"I tried 5 different ways to sneak more protein into my meals. Here's what worked best."

There are two things you should know about me. I try to live an active lifestyle and I’m also a huge foodie. 

While you may think these two things go hand in hand, it doesn't always work out that way for me. The foodie side of me often makes the decisions about what I eat. However, the meals I choose aren't always going to fuel me the best for my workouts or keep me full throughout the day. 

For example, I love to make fruit smoothie bowls for breakfast. But around mid-morning and after the gym, I already feel a sugar slump coming on. Not ideal!

I knew I had to start adding more protein into my diet in order to make sure I stayed fuller for longer, but I wasn't exactly sure how to do this. There are only so many eggs a girl can eat, and eating heaps of meat just doesn't seem practical or…. appetising for that matter.

There had to be tastier alternatives out there. So I tried a few things I hadn't tried before, starting with cottage cheese.

I looked at the packaging on Bulla cottage cheese in complete fascination. “It’s a cheese AND it’s healthy?”

The nutritional panel was a macronutrient dream. With 11.2g of protein per serving and only 2.2g of fat, it almost seemed too good to be true for something that claimed to be a cheese.

I obviously bought all the different variations, took them home and found out that yes, in fact, it is definitely a cheese. And it was delicious.

After some Googling, it became apparent that this cheesy/yoghurty hybrid is incredibly versatile due to its mild flavour. You can basically switch it out in any recipes that call for cheese. You can eat it as a snack just with fruit or crackers, in smoothies, on toast, in salads.. even as a layer in a vegetarian lasagne. You can also use it to replace cream and to add thickness to recipes too, like in a creamy pasta, risotto or cauliflower bake.

Delicious. Image: Supplied.

Adding protein to my diet no longer seemed to be a huge deal. This small change inspired me to think about other sneaky and effortless ways to add protein to my diet.

So here are five surprising ways to do just that.

1. Switch your morning oats to a protein-packed brekkie.

Instead of having a carb-heavy breakfast, I decided to try making a bowl that centred around protein instead. I swapped porridge for cottage cheese, and while having a bowl of literal cheese for breakfast sounds like some kind of French utopia, stay with me here. 

Introducing something I like to call my Protein-packed Peanut Butter & Jelly Brekkie Bowl.

It’s hearty, filling and quick to make too. It’s also something you can prep the night before and just grab and go in the morning too.

Here’s how I made it using only four, okay, maybe five ingredients (the honey was a spontaneous, but necessary afterthought!) 

Ingredients: 

PB&J Brekkie Bowl Ingredients. Image: Supplied.

Method:

1) Place the cottage cheese in a bowl 

2) Top with mixed berries, a sprinkle of oats and a spoonful of nut butter 

3) Top it off with a drizzle of honey 

2. Make healthier versions of your favourite indulgences.

Protein Belgian Waffles. Image: Supplied. 

This is another high-protein breakfast option for when you feel like something healthy but also slightly decadent. Because who wouldn’t want to wake up to a stack of fluffy waffles for breakfast? I swapped out regular flour for a protein/fibre blend (you can find this at most health food shops) and added in extra protein with the egg whites as well. If you don’t have a waffle maker you can also make them into pancakes.

Protein Belgian Waffles 

Ingredients: 

Protein Belgian Waffle Ingredients. Image: Supplied.

Method: 

1) Mix all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.

2) Pour half of the batter into the waffle maker, cook for three minutes and then repeat with the other half of the batter. 

3) Add on preferred toppings - I chose strawberries but you could add anything like banana, blueberries, nuts or seeds. 

3. Swap out your spreads.

Cottage cheese on Toast. Image: Supplied.

Let’s be honest, toast is delicious. But on its own, it’s not always the most filling option. I tried swapping out my usual spreads for Bulla's original cottage cheese and it was a great post-workout recovery meal as it had a good balance of carbs and protein. Oh, and it also tasted like a gourmet café brunch. Goodbye $20 fancy avocado toast, hello $3 cottage cheese toast! OK, so it doesn’t have the same ring to it but who cares because it’s HEALTHY CHEESE and will apparently allow us to take out a mortgage unlike its café counterpart.

Cottage Cheese on Toast

Ingredients: 

Cottage cheese on Toast Ingredients. Image: Supplied.

Method: 

1) Poach an egg in some boiling water and set the timer for three-and-a-half minutes.

2) Put the bread in the toaster and prepare ingredients while you wait.

3) Assemble your toast.

Toast one: 

- ¼ cup cottage cheese 

- ½ avocado poached egg 

Toast two: 

- ¼ cup cottage cheese 

- ¼ cup blueberries 

- 1 Tbs honey 

4. Use higher-protein carbs.

Simple Roasted Tomato and Chilli Pasta. Image: Supplied.

As great as pasta is on its own, there’s no denying it’s basically just carbs. Now there’s nothing wrong with carbs at all, but if we’re going to have them, why not kick things up a notch with some added protein to keep those hunger pangs at bay? In this recipe, I’m using quinoa and brown rice spaghetti, which adds 9g of protein per serving but you can also use lentil or bean pasta which will give you an extra serving of veggies too.

Simple Roasted Tomato and Chilli Pasta 

Ingredients: 

Tomato and Chilli Pasta Ingredients. Image: Supplied.

Method: 

1) Roast the tomatoes on a lined baking tray with the chopped garlic and chilli flakes for 40 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (fan-forced).

2) Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the packet instructions.

3) Remove the tomatoes from the oven and squash them with a fork. 

4) Toss the tomatoes into the pasta and serve with basil and some cracked pepper.

5. Up your dip game.

Crudité Platter. Image: Supplied.

It’s a universal truth that vegetables are only on platters to facilitate dips being eaten. The dip on an appetiser plate is the pièce de résistance and everything else is merely a vessel. Read: the more dip the better. So why not cut back on the creamy dips (looking at you, Ranch) and opt for a lower-fat option so that you can eat more of it? Luckily Bulla also has a delicious Onion and Chives flavour which is like a dip in itself that’s ready to put on your next entertaining platter or snack plate.

Crudité Platter 

Ingredients: 

Crudité Platter Ingredients. Image: Supplied.

Recipe: 

1) Cut up all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

2)Place the cottage cheese in a dip bowl and arrange everything on a platter.

Tomato and Chilli Pasta Ingredients. Image: Supplied.

YUM.

Now, tell us. How do you sneak extra protein into your meals? Let us know below.