There are very few nutrients quite as important as protein. Protein supports so many different physical processes that without enough of it, your body can pay the price. This one little nutrient supports muscles development, hormones, and enzymes, and can easily be deemed as a building block of the human body.
Unfortunately, a lot of people who eat only a plant-based diet, such as vegans or vegetarians, can really struggle to get enough protein into their daily intake. Roughly 30 percent of your daily calories should actually come from protein. If you’re struggling to hit those numbers, pea protein powder can be incorporated into all kinds of delicious recipes.
Continue reading below to learn the best ways to use protein powder in healthy recipes, including some of our favorite recipes with pea protein powder.
Table of Contents
- Protein Before a Workout
- Protein After a Workout
- Protein for Breakfast
- Baking with Protein Powder
- Protein In Cooking
- Protein Shakes and Protein Smoothies
- Protein Oatmeal
- Protein Ice Cream
- Protein Soup
- Protein In Yogurt
- Protein Muffins
- Protein Pancakes
- Protein Cookies
- Protein Pregnancy Lactation Cookies
Protein Before a Workout
There’s good reason why the best athletes are particular about what they take in before a big game. Food is fuel and certain nutrients, like protein, can support a better performance and minimize damage to the muscular system. When you know you will be working out, it is important to give your body what it needs to perform at its best and make the most of the activity, and that is something protein can help you achieve. The recommended protein intake if you consider yourself an active person is about 0.6 grams per pound per day.
Protein After a Workout
After an intense workout, your body needs the extra protein to support muscle recovery and keep you energized. According to Healthline, protein will help stimulate protein synthesis in the body and even help you perform better the next time you workout. If you do not have time for a full meal after an especially challenging workout, at least grab a treat with a healthy dose of protein post-workout, like the Clean Lean Protein Bars by Nuzest.
Keeping your protein intake at about 0.6 grams per pound per day will help your body recuperate and thwart severe muscle soreness.
Protein for Breakfast
A breakfast with protein can keep you feeling fulfilled for longer, give you a good boost of energy, and aid in keeping your blood sugar levels in check so you don’t bottom out and crash. The possibilities of how you can incorporate protein into your breakfast routine are endless, and the recipes you can create with added pea protein are nothing short of tantalizing. From waffles and pancakes to oatmeal and protein shakes or smoothies, getting your day off to the right start is not at all hard to do. Here are some yummy examples of ways to incorporate some protein for breakfast.
Baking with Protein Powder
There’s something so rewarding about baking, whether it is the idea of throwing a bunch of ingredients together to make a tempting treat or making something to share with someone else. Baked goods don’t have to be unhealthy; they are actually really easy to evolve by adding in some pea protein.
Interested in baking with protein powder? No-Bake Fudge Balls made with Rich Chocolate Clean Lean Protein is just one example, but we've got so much more where that came from. You won't believe all of the recipes we've come up with! The flour in a lot of recipes can be replaced with pea protein powder because it acts as a binding agent.
Protein In Cooking
One of the reasons those following a vegan or vegetarian diet find their meals to be unfulfilling is they are lacking in protein. Therefore, beefing up your meals with the addition of pea protein gives you more satisfying results when you finish your plate. Protein Powered Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce and “Cheezy” Spinach Artichoke Dip are a few other good choices when you are craving cheese.
Protein Shakes and Protein Smoothies
When your regular diet is lacking protein or you just want a healthy dose of protein to give your energy levels a boost, protein shakes are a great option. Of course, pea protein is a nice healthy alternative to other forms of protein, but there are tips you should follow to get the best protein shake you have ever tasted. No one wants a protein shake that is gritty or chalky, so check out these tips to make the best protein shake.
If you’re looking for a super-filling smoothie packed with all the good stuff you need to get your day off to a good start, try this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie made with Chai Turmeric + Maca Clean Lean Protein. Pumpkin pie is not just a Thanksgiving treat—this is easy enough to whip up any time. Or try out one of our other tasty smoothie bowl recipes.
Protein Oatmeal
On rainy days when you don't feel like cooking, or on days when you want some comfort food to stick with you well beyond breakfast, protein oatmeal or porridge does a good job. Great when served hot, yummy when served cold, and super simple to make, Almond Joy Protein Overnight Oatmeal is big on flavor. Make the oatmeal the night before you plan to eat it and pop it in the microwave the next morning, or eat it cold if you prefer. Either way, you get a totally vegan meal packed with protein, flavor, and even a little bit of chocolate.
Protein Ice Cream
Comforting, sweet, and enough to cool you down on a hot day, we all scream for ice cream, but regular ice cream is lacking in anything close to good nutrients.
Vegan Ice Cream is a plant-based replacement that meets all the right criteria to be a satisfying treat. Check out these recipes made with a variety of Clean Lean Protein flavors. Just what your taste buds ordered on a hot day.
Protein Soup
Take a look at the label on just about any can of store-bought soup and could see obscene amounts of sodium and unhealthy fats. But if you love soup to chill your bones on a cool day, there’s no reason you can’t get your soup fix by whipping up a steamy bowl of goodness of your own. Best of all, making soup at home gives you the opportunity to ramp up the nutrition with your own carefully selected ingredients.
Coconut Pumpkin Bisque is a nice soup choice with its coconut-pumpkin collaboration that is both sweet and savory in the same bite, and it delivers a soul-nourishing dose of nutrients.
Protein Bread
Ketogenic diet plans can be brutal when you have to avoid bread. You don’t realize just how many carbs are in your diet until you have to avoid them. However, filling that craving for bread you have is not quite as difficult as you might think. Here are our favorite protein bread recipes that you are sure to love.
Protein Muffins
Muffins give you sweet and filling day-starter all wrapped up in one easy-to-grab breakfast for days when you barely have time to get your shoes on before walking out the door. Unfortunately, a lot of store-bought muffins are jam-packed with preservatives and all that stuff your body doesn’t need, such as starchy carbs from sugar and excess unhealthy fats.
Protein Pancakes
Pancakes are a go-to breakfast item because they are super filling and yummy, but most pancake recipes are full of sugar and empty carbs. Inject the extra nutrition you need to get off to a healthy start by substituting flour with Clean Lean Protein by Nuzest. You get the fulfilling pancakes you crave laced with vegan protein powder, so your breakfast meal does a better job of keeping you energized throughout the day. Plus, you can make the protein pancakes in advance, pop them in the freezer, and reheat them when you need them.
Protein Cookies
Who doesn’t love cookies? They’re the in-between-meals snack with just enough sweetness and just enough calories to carry you through. If you’re reaching for traditional chocolate chip, pecan shortbread, or sandwich cookies and need a healthier alternative, protein cookies made with pea protein are a good option.
Frosted Vegan Sugar Cookies are made with clean ingredients. They're pretty, vegan, and oh so yummy! Plus, the inclusion of Smooth Vanilla Clean Lean Protein gives you a healthy dose of protein.
Protein Pregnancy Lactation Balls
During postpartum, lactating mothers need a healthy and steady supply of nutrients to nourish their baby and support the healing process of their own body. It is recommended that breastfeeding moms get around 0.8–1.6 grams per kilogram or 0.5 grams per pound of body weight per day so the protein is best utilized by the body. Try these No Bake Lactation Protein Balls, which are packed with ingredients that are known to encourage milk production. You know that your body needs ample amounts of protein. With protein-packed recipes like these, getting your daily dose of protein doesn’t seem so challenging. In fact, it’s easy and quite delicious.
Protein Pie
Yes, you can even use protein powder to make a pie! Don't want to bake? Try this no-bake pecan pie, which is delicious and best of all EASY to make.
No matter what your taste buds are in the mood for, there are so many ways to use protein powder to increase the protein and nutrition profile of your next meal or snack.
