Four months ago I was unhappy with how I looked and decided I needed to change.
I've been intermittent fasting and exercising and dropped about 10kg, so I'm down to about 70kg.
Now I'm looking at building muscle, but I almost certainly don't get enough protein. When I looked up how much I should be eating, it's about 1.6g per kilo, or for me about 115g.
I've been drinking a meal replacement shake for lunch which is advertised high in protein at about 14g, then eating a reasonably low fat dinner which is definitely not 100g of protein.
I need to get more in, but I just don't know how, and looking online it's lots of specific recipes but I'll end up cooking 3 dinners a day for family which is a lot.
I'm looking at that Surreal cereal which is 15g a serving, which if paired with a protein shake I can bump up to about 35, but I'm still a way out.
How can I bump up the intake relatively easily?
You shouldn’t need to supplement much more than say 20% of protein requirements, which works out to less than one whey scoop per day. It’s not too difficult to make the protein requirements until one is on a fairly severe cut. The grams per kilogram ratio is a starting point; 115g for a 70kg individual is towards the lower end, when consulting most fitness related materials; there are studies that say there’s lower requirements, but there are usually some caveats. The recommendations often thrown out for 2.2-3g/kg are to the higher end, and that’s where you’re going to need to supplement.
Every main meal (dinner) should include a significant meat portion. Dairy and eggs in other meals. For example myself, I eat a (large) bowl of oatmeal made with milk, two-four eggs and a few slices of bread for my first meal, a portion of chicken (about 120g - 1/2 a breast) and potatoes or rice for dinner, and a portion of yogurt and some muesli before bed (and vegetables and fruits). I get 3200cal and 150g protein out of that, and maintain my body weight about 75kg.
Consider using MacroFactor, which makes recommendations based on peer reviewed literature. It’s the best one I’ve used. I’m not affiliated in any way; it’s just so much better than MFP. I’ve also heard good things about the RP Strength Diet App. They’re a good resource in general. Be wary of influencers who speak in absolutes - absolute statements get views on TikTok, but don’t reflect reality.