Let’s be honest – eating dry, cold, sexless chicken fillets every day is pretty dull.
But before you commit diet suicide and raid your nearest Indian takeaway, we have a few tricks up our sleeve.
We searched high and low for the world’s weirdest protein-packed snacks to get you absolutely Arnold Schwarzeneggered. Well, maybe.
Snails
If you’re looking to come out of your dietary shell a wee bit, you could do worse than snails.
The old escargots are a delicacy in France, but they have been slow to slither on to the Great British plate.
Their snooty status as haute cuisine across the Channel shouldn’t put you off, however, nor the fact that they live in your garden and look like something that’s just crawled out of your nose.
These little beauts are low in fat and high in protein which will be music to the ears of any gastronomic bodybuilder looking to stay shredded. The meat is full of vitamins and essential minerals and experts say snail contains amino acids arginine and lysine at higher levels than a whole egg.
Protein Content: 16g per 100g
Macros (Protein/Carbs/Fat): 16/2/1.4
Where you can buy: www.aylesbury-escargots.co.uk
Octopus
Think seafood and think prawns, mussels and maybe the odd cod. But here’s an idea with legs – eight to be exact (sorry).
Octopus is eaten across the Mediterranean but it’s also something you can get hold of in the UK’s more adventurous supermarkets.
Get your taste buds around a tentacle or two. These leggy beasts are full of calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids as well as a decent amount of lean protein.
Octopus is great on the barbecue with lashings of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Any creature that can leap out the sea and devour a live crab is worthy of our dinner plates.
Protein content: 30g per 100g
Macros (Protein/Carbs/Fat): 30/4.4/2
Where you can buy: www.thefishsociety.co.uk
Crickets
This probably sounds like the most disgusting idea ever, and maybe it is. But hear me out.
Insects are a surprisingly good source of protein. There are more than two billion people across the world that also eat them as part of their diet, according to the Guardian.
Now they are being turned into muscle-fueling protein snacks. Honestly.
They contain 2.2 times more iron than spinach, have all the essential amino acids and a massive 65% protein content.
We found one company that was grinding up grasshoppers to make handy protein bars for gym freaks. They come in delicious-sounding flavours like cacao nut and peanut butter and jelly. Mmmmm…
Protein content: 16g per 100g
Macros (Protein/Carbs/Fat): 16/4/1.4
Where you can buy: www.exoprotein.com
Breast Milk
Babies have been keeping this milky little delight secret all this time. No wonder they are clocking up gainz…well, just growing.
Legendary bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Platz are reputed to have bulked off it. But now US bodybuilders are returning to the teat.
Breast milk contains protein, carbs and fat along with all those vitamins and minerals. The colostrum supposedly helps lean muscle mass and athletic performance.
The protein content is lower than other milks, but it is packed full of the important amino acid taurine. So what’s not to love?
Protein content: 1.2g per 100ml
Macros (Protein/Carbs/Fat): 1.2/7.8/3.5
Where you can buy it: www.onlythebreast.co.uk or from someone’s mum.
Frogs
If you want a protein snack on the hop (very, very sorry) then frogs might not be a bad shout. The French love these delicious little amphibians, the British…not so much.
They sound and look pretty grim, but apparently they taste like chicken. All you have to do is just imagine its chicken.
Joking aside, frogs legs contain no fat, no carbs and a healthy dose of protein. Still grimacing in disgust? Maybe don’t put salt on them though.
Protein content: 16g
Macros (Protein/Carbs/Fat): 16/0/0
Where to buy: www.keziefoods.co.uk
(H/T Porsche Indrisie)
