Best Protein Rich Foods for Runners

I truly wish some days that pepperoni pizza could just count as my protein rich food.  Decades ago when I first started running long distances, I used that exact justification many times.  Over the years though, as I’ve learned from 1st hand experience that investing in better nutrition and fueling is one of the best (secret) ingredients to improved performance and less injury.  Do you need protein rich foods as a runner?  Yes!  Give these top protein rich foods for runners a try, and see just how much of a difference a protein focus can make!

Disclosure: Below are some affiliate links-these are all products I highly recommend. I won’t make any recommendations on this page that I haven’t tested or personally used!  Enjoy this guide to the best protein rich foods for runners!

 

 

The Best Protein Rich Foods for Runners

 

Here’s a few examples of the best protein rich foods you should consistently get into your diet as a runner:

 

Did you find this list helpful?  Want more checklists like this?  Check out my entire “Runner’s Diet: Nutrition and Fueling for Runners” for more lists like this with actual food examples for ALL 4 CATEGORIES of foods that runners require!

 

 

Why Do Runners Need Protein Rich Foods?

 

For Repairs! Recovery! Rebuilding!

 

When you run, not only are you burning through those glycogen (carb) stores, you are causing little stresses, tears, damage to muscle tissue and fibers, and other repair issues.  What repairs and rebuilds this?  PROTEIN!

 

Runners need protein rich foods in their diet, consistently, to not only build the muscle for improved performance, but just as importantly, for repair work, rebuilding, and recovery!  Countless studies have confirmed the science behind this.  When you repair and rebuild with a protein rich diet, this leads to increased muscle mass and strength, which in turns leads to increased endurance.  A protein rich diet affects all areas of running health, progress, and performance.

 

I hate to admit that recovery practices and a focus on a protein rich diet were one of the last puzzles pieces in my decades long running journey.  Mostly I was lazy about it.  But as soon as I learned to give it a real focus and make the time and effort, I saw my recovery literally transform.  Bouncing back quicker, fewer aches and pains, feeling more energized, and overall just feeling “healthier” as a long distance runner.  Protein rich foods play a huge role in recovery, as well as a VIP player in consistent runner nutrition and fueling throughout all your meals.  Especially during high volume, high intensity, training blocks.  

 

Need more proof why protein rich foods are important for runners, from an injury prevention perspective?  This study demonstrates just how common running injuries can be.  Being proactive with protein rich foods can go a long way in staving off injury and repairing the toll on your body when you run.

 

Read More: 8 Most Common Running Injuries to Watch For (and How to Prevent Them)

 

Nowadays when I consult with beginner runners, one of the major talking points I like to bring up is nutrition and fueling.  That is because I remember what it was like as a newbie runner, and fueling and nutrition are not always the headliners when you are training for that first 10k or half marathon.  It’s easy to miss.  So if you are new to running, take this opportunity to soak up all you can about nutrition and fueling and the importance of the right protein rich diet. If you make it a habit early on, you’ll have a long running “life” ahead of you!  

 

 

What Percentage of My Meals Should Consist of Protein Rich Foods?

 

Your aim should be to include protein in EVERY meal.  Some people like to track their total grams of proteins throughout every day, while others aim to get 40 – 50 grams of protein, for example, in every meal.  This may seem tedious, but once you make it a habit, you’ll find it’s not always necessary to continuously track.  You’ll learn which foods and meals throughout your day can help you reach your protein goals.

 

As a general guideline, around 25% of your meals should be protein rich foods.  Here’s another way to look at this:

 

 

 

What About Protein Rich Foods for Recovery?

 

YES!  The body is primed for protein intake during the recovery phase.  For recovery snacks and meals specifically, you want to aim for a ratio of 3:1 carbs to proteins.  Not only that, but be sure to have a recovery snack within 30 minutes of completing a run.  If you’re strapped for time, consider a quick protein shake or drink.  Or even a glass of chocolate milk, one of my favorite post run recovery snacks.  Here’s another way to look at this:

 

 

Here’s a few examples of quick, easy recovery snacks that also are protein rich:

 

 

 

Actual Protein Rich Meal Ideas

 

Here’s a few of my favorite protein rich meal ideas I include in my own rotating menu.

• Loaded Oatmeal with peanut butter, fruit, and nuts/seeds
• Swiss Muesli with oats, Greek yogurt, fruit, and chia seeds
• Loaded Cottage Cheese with cinnamon, fruit, and nuts/seeds
• Salad with kale, chopped hard boiled egg, edamame, apples, grated carrots, nuts, and apple cider vinaigrette
• Quinoa salad with kale, black beans, and bell pepper
• Classic tuna sandwich or pb and j sandwich
• Stir fry with chicken, rice, veggies, and edamame
• Grilled chicken with peanut sauce on a bed of rice and broccoli
• Moroccan lentil salad with kale and grated carrot

 

Below is a picture of a kale salad that I actually make at least once a week.  It’s a creative way to get not only a good dose of healthy carbs, which a runner needs, but a decent amount of protein as well.  Here’s my first hands experience with this kale salad:

Kale Salad Ingredients:

• Kale – higher in protein than iceberg lettuce
• Edamame – protein rich
• Wild rice (or brown rice or quinoa) – good carbs
• Grated carrots – veggies
• Green apples – fruit and carbs
• Apple cider vinaigrette – healthy fats

 

By making higher protein swaps like kale and edamame, you can turn this simple, quick salad into a solid protein rich food on your rotating menu.  Plus, it’s prime for variations – you could throw nuts or seeds in, or a chopped hard boiled egg as well for even more protein.  And it’s the perfect vessel to mix up those healthy carbs you need also, as you could use wild rice, brown rice, or even quinoa!

 

Here’s another creative take on a salad that is packed with protein that I make regularly.  My own first hand experience has allowed me to make some swaps, additions, and modifications that really work.  It may not look the most appealing, but it’s uniquely flavored and full of benefits for runners.

Moroccan Lentil Salad Ingredients:

• Lentils – protein, protein, protein
• Quinoa – protein AND healthy carbs
• Kale – more protein in this green than iceberg lettuce
• Grated Carrot – extra dose of veggies
• Apple Cider Vinaigrette – healthy fats
• Ras El Hanout spice – gives it the unique and unmistakable flavor, really elevates this protein packed salad

 

 

By using lentils and quinoa as the “base” of this salad, I was really able to up the protein.  Plus, with the unique flavor profile, it’s a fun salad I actually look forward to eating, which is important when creating your own “inventory” of protein rich foods.

 

By the way, don’t be afraid to utilize some new cookbooks and recipe books specifically targeted to athletes and/or runners.  One of my favorite sources of inspiration is Run Fast. Eat Slow.  I’ve created and modified a handful of these runner friendly meal ideas.  Getting started with ideas can be a little slow at first, but keep at it and you’ll naturally begin to see the combos, swaps, and additions more naturally.

 

You may notice that any of these meal ideas listed above are healthy and beneficial on their own, BUT they become even more protein rich with additions and swaps.  Like adding peanut butter or nuts and seeds to oatmeal.  Or adding hard boiled eggs and nuts to salads.  Or swapping kale for iceberg lettuce.  Or adding edamame to salads and stir frys. Or using peanut sauce to pair with your chicken or rice or veggies.  Swaps and additions are crucial, and I’ll discuss them in more detail below.

 

Want more meal inspiration – for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?  Check out my “Runners Diet: Nutrition and Fueling for Beginners“.  It includes more meal suggestions, plus a complete beginner’s intro to nutrition and fueling basics for beginners.

 

Remember, you don’t have to reinvent your entire wheel necessarily to get a protein rich meal!  Make substitutions and swaps.  Add different toppings.  Here’s a few more examples of some of my own swaps and additions that can transform a regular meal into a more protein rich meal:

 

• Add nuts or seeds – I am obsessed with both.  I can enhance my cottage cheese or yogurt lunches by topping them with chia seeds.  I can enhance my favorite soups by adding pumpkin seeds.  I can enhance a quick snack like apple slices or a banana with chia seeds.  I can enhance my oatmeal by mixing in some nuts.  I can enhance a salad with nuts or seeds as well.  I used to avoid buying nuts and seeds because I thought they were too expensive, but I’ve found that a $8 bag of chia seeds can last me about a month, for example.  That’s really not a bad deal.

 

• Leaner Alternatives – you don’t have to completely give up your favorite meat dishes.  Even making a switch from a t bone steak to a sirloin steak can offer more protein.  But you can also look for ways to get in more lean alternatives like salmon, chicken, turkey, or tuna.   If you need to find creative ways to dress up these lean alternatives (maybe they’re less appealing to you), consider spreads, dips, and other bases to jazz them up.  For example, I make a chicken salad that uses a Greek yogurt with mashed avocado base, which not only gives me more protein and is healthier than traditional mayo, but it helps dress up what might be boring, plain chicken to some.

 

• Add eggs whenever you can – In addition to the kaleidoscope of ways you can (and should) enjoy eggs as stand alone meals, one of my other favorite ways to get more eggs is to throw a chopped hard boiled egg into just about any salad I eat. 

 

• Add peanut butter to everything – I know a lot of us out there could just eat peanut butter straight from the jar as a snack.  Go ahead, but also look for ways to add more of it.   Some of my favorite ways to get more peanut butter is to mix in a spoonful or two into my hot oatmeal.  Or use it as a dip for apples.  I love that peanut butter is a simple, easy way to get protein.  Or elevate it and make peanut butter sauce for chicken based meals with rice and/or veggies.  You can also use peanut butter as a binding type agent in snacks like homemade energy balls with oats and chocolate chips or dried fruit. 

 

 

• Don’t forget greens – these may not seem like obvious candidates, but adding more of some of these greens can give you a protein boost:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Brussel Sprouts
• Mushrooms

So instead of an iceberg lettuce salad, opt for a kale or spinach based salad instead.  Or throw some extra broccoli into that soup.  Or top that homemade pizza with extra mushrooms. 

 

• Add more beans – Beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.  Add beans to your normal beanless chili.  Throw chickpeas into a salad.  Swap rice for lentils in soup.  Throw edamame into a salad, or swap out in a stir fry for other players like corn.   

 

• Don’t overlook cottage cheese – I know it’s weird for some, but if you can, it’s a great way to get a protein rich meal or snack, because it’s loaded!  And you can “load” cottage cheese to your personalized preference too.  Loaded cottage cheese can have nuts or seeds for a topping, a sprinkle of cinnamon or drizzle of honey, or your favorite fruit.  There’s a lot of options for cottage cheese – it’s a great vessel for not just a satisfying, protein rich snack on its own, but you can enhance it even more depending on the toppings.  Below you’ll see one of my classic favorites that I eat probably once a day (I just switch out the fruit) – cottage cheese with fruit (blueberries are my favorite) and chia seeds!

 

P.S. If cottage cheese is just too weird for you, then go the Greek yogurt route.  It’s also a great vessel for tons of toppings and mix ins, with a big dose of protein.  Even better, get in a serving of both cottage cheese and Greek yogurt each day.

 

 

 

• Some of my other favorite “switches” to increase my protein rich diet:

• Swapping plain yogurt for Greek yogurt
• Swapping regular oatmeal for protein oatmeal
• Swapping regular pancakes for protein pancakes
• Swapping regular pasta for chickpea pasta
• Swapping white rice (or any rice really) for quinoa
• Swapping green beans or peas for edamame
• Swapping sour cream for Greek yogurt in dips, spreads, sauces, etc (when applicable).  I regularly make a Greek yogurt and avocado based chicken salad instead of using mayo for the base.  

 

 

What About Supplements?

 

Research has shown that there are beneficial ways to supplement your protein intake as a runner.   One easy way is to use a creatine powder supplement like this one.  This is a way I personally supplement my protein intake as a runner.  Whey protein powders are also popular and easy to use in shakes and smoothies.  

 

 

How Much Protein Do I Actually Need?

 

The recommendation for the average adult is 0.8 grams per kg of bodyweight per day.  However, people that exercise regularly are recommended to get closer to 1.4 to 2 grams per kg of bodyweight per day.  You can read more about some of the science and studies behind these numbers here.

 

 

And there you have it, a beginner’s intro to the best protein rich foods for runners!  If you want to take a deeper dive into fueling and nutrition for the beginner runner, check out these additional resources:

• The Runner’s Diet: Nutrition and Fueling for Beginners
• What to Eat the Morning of a Half Marathon
• The Truth About Peanut Butter for Runners
• Do I Need to Fuel During a Half Marathon?
• Simple Tricks to Getting More Protein in Your Diet

 

• 1:1 Coaching Consults for Runners – check out my personalized coaching consults for beginner runners!  Fill out this INTEREST FORM to reserve your spot today!

 

 

 

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