The Benefits of a High Protein Diet

Protein has been called the building block of life—and for good reason. If you can remember back to your days in health class, protein is comprised of chains of amino acids linked together. It helps to build bones, muscles, hair and skin. Our bodies need protein in order to stay healthy and function as they should.

But you may not know that protein can also play a role in achieving your weight loss goals. Incorporating more hearty, high-protein meals into your day can have some amazing benefits in terms of losing weight and maintaining overall health.

Research Shows High Protein Diets are a Weight Loss Key

In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that a diet high in protein is important for weight loss and healthy weight maintenance. A study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that diets with a higher proportion of protein might offer a metabolic advantage compared to diets consisting of the same number of calories but with a lower amount of protein.

Additional research has also pointed to the fact that a high-protein diet can increase the body’s fat burning ability. Eating boosts metabolism in different ways and research has showed that protein has a higher thermic effect than fat or carbs. As a result, it can boost metabolism and burn more calories.

Protein Helps You Stay Fuller Longer

A primary reason protein can play a role in weight loss is because it can help with satiety. When you include at least some protein at each meal or snack occasion, it can help you to remain full and prevent extra snacking in-between.

According to a review of research, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, evidence shows that high protein intake increases satiety compared to lower protein intake. “The weight of evidence also suggests that high protein meals lead to a reduced subsequent energy intake,” explains the researchers.

Protein Can Help Build Muscle

As we said at the beginning, protein is also an internal building block. Research commonly shows that protein is important when it comes to increasing muscle mass and strength. You likely already know that strength training is important in your weight loss goals. But if you want to truly get the most out of it, it’s worth incorporating more protein into your diet.

Protein Helps with Healing

Since protein is the building block of life, it makes sense that it is also involved in the healing process. If you’re injured from working out or some other accident, research shows that protein may play a key role in speeding up the recovery.

7 Easy Ways to Eat More Protein

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Making a High-Protein Diet Easy

With all the benefits of protein, it makes sense to incorporate more high-protein foods into your daily diet. Foods like eggs, nonfat Greek yogurt, edamame, and of course, protein shakes are all healthy, high protein options.

On Nutrisystem, most high-protein foods are considered PowerFuels because they help to energize your day and keep you fuller for longer.

We understand that making dietary changes isn’t always easy, which is why we aim to remove the guesswork for you.

Nutrisystem programs provide a high-protein, lower-glycemic approach designed by dietitians to control hunger and help manage your blood sugar levels while you lose weight. In fact, our Hearty Inspirations meals are packed with up to 30 grams of protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Rather than having to DIY the optimal high-protein diet your body needs to perform its best, we’ve done the hard work for you. That means you can be on your way to gaining all of these benefits without spending time figuring out what to eat.

If you’re looking for a solution that can adapt to your lifestyle, Club Advantage may be your answer. Order any variety of breakfasts, lunches, dinners or snacks, including protein-packed meals to make losing weight even easier. We even provide you with nutrition guidance and meal plans if you need them!