We all need protein to build muscle and maintain our overall health. And, believe it or not, your favorite sweet treats may come with a surprising amount of this important nutrient.
Different people need different amounts of protein in a day, Grace Derocha, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com. Your age, gender, activity levels and health goals all factor into how much protein you should get daily, she says.
And, if you have a sweet tooth, you can take advantage of dessert to help meet those protein goals.
That said, dessert isn’t usually a nutrient-dense “health food,” and it doesn’t need to be, Whitney Linsenmeyer, Ph.D., assistant professor at Saint Louis University and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com. There’s nothing wrong with eating a serving of your favorite sweet treat — added sugars, refined grains and all, she says.
While it’s easy enough to add a scoop of vanilla protein powder to your favorite baked goods, you run the risk of giving those treats a “health halo” by doing so, Linsenmeyer explains. That contributes to “the perception that the cookie is totally healthy and I can have as much as I want,” she says.
Instead, the experts generally recommend letting dessert be dessert while sticking to a normal portion size.
If you do want to opt for higher-protein treats, look for those that naturally contain more protein and or those that can be easily made more protein-rich by adding or substituting in nutritious ingredients. As a bonus, that may make them feel more filling and help you stick to a healthy portion size, the experts say.
Here are a few sweet, dietitian-approved ways to get more protein in your day.
Desserts that naturally have more protein:
Some treats inherently have more protein due to their ingredients, the experts say. That includes desserts made with eggs, dairy, cheese, tofu, nuts, gelatin, beans and seeds.
That includes:
Cheesecake
All…
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