feel better in all kinds of ways) and if you're ready to be a part of that group, CHECK IT OUT HERE.



XO,
Tara

EATING MORE for weight loss

January is almost over!

How are those resolutions coming along?

I recorded a video LIVE on facebook last week that may help you with your weight loss goals AND hunger pangs.  We got into macros, portion sizes, quality foods, and how to ADD more food into your day while crowding out the junk.  This won't just help your waistline, it will help improve your overall health!

Happy Saturday,

Tara

Game Day Recipe

Whether you're hosting your friends and family or visiting someone else to watch The Big Game (a.k.a. Superbowl) this Sunday, there's a few things that remain top of mind on this not-quite-a-holiday holiday…football, half-time shows (wardrobe malfunctions?), commercials, and…FOOD!

What are you making?  What are you bringing?

This Crunchy Cauliflower recipe is perfect for Game Day.  It works as a snack, an appetizer, or a side dish.  It's delicious as-is, or can be paired with your favorite dip or sauce if you want to be fancy.  This recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly, high protein, high fiber, and of course a serving of veggies!  And…it's toddler-approved (actually, toddler-obsessed!).

Crunchy Cauliflower Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 4 T coconut oil, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Chop cauliflower into bite-sized florets.  Place in large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix well.
4. Add coconut oil and then beaten egg in the bowl with the cauliflower.  Mix well.
5. Add dry mixture from medium bowl into bowl with the cauliflower and mix until evenly coated.
6. Spread cauliflower evenly onto a greased baking sheet.
7. Bake 7-8 minutes, flip, and bake another 7-8 minutes.  The cauliflower should be crispy and a bit brown on the edges.
8. Eat up!

Happy Friday, everyone!

In health,

Tara