ALS United North Carolina reminds us that good nutrition is important for everyone, but it can be a bit more challenging when living with ALS. Chewing, swallowing, or fatigue can be obstacles to good oral intake. A decreased appetite might be an additional obstacle to meeting your nutrition needs. To overcome some of these challenges and meet your protein demand – since protein provides the building blocks for muscle and bodily tissues – here are a few tips and reminders.
Protein comes from both animal sources (think: beef, pork, seafood, eggs, dairy) and plant sources (think: beans, nuts, oats, soy). Eating protein from a variety of sources is good for your health; shifting to more plant sources and seafood is great for gut health and moderating saturated fat intake. Here are some ideas for protein-rich foods and snacks, with the holidays in mind:
On the go:
Trail mix – can potentially provide up to 8g protein per 2oz. Be creative with your selection of dried fruits and nuts! Add chocolate chips or even peppermint M&Ms to make it a bit more festive. One recipe site to consider: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/healthy-trail-mix-recipes/
Bring to the party:
Veggie tray with savory yogurt dip or a fruit tray with a sweet yogurt dip – can potentially provide up to 10g protein per ½ cup. Check out a savory version: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/healthy-trail-mix-recipes/ or a sweet version: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-3-ingredient-peanut-butter-fruit-dip-247307
Energy bites – can potentially provide 4g of protein per serving. One version to consider: https://www.wellplated.com/energy-balls/
Baked tofu – can potentially provide up to 9g protein per 3oz (firm tofu). Check out a simple recipe like: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/easy-baked-tofu/
Homemade egg bites – can potentially provide 8g of protein per serving. Check out a baked version such as: https://www.loveandlemons.com/egg-bites-recipe/
Chia pudding – can potentially provide 11g of protein per one cup. Try out a recipe like this one: https://www.crazyvegankitchen.com/vegan-snickers-chia-pudding/
Texas Caviar – can potentially provide 6g of protein per serving. Lots of versions are out there, including: https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/texas-caviar or https://www.killingthyme.net/texas-caviar/#wprm-recipe-container-21971
Relaxing at home:
Greek yogurt parfait (Greek yogurt, granola, mixed berries, layered) – can potentially provide up to 24g protein per cup. One version is: https://foolproofliving.com/layered-yogurt-parfait/
Peppermint Mocha Protein Shake – can potentially provide 28g of protein per serving. Check out: https://ameessavorydish.com/rise-and-shine-mocha-java-shake/
Protein Powered Mug Cakes – can potentially provide 24g of protein per serving. Some versions include: https://thebigmansworld.com/the-ultimate-1-minute-protein-brownie/ or https://cheneetoday.com/protein-mug-cake/
Protein Powered Oatmeal – overnight oats are easy to prep and endlessly customizable; can potentially provide >30g of protein per serving. Some options include: https://www.bakeandbacon.com/high-protein-overnight-oats-3-ways/ or https://www.thefitpeach.com/blog/high-protein-overnight-oats/ or https://nourishedbynic.com/high-protein-overnight-oats/
More websites for ideas include:
https://randaderkson.com/high-protein-appetizers
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-high-protein-snacks
https://diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes
Written by Kelly Pierson, MS, RD, LDN (Wake Forest Baptist ALS Center)