One major component of all my meals is cereals and pulses, which I incorporate throughout the day. They’re all store cupboard essentials, easily paired, and found at your local supermarket and all over the world: Rice and lentils or rice and black beans, hummus and bread, rice and peas, couscous and chickpeas…The combos go on! Of course, some plant foods are richer in protein than others. I listed them in the notes app on my phone when I gave up meat, to make sure I remembered them when shopping and get to include them in my diet with ease. Below, I’m breaking that down.

My four golden rules for eating more protein

30 grams of protein at breakfast
This is a commandment exulted by all health and wellness experts, and underlined by Dr. Emilie Steinbach: “A higher-protein breakfast improves the feeling of satiety and reduces hunger and appetite, and therefore cravings, throughout the day, even late in the day. To achieve all of these benefits, protein intake would need to be between 25 and 35 grams and account for 40 per cent of the total calorie intake of breakfast.”

To hit this target, I generally incorporate two to three eggs into my breakfast—one egg equals 6 grams protein. Often, I place them on two toasted slices of Nordic, rye, or spelt bread (that makes 5 to 7 grams of protein), hummus (2 grams of protein), and sprouted seeds on top (fenugreek is my go-to). Other days, I’ll do an omelette with either chia seeds, hemp seeds, or brewer’s yeast, and vegetables.

Optimized snacks

My snack breaks are a key way boost my daily protein intake. A handful of almonds (21 grams of protein per 100 grams) accompanies a precious square of dark chocolate—or two, or three…

When I eat a banana, I add peanut butter (25 grams of protein per 100 grams) and sometimes put it on a slice of toasted bread with chia seeds on top. I also occasionally have sheep’s yoghurt, skyr, or a smoothie in which I incorporate chia seeds or spirulina powder.

Sprinkle everything with seeds and powders

I sprinkle seeds and powders everywhere! I even carry a small glass jar containing a mix of hemp seeds (30 to 35 grams of protein per 100 grams) and brewer’s yeast (you may be surprised to know it’s very high in protein: 46 grams per 100 grams), which I take with me to restaurants to sprinkle on my salads. I even take it with me on vacation!