Another good protein snack is cottage cheese -- either sweet or savory. For example, cottage cheese with fruit OR cottage cheese with veggies and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or olive oil and herbal spice mixtures like zatar.
I agree, it should be - it’s milk. A bit confusing as yogurt is recommended too. But I am not sure how to get enough protein as a vegetarian. Now I understand why you see the bodybuilders eating chicken breasts as their main staple.
I am looking forward to your next newsletter. I struggle with getting enough protein. I strength train 4 days a week, walk our German Shepherd daily and fit in Pilates. My former trainer was always reminding about protein intake. From what I have read lately strength is the currency of aging. I definitely need to focus on more protein in my Brain Health diet.
This topic has been on my mind lately! I’ve been adding hemp hearts to yogurt in the morning or extra egg whites to two scrambled eggs or to oatmeal. Snacks is where I need to add more variety so really appreciate the tips and the suggestion from Marie below about the tofu snack. Looking forward to your post on protein powders. I don’t use one yet because I’m just not sure which one is right for me. Thanks for all you do!
Annie, Wow, fantastic article about a very important topic! Thank you!!!!! I would like to know if you can also point us to reliable dietary protein guidelines for people who are younger.
For a healthy and protein rich snack, I like crispy air fried chickpeas. Just drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. To remove as much of the moisture as possible, place in a kitchen towel, and blot them very dry. Into a bowl, place 2 tablespoons of an oil (preferably, I think, one that's refined for high heat), and your favorite seasoning mix, plus some salt if there is none in the seasoning. Add the chickpeas that have been blotted dry. Then air fry at 390 F for about 15 minutes. The smaller chickpeas take less time. Don't air fry too long or they will be too hard. Best for us is just a bit crispy on the outside. Eat while fresh and warm. And save leftovers to use as croutons in salad. Note: There are recipes to make this in oven too.
Biggest challenge - how to get 50g of protein per meal without enormous calories. Go to protein snack - hard boiled eggs b/c they are just so easy to grab and go.
This newsletter article is very much appreciated because my husband and I have been concerned about getting sufficient protein for our age (mid 70s) and our fairly active lifestyle. We routinely eat many of the foods on your list, but always wonder how much is enough! So we look forward to your follow up article next week.
Another reader questioned getting sufficient calcium, which is also a big concern for me. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis a few years ago. My PCP would like for me to have the Prolia injections but my periodontist says no because of ongoing jaw bone loss. So I welcome more information on that topic!
Our late afternoon snack is a smoothie, made with almond milk, frozen banana, a variety of frozen berries or fruits, organic protein/superfoods powder, and homemade yogurt. Thick and delicious.
Hi Annie, thanks for addressing this. I'm hoping in the next newsletter you might address the commonly heard notion that you need 2500 gms of leucine in a given meal to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. If this is true (?), it's harder to do with plant protein alone. I usually mix plant and animal proteins to achieve the 2500 gms leucine at a time, but I also remember hearing on a podcast with one of the main muscle researchers, I *think* Dr. Layman, that they really don't know exactly how much leucine it takes to trigger muscle protein synthesis, just that they do know that 2500 mg will cover the need. I wonder if anyone is researching this at a more granular level (probably beyond the scope of your newsletter?), while I suspect it may depend on individual differences and going for 2500 gms won't do any harm as long as steps are taken to be sure that mTOR doesn't stay *chronically* elevated.
I wonder if a case can be made that as long as you get x amount of leucine per day the body will use it toward muscle protein synthesis even if you get <2500 mg during some or all meals. My takeaway has been that the signaling would be off and counterproductive this way. I'd like to not overthink my food choices when it comes to leucine per meal, but our muscle requirements are so critical I don't want to delude myself into thinking I'm doing enough if I'm not.
Thank you for this article. I eat mostly plant based. Haven’t eaten animal protein in four years, but now eat Salmon once/week and really enjoy your sardine/ avocado recipe. My challenge is I don’t get hungry during the day. I have an English muffin with almond butter in morning, then an oatmeal meal after exercise around 11 am. Then dinnee around 6. Feel like I should eat more in between. Thanks.
Hi Joanne! Very reasonable to add in some fish, and I'm glad you like the sardine recipe. I wonder if you are working out enough to stimulate hunger, or if you are doing enough resistance exercise. Perhaps thinking about switching up the exercise routine will yield a better appetite.
Hi Annie! I was inspired by your story of the little hummingbird who was so very blessed to have you as a patient and gentle caregiver. About snacks - my favorite is Greek yogurt topped with homemade granola and berries. I haven’t tried Fage before and am wondering how important it is to choose organic dairy, since I’ve prioritized that in the past. I see Fage is non-GMO so maybe this is adequate? Would love your thoughts on this.
Hi Deb. Thanks for your questions that inspired this post! I really like Fage for its flavor and texture, plus its clean i-list and protein content. It's not organic but the cows are not treated with hormones, which more important to me than being non-GMO. But there are lots of organic yogurts that are great choices. If your family consumes a lot of yogurt, organic may be the best choice.
Thank you for this information about protein intake and brain health. I have read so much about the need to increase protein in your diet post-menopause to maintain/support muscle mass (and therefore maintain a healthy weight), but I didn’t realize the correlation to brain health. Very helpful! My grandmother grew up very poor - she told me how she was always hungry as a child and rarely ate any protein - it was a luxury. She was diagnosed with Alzheimers in her early 60s…
My favorite snack is high-protein, firm tofu from Trader Joe’s - I cut it into cubes, spray a tray with avocado oil & toast it in the toaster oven for 30 min. I eat a serving as a snack in the afternoon & it’s very satisfying. Looking forward to reading your next newsletter about protein powders & hearing other high-protein snack suggestions. Thank you so much for the important work you are doing. It is incredibly educational and valuable. So grateful I met you at Rancho La Puerta in early 2020.
Hi Annie! Been a fan of yours for many years and a now subscriber. My father recently passed from dementia and it is in our family. Could you please address how to get the daily requirement of calcium for women? I am 54 and am trying to get away from dairy, but I have a small, thin frame and a bit of osteoporosis. I am very active and mostly eat well, but my doctor recently told me that I should eat some form of dairy to get the best source of calcium each day. But dairy is not recommended - so not sure what to do. Thank you so much for your work - appreciate everything you do!! I look forward to meeting you someday - Sharon in New Mexico….
Hi Sharon, welcome! I am sorry to hear about your father. Thank you for your kind words. Re: calcium, I am currently working on an article about bone health, calcium intake, and how it relates to brain health. Coming soon!
Another good protein snack is cottage cheese -- either sweet or savory. For example, cottage cheese with fruit OR cottage cheese with veggies and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or olive oil and herbal spice mixtures like zatar.
YES! Ranks up there with yogurt and I love it as a savory snack.
Is cottage cheese not considered dairy by the MIND diet?
Yes, it is considered dairy, and I would also consider it a fermented food. A good choice for protein if you consume some dairy products.
I agree, it should be - it’s milk. A bit confusing as yogurt is recommended too. But I am not sure how to get enough protein as a vegetarian. Now I understand why you see the bodybuilders eating chicken breasts as their main staple.
I am looking forward to your next newsletter. I struggle with getting enough protein. I strength train 4 days a week, walk our German Shepherd daily and fit in Pilates. My former trainer was always reminding about protein intake. From what I have read lately strength is the currency of aging. I definitely need to focus on more protein in my Brain Health diet.
I love your work out routine, Suzanne! I agree--strength is super important for healthy aging.
This topic has been on my mind lately! I’ve been adding hemp hearts to yogurt in the morning or extra egg whites to two scrambled eggs or to oatmeal. Snacks is where I need to add more variety so really appreciate the tips and the suggestion from Marie below about the tofu snack. Looking forward to your post on protein powders. I don’t use one yet because I’m just not sure which one is right for me. Thanks for all you do!
Hemp hearts are my go-to!. Thanks JoAnn.
Annie, Wow, fantastic article about a very important topic! Thank you!!!!! I would like to know if you can also point us to reliable dietary protein guidelines for people who are younger.
For a healthy and protein rich snack, I like crispy air fried chickpeas. Just drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. To remove as much of the moisture as possible, place in a kitchen towel, and blot them very dry. Into a bowl, place 2 tablespoons of an oil (preferably, I think, one that's refined for high heat), and your favorite seasoning mix, plus some salt if there is none in the seasoning. Add the chickpeas that have been blotted dry. Then air fry at 390 F for about 15 minutes. The smaller chickpeas take less time. Don't air fry too long or they will be too hard. Best for us is just a bit crispy on the outside. Eat while fresh and warm. And save leftovers to use as croutons in salad. Note: There are recipes to make this in oven too.
This is such a great suggestion, Leni. I have an oven based recipe for this that I can share in the next post.
Biggest challenge - how to get 50g of protein per meal without enormous calories. Go to protein snack - hard boiled eggs b/c they are just so easy to grab and go.
I hear you! That is the challenge, for sure.
Hi Michele! I’m glad this is helpful. Will be addressing calcium intake in an upcoming
newsletter.
Thank you! Can’t wait!
This newsletter article is very much appreciated because my husband and I have been concerned about getting sufficient protein for our age (mid 70s) and our fairly active lifestyle. We routinely eat many of the foods on your list, but always wonder how much is enough! So we look forward to your follow up article next week.
Another reader questioned getting sufficient calcium, which is also a big concern for me. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis a few years ago. My PCP would like for me to have the Prolia injections but my periodontist says no because of ongoing jaw bone loss. So I welcome more information on that topic!
Our late afternoon snack is a smoothie, made with almond milk, frozen banana, a variety of frozen berries or fruits, organic protein/superfoods powder, and homemade yogurt. Thick and delicious.
Hi Annie, thanks for addressing this. I'm hoping in the next newsletter you might address the commonly heard notion that you need 2500 gms of leucine in a given meal to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. If this is true (?), it's harder to do with plant protein alone. I usually mix plant and animal proteins to achieve the 2500 gms leucine at a time, but I also remember hearing on a podcast with one of the main muscle researchers, I *think* Dr. Layman, that they really don't know exactly how much leucine it takes to trigger muscle protein synthesis, just that they do know that 2500 mg will cover the need. I wonder if anyone is researching this at a more granular level (probably beyond the scope of your newsletter?), while I suspect it may depend on individual differences and going for 2500 gms won't do any harm as long as steps are taken to be sure that mTOR doesn't stay *chronically* elevated.
I wonder if a case can be made that as long as you get x amount of leucine per day the body will use it toward muscle protein synthesis even if you get <2500 mg during some or all meals. My takeaway has been that the signaling would be off and counterproductive this way. I'd like to not overthink my food choices when it comes to leucine per meal, but our muscle requirements are so critical I don't want to delude myself into thinking I'm doing enough if I'm not.
Thanks again for all you're doing :)
A super interesting topic. We'll get into that a little when i talk about protein controversies.
Thank you for this article. I eat mostly plant based. Haven’t eaten animal protein in four years, but now eat Salmon once/week and really enjoy your sardine/ avocado recipe. My challenge is I don’t get hungry during the day. I have an English muffin with almond butter in morning, then an oatmeal meal after exercise around 11 am. Then dinnee around 6. Feel like I should eat more in between. Thanks.
Hi Joanne! Very reasonable to add in some fish, and I'm glad you like the sardine recipe. I wonder if you are working out enough to stimulate hunger, or if you are doing enough resistance exercise. Perhaps thinking about switching up the exercise routine will yield a better appetite.
Thank you. I’ll definitely take a good look at my exercise routine.
It’s whey protein powder for me in a low sugar smoothie.
A really good choice!
Hi Annie! I was inspired by your story of the little hummingbird who was so very blessed to have you as a patient and gentle caregiver. About snacks - my favorite is Greek yogurt topped with homemade granola and berries. I haven’t tried Fage before and am wondering how important it is to choose organic dairy, since I’ve prioritized that in the past. I see Fage is non-GMO so maybe this is adequate? Would love your thoughts on this.
Hi Deb. Thanks for your questions that inspired this post! I really like Fage for its flavor and texture, plus its clean i-list and protein content. It's not organic but the cows are not treated with hormones, which more important to me than being non-GMO. But there are lots of organic yogurts that are great choices. If your family consumes a lot of yogurt, organic may be the best choice.
Thanks, Annie!
Great article! Hope the hummingbird is improving!
Are protein powders (audited by a third party) ok for people having a hard time reaching their protein goals on a regular basis?
Thank you! Rachel
Hi Rachel! We'll go into protein powders next week. There are definitely pros and cons.
Did I miss an article on protein powders?
We went into protein powders a bit here:https://brainhealthkitchen.substack.com/p/the-brain-healthy-guide-to-eating
Hi Annie,
Thank you for this information about protein intake and brain health. I have read so much about the need to increase protein in your diet post-menopause to maintain/support muscle mass (and therefore maintain a healthy weight), but I didn’t realize the correlation to brain health. Very helpful! My grandmother grew up very poor - she told me how she was always hungry as a child and rarely ate any protein - it was a luxury. She was diagnosed with Alzheimers in her early 60s…
My favorite snack is high-protein, firm tofu from Trader Joe’s - I cut it into cubes, spray a tray with avocado oil & toast it in the toaster oven for 30 min. I eat a serving as a snack in the afternoon & it’s very satisfying. Looking forward to reading your next newsletter about protein powders & hearing other high-protein snack suggestions. Thank you so much for the important work you are doing. It is incredibly educational and valuable. So grateful I met you at Rancho La Puerta in early 2020.
Hello Marie! It is wonderful to hear from you. I love your tofu in the toaster oven method. I hope our paths cross again soon.
Hi Annie! Been a fan of yours for many years and a now subscriber. My father recently passed from dementia and it is in our family. Could you please address how to get the daily requirement of calcium for women? I am 54 and am trying to get away from dairy, but I have a small, thin frame and a bit of osteoporosis. I am very active and mostly eat well, but my doctor recently told me that I should eat some form of dairy to get the best source of calcium each day. But dairy is not recommended - so not sure what to do. Thank you so much for your work - appreciate everything you do!! I look forward to meeting you someday - Sharon in New Mexico….
Hi Sharon, welcome! I am sorry to hear about your father. Thank you for your kind words. Re: calcium, I am currently working on an article about bone health, calcium intake, and how it relates to brain health. Coming soon!
I look forward to it! Thank you, again!