How to Get Your Protein In Without the Gimmicks
Apparently, protein is having a moment.
Walk through the grocery store right now and EVERYTHING is screaming HIGH PROTEIN at you. Protein cereal. Protein chips. Protein cookies. Protein coffee. Protein pancakes. I'm pretty sure we're about three weeks away from someone trying to sell us high-protein water. 😂
And listen, I'm not anti-protein product. There are absolutely times when convenience wins, and there are some protein products I use myself.
But slapping 20 GRAMS OF PROTEIN! across the front of a package doesn't automatically make what's inside a great choice.
So before we spend $8 on a tiny bag of protein something-or-other, let's talk about how much protein we actually need, where we can get it from normal food, and what to look at when we DO buy the convenient stuff.
First…How Much Protein Do We Actually Need?
Here's where things get a little annoying because there isn't one perfect number that applies to everybody.
The basic Recommended Dietary Allowance for healthy adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day—or roughly 0.36 grams per pound. That's the amount established to meet the needs of nearly all healthy adults, not necessarily a personalized target for every goal or stage of life.
Protein needs can be different depending on things like age, activity level, body size, pregnancy, overall calorie intake and fitness goals. Older adults and people who exercise regularly may benefit from more than the basic RDA.
So I'm not going to tell you that everyone reading this needs exactly 100 grams—or 120, or 150—because that's simply not how this works.
More isn't automatically better, and you don't need to turn eating into a math assignment.
If you have specific health conditions or you're trying to determine an appropriate target for you, that's a conversation worth having with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
You Probably Already Own Protein 😂
Before you order a case of protein brownies, look in your refrigerator.
There are plenty of completely normal foods that can help us get protein throughout the day:
- Eggs — about 6 grams each
- Greek yogurt — often around 15–20 grams per serving
- Cottage cheese — often around 12–14 grams per ½ cup
- Chicken breast — roughly 25–30 grams per 3-ounce cooked serving
- Tuna — roughly 20+ grams per 3-ounce serving
- Milk — about 8 grams per cup
- Lentils — about 18 grams per cooked cup
- Beans — often around 14–16 grams per cooked cup
- Edamame — about 18 grams per cooked cup
Exact amounts vary by product and serving size, obviously, but you get the idea.
Protein doesn't have to come in a package with PROTEIN written across it in 72-point font. 😂
One of the easiest things you can do is simply look at meals you're already eating and ask, Where's my protein?
Breakfast might be eggs or Greek yogurt. Add chicken, tuna, beans or cottage cheese at lunch. Build dinner around a protein source you actually enjoy.
Nothing revolutionary happened there. We just ate food. 😂
Now About Those “High Protein” Foods…
This is where I think we've gotten a little carried away.
A food being higher in protein doesn't automatically tell you everything you need to know about that food.
So instead of letting the giant lettering on the front of the package make the decision for you, flip it over.
Look at the Nutrition Facts and ingredient list.
How much protein are you actually getting per serving? What's the serving size? What's providing the protein? How much added sugar is in it? What about saturated fat, sodium and fiber? And what does the ingredient list look like?
That doesn't mean an ingredient you can't pronounce is automatically dangerous, either. Chemistry has some really inconvenient names. 😂
The point is to look at the whole food, not one exciting number on the front.
Because if somebody takes a cookie, adds five grams of protein and writes HIGH PROTEIN across the package…
it's still a cookie. 😂
And that's okay! Eat a cookie if you want a cookie.
We just don't need to pretend it magically became broccoli.
Convenience Isn't the Enemy
I also don't want this to swing so far in the other direction that we think everything has to be homemade, organic, locally sourced and prepared while wearing an apron in our perfectly clean kitchen.
Because…no. 😂
Protein powders, shakes, bars and other convenience foods can absolutely have a place.
Sometimes you're running out the door. Sometimes you need something you can throw in your bag. Sometimes a smoothie is considerably more realistic than cooking eggs at 7 AM.
Convenience is useful. Marketing is where we need to keep our heads screwed on straight.
Find products that fit your needs, check the label, and use them because they make your life easier—not because the front of the package convinced you that you can't possibly get enough protein without them.
Keep It Simple
If you're trying to get more protein, you don't have to overhaul your entire diet tomorrow.
Start by looking at what you already eat.
Where could you add a little more protein without making your life harder?
Maybe it's adding Greek yogurt to breakfast, putting leftover chicken on your salad, keeping hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, adding beans to soup or making a smoothie when you need something quick.
And THEN, if a protein product makes sense for you, great.
Just flip the package over before you throw it in the cart.
Because apparently HIGH PROTEIN has become the food industry's version of putting a fancy bow on something and hoping we don't ask any more questions. 😂
We're asking questions.
Now I Want to Know…
What are the protein-rich foods you always keep on hand? Are you an eggs-in-the-fridge person? Greek yogurt? Cottage cheese? Protein shakes? Or is there something you swear by that makes getting enough protein a little easier?
Tell me in the comments—I’m always looking for realistic ideas that work in actual everyday life. And who knows...you might give the rest of us something new to add to the grocery list. 😂
Looking for More Keeping It Real?
Click HERE to browse more Keeping It Real blog posts. I try to keep these blogs pretty straightforward and quick because none of us needs another 47-minute read just to get to the useful part. 😂 But somehow, we've built up a pretty nice little stockpile of some actually good stuff over there—in my humble opinion, of course. 😂
So go poke around! Just don't blame me if you go down a rabbit hole and suddenly realize you've been reading for an hour.
Forget Spring Cleaning—It’s Time for “Spr-all” Cleaning
Spring cleaning gets all the attention.
Apparently, sometime around March or April we're all supposed to throw open the windows, scrub the baseboards, organize every closet and emerge several days later with a sparkling house and a whole new outlook on life.
Yeah. I didn't do that. 😂
But here's the thing: fall actually makes me WANT to get the house cleaned up.
We're heading into the time of year when the windows are going to be closed, we're spending more time inside, the holidays are coming, and suddenly I'm noticing all the random stuff I've managed to ignore for the last six months.
So forget spring cleaning.
We're doing “Spr-all” Cleaning. Spring cleaning...but in the fall. Yes, I made it up. We're going with it. 🍂🧹
This Is NOT a Clean-Your-Entire-House Challenge
Before anybody sees the checklist below, gets overwhelmed and immediately decides they suddenly have somewhere else to be, hear me out. 😂 The goal of Spr-all is NOT to do all of this in one weekend.
I am absolutely not emptying every cabinet, pulling every piece of furniture away from the wall and scrubbing my house from ceiling to floor. I have a life, and I would also like to enjoy some of it. 😂
Instead, I'm looking at Spr-all as a chance to tackle some of those little cleaning jobs that don't necessarily make it onto the normal weekly cleaning list. You know the ones—the things you walk past every single day without really noticing until suddenly...you NOTICE.
It's the cabinet fronts that look perfectly fine until the afternoon sun hits them just right and you're horrified. It's the trash can that gets emptied constantly but hasn't had the actual can cleaned in...well, we're not going to discuss how long. 😂 And it's those baseboards you've ignored for so long that you've apparently just accepted their new color.
THOSE are the things we're tackling. And we're not doing them all at once.
Pick a task when you have a few minutes. Get it done. Feel ridiculously accomplished about the fact that your trash can is now cleaner than it has any right to be, and then move on with your day.
That's Spr-all. 🧹🍂
Before You Start, Grab a Few Things
You don't need a cart full of cleaning products for this. In fact, part of what I like about cleaning with Thieves is that I don't have twelve different bottles under my sink for twelve different jobs. 😂
I'll be using Thieves Household Cleaner for a lot of these tasks because it's a concentrated, plant-based cleaner that I already use all over my house. One bottle goes a LONG way because you're diluting the concentrate with water depending on what you're cleaning.
I'll be sharing more about what's actually in it, different ways I use it and some of my favorite DIY cleaning recipes throughout the month. And my next Spr-all blog will go even deeper into all the different things you can make and clean with that one bottle.
Don't have Thieves Cleaner yet? You can grab a bottle HERE so you'll have it ready if you want to Spr-all along with me.
For basic everyday cleaning, I mix:
1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner + 2 cups water
I keep that in a spray bottle so it's already mixed and ready whenever I suddenly notice some random thing that apparently hasn't been cleaned since 2017. 😂
Beyond that, you really don't need anything fancy. Grab a few microfiber cloths, a scrub brush or two, an old toothbrush for those annoying little crevices, a trash bag and some baking soda. Chances are you already have most of it sitting somewhere in your house.
That's it. No giant cleaning-product haul required.
We're keeping Spr-all simple. Because if I have to make a special trip to the store and buy 14 things before I can clean something, there's a pretty good chance that thing isn't getting cleaned.
The Keeping It Real “Spr-all” Cleaning List
This is not a list of things you must complete. Think of it more like a menu. Look around your house, choose the things that need attention and completely ignore the things that don't.
🍽️ Kitchen
- Cabinet fronts + handles - This was our official Spr-all Task #1. We touch these things constantly, yet somehow I rarely think about actually cleaning them.
- Trash can - Not take out the trash. Clean the actual can—the inside, outside, lid, rim and pedal. Prepare yourself emotionally before looking at the bottom. 😂
- Refrigerator door + handles - Especially around the handles where mysterious fingerprints seem to reproduce overnight.
- Refrigerator seals - Open the door and look inside those little folds around the seal. I'm sorry in advance.
- Top of the refrigerator - If you're short like me, ignorance may have been bliss. 😂
- Backsplash - Pay extra attention around the stove where grease likes to quietly move in and establish residency.
- Small appliances - Toaster, air fryer, coffee maker, microwave...all the things sitting on the counter collecting fingerprints, crumbs and whatever else is happening in your kitchen.
- Under the small appliances - Because moving the toaster is when you discover that apparently you've been feeding an entire family of crumbs.
- Inside the microwave - You don't have to explain what exploded in there. This is a judgment-free zone.
🛁 Bathroom
- Cabinet fronts + drawer pulls
- Light switches + door handles
- Around the base of the toilet - Nobody wants this assignment. I'm putting it on the list anyway. 😂
- Tub + shower edges
- Shower door tracks - If you have them, you already know.
- Faucets + around the fixtures
- Bathroom trash cans
- Exhaust fan cover - This is another excellent “Oh wow, when did THAT happen?” cleaning experience.
🛋️ Living Areas
- Baseboards - But here's my rule: pick a room. You do not need to crawl around your entire house cleaning every baseboard in one afternoon.
- Light switches
- Door handles
- Door frames
- Ceiling fan blades
- Lamps + lampshades
- Remote controls - Think about how often they're touched. Now think about how often they're cleaned. You're welcome. 😂
- Under couch cushions - You may find money. You may find snacks. You may find things you cannot identify. It's an adventure.
- The actual couch - Vacuum it, get into the crevices and clean it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
🛏️ Bedrooms
- Nightstands
- Headboards
- Baseboards
- Ceiling fans
- Under the bed - I'm not saying you have to organize everything under there. We're just acknowledging its existence. 😂
- Closet floor - Pull out the random things that have accumulated and give the floor a quick clean.
- And while you're in the closet, this is a great time to pull out anything you already know you're not going to wear again.
🧺 Laundry Area
- Washing machine - Yes, the machine that cleans things also needs to be cleaned. Rude. Check your manufacturer's directions for your specific machine before deciding what products to use.
- Washer door/lid + detergent area
- Dryer exterior
- Lint trap area
- Laundry room floor
- And maybe finally deal with the three random socks that have been sitting on top of the dryer waiting for their partners since 2024. They've had enough time. 😂
🚪 The Stuff We Forget Everywhere Else
This is my favorite Spr-all category because these are exactly the things I don't notice until I suddenly notice them.
- Door handles
- Light switches + switch plates
- Doors—especially around the handle
- Stair railings
- Window sills
- Blinds
- Air return covers
- Thermostat
- Vacuum cleaner - Yep. Clean the thing you use to clean the other things.
- Cleaning tools - Wash microfiber cloths, rinse brushes, clean mop heads and retire any sponge that has clearly lived a full life.
Please Don't Try to Do This Whole List
Seriously, when you look at that list, please don't turn it into a giant weekend project. Your house does not need to be completely deep-cleaned by Sunday night, and Spr-all is definitely not another thing we're adding to the list of things we should feel behind on. 😂
The whole idea is to tackle these things a little at a time when it makes sense. Maybe tomorrow you notice the bathroom trash can is looking a little questionable, so you clean it. Next week you have some extra time and decide to tackle the baseboards in the living room. Or maybe you have ten minutes while dinner is cooking and wipe down the refrigerator and handles.
It all counts.
I'd much rather get one little forgotten job done here and there than make some giant cleaning schedule, convince myself I'm going to follow it perfectly, get overwhelmed by the whole thing...and then do absolutely none of it.
Because yes, I have absolutely done that before. 😂
So use the list as ideas, not assignments. Pick something when you have the time, cross it off, and move on. By the end of the month, you might be surprised by how much you got done without ever having to sacrifice an entire weekend to cleaning.
THAT is the whole point of Spr-all. 🧹🍂
We’re Doing This Together
Throughout September, I’ll be pulling individual tasks from this list and tackling them as part of our Spr-all Cleaning series. And because apparently once I start noticing the random things that need to be cleaned, I can’t unsee them, I’m sure we’ll find a few more along the way. 😂
I’ll also be sharing some of my favorite Thieves Cleaner recipes, easy DIYs, cleaning tips and little shortcuts as we go. The idea isn't to suddenly become people who spend all of September cleaning our houses. It's just to knock out some of those forgotten jobs a little at a time and maybe make life easier in the process.
And if you're wondering what else you can actually DO with that bottle of Thieves Cleaner, that's where we're headed next. My next Spr-all blog will be “One Bottle, A Whole Lot of Cleaning: My Favorite Thieves Cleaner Recipes.” I'm putting my favorite recipes, dilution ratios and ways I use it around the house all in one place so you don't have to hunt through a month's worth of posts trying to find that one recipe you swear you saw somewhere. 😂
For now, though, pick ONE thing from the list that could use a little attention and tackle it. Then go do something considerably more fun. We're just trying to get some of the random crap cleaned before we head into the season when we're spending a whole lot more time inside looking at it.
We are NOT auditioning for our own HGTV show. 😂🍂🧹
Hi, I’m Jessica! 👋
If you're new here, welcome! I'm Jessica, and Keeping It Real is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. 😂 I share the things I actually use and do in real life—from essential oils and natural-ish swaps to easy recipes, DIYs, home stuff and whatever else I'm currently figuring out.
I'm not here to convince you that I have it all together, because I very much do not. 😂 I just like finding simple things that make everyday life a little easier and sharing them in a way that feels doable for normal people with actual lives.
So if that's your kind of thing, stick around. We're keeping it simple, useful and, most importantly, real. 💙
