Ways to Add Protein to Your Diet

Hard or semisoft cheese

• melt on:
  • sandwiches
  • bread
  • muffins 
  • tortillas 
  • hamburgers 
  • hot dogs 
  • meats and fish 
  • vegetables
  • eggs 
  • desserts 
  • stewed fruit 
  • pies 
• grate and add to: 
  • soups
  • sauces
  • casseroles
  • vegetable dishes
  • mashed potatoes
  • rice
  • noodles 
  • meatloaf

Cottage cheese and ricotta cheese

• mix with or use to stuff fruits and vegetables
• add to:
  • casseroles
  • spaghetti
  • noodles 
  • egg dishes, such as omelets, scrambled eggs, and soufflés 

Milk

• use milk instead of water in drinks and in cooking 
• use in hot cereal, soups, cocoa, and pudding 

Nonfat instant dry milk or protein powder

• add to milk and milk drinks, such as pasteurized eggnog and milkshakes 
• mix with ice cream, milk, and fruit for a high-protein milkshake 
• use in: 
  • casseroles 
  • meatloaf 
  • breads 
  • muffins 
  • sauces 
  • cream soups
  • mashed potatoes 
  • macaroni and cheese 
  • pudding 
  • custard 
  • other milk-based desserts 

Ice cream, yogurt, and frozen yogurt

• add to: 
  • carbonated drinks 
  • milk drinks, such as milkshakes 
  • cereal 
  • fruit 
  • gelatin (Jell-O)
  • pies
• mix with soft or cooked fruits 
• make a sandwich of ice cream or frozen yogurt between cake slices, cookies, or graham crackers
• mix with breakfast drinks and fruit, such as bananas 

Eggs

• add chopped hard-boiled eggs to salads, salad dressings, vegetables, casseroles, and creamed meats 
• make a rich custard with eggs, milk, and sugar 
• add extra hard-boiled yolks to deviled egg filling and sandwich spread 
• beat eggs into mashed potatoes, pureed vegetables, and sauces (make sure to keep cooking these dishes after adding the eggs because raw eggs may contain harmful bacteria) 
• add extra eggs or egg whites to: 
  • custard 
  • puddings 
  • quiches 
  • scrambled eggs 
  • omelets 
  • pancake or French toast batter 

Nuts, seeds, and wheat germ

• add to: 
  • casseroles 
  • breads 
  • muffins 
  • pancakes 
  • cookies 
  • waffles 
• sprinkle on: 
  • fruit 
  • cereal
  • ice cream 
  • yogurt 
  • vegetables
  • salads 
  • toast 
• use in place of breadcrumbs in recipes
• blend with parsley, spinach, or herbs and cream to make a sauce for noodle, pasta, or vegetable dishes 
• roll bananas in chopped nuts

Peanut butter and other nut butters

• spread on: 
  • sandwiches 
  • toast 
  • muffins 
  • crackers 
  • waffles 
  • pancakes 
  • fruit slices
• use as a dip for raw vegetables 
• blend with milk and other drinks 
• swirl through soft ice cream and yogurt 

Meat, poultry, and fish

• add chopped, cooked meat or fish to: 
  • vegetables 
  • salads
  • casseroles 
  • soups 
  • sauces 
  • biscuit dough 
  • omelets 
  • soufflés 
  • quiches
  • sandwich fillings 
  • chicken and turkey stuffings 
• wrap in pie crust or biscuit dough as turnovers
• add to baked potatoes 

Beans, legumes, and tofu

• add to casseroles, pasta dishes, soups, salads, and grain dishes 
• mash cooked beans with cheese and milk