Need protein!

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  • karlav1394
    karlav1394 Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks! Yea I love seafood, and I'm lactose intolerant so pretty much no dairy, we're on the same boat. I didn't know about the walnuts and soy! Awesome info and eye-opening. I'm on my way to buy protein powder now actually so I'll look at my options
  • allenbrowning
    allenbrowning Posts: 34 Member
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    karlav1394 wrote: »
    I have a problem, I need protein! I can never get over 15% in my diet and I know that's really bad. The reason it's so difficult is because I really don't like meat. No chicken, no beef, no turkey, none of that, I've just never liked the taste or texture. Add the fact that I am a full time nursing student, I am always on-the-go, between class, the hospital, and the gym I find it really difficult to find packable food packed with protein. If anyone could give me any ideas on what you guys pack for lunches? Even if it's something you make at home, I just need to get my protein up...anything help!! :s

    Dairy, low fat cottage cheese, protein powders, low fat cheese, nuts
  • rcottonrph1
    rcottonrph1 Posts: 60
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    Tofu, shakes, bars, nuts, seeds, beans, grains like quinoa, sprouted grain breads, veggies such as broccoli and edamame, soy milk, soy yogurt, if you do them: cheese, eggs, egg whites, greek yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese.
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
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    Cottage cheese
    Yogurts (greek or plain)
    Peas
    Cheeses
    Protein bars (Quest & Atkins both have Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavors I like)
    Protein powders
    Eggs
    Peanut butter
    Black beans
    Burritos (I like Amy's & Red's frozen burritos)
  • tamaradwyer
    tamaradwyer Posts: 16 Member
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    I have exactly the same problem. I will eat meat, but it is not my favorite food. By far. If I don't make a lot of effort, I get 80% carbs each day, and eat too much cheese and bread, and well...

    Even in a busy week, pack three meals into a insulated lunch bag each night. The only way to get enough protein is from your own kitchen, 30 minutes each evening well spent packing and calculating nutrients fir the next day. You save the time back when you can just park under a tree and start eating!

    Look for ways to add a protein to any favorite meal. Pumpkin seeds, the raw green ones, lightly chopped and added to the morning oatmeal. Beans and rice, or kale and eggs (steamed/poached in a Pyrex in the microwave the night before, then eaten cold) for lunch. I do add a tablespoon of nut butter to apples and bananas. I used to be able to eat yogurt, a cup a day. I don't always, but I will resort to protein powder.

    MyFitnessPal helps a LOT here - Use the daily entries to try different combos until you reach your targets. I try for 50% carbs, 25% fat, and 25% protein from each meal so the day adds up to that. Mark Hyman's recipes (online or in his diet books) helped me find combos I like. Sorry that was a huge brain dump!
  • tamaradwyer
    tamaradwyer Posts: 16 Member
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    Oh, and tofu! Drain drain drain, get it as dry as possible. (1) Tofu mashed up with a fork and add mustard, a tsp of viniagrette, make a sandwich spread the texture of egg salad. Look for No-Egg Salad recipes. (2) Slice thin, sprinkle with soy sauce, lay on well oiled cookie sheet, bake til browned lightly.
  • shaddowstorm
    shaddowstorm Posts: 155 Member
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    how much protein a day is classified as high protein?
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
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    shaddowstorm wrote: »
    how much protein a day is classified as high protein?
    It's subjective. Some sources would consider anything over 20% of the total calories to be high protein, others would say over 35%.

  • Shawnee73
    Shawnee73 Posts: 7 Member
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    I'm vegetarian but the only dairy I do regularly is yogurt. Chobani has a greek yogurt that is 12g of protein, then I like to mix in healthy granola 4g, pumpkin seeds, other nuts and seeds, hemp seeds are amazing mixed in although I'm not sure the protein and you can mix in fresh fruit. It's very filling.

    For protein powder I do Vega Sport. It's plant based and doesn't have a lot of refined chemicals. 25Mg/serving which is comparable to the whey ones I've seen.
  • twentytwobecky
    twentytwobecky Posts: 35 Member
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    You can also get unflavored whey protein powder and add it to soups, sauces, and batters. It will thicken anything you put it in, so if you don't have a specific recipe that includes it as an ingredient you have to figure out what consistency you like.
    There are many protein pancake and waffle recipes on the Internet, as well as muffins and cakes.
    You can also add chia seeds to soups and sauces. They will expand in the liquid making it thicker. And of course I add beans to everything! Another good thickener for soups that will add protein is fat free refried beans. It's really good in chicken tortilla soup and chili.

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