Need protein help!

happymommy321

i am really struggling to hit anywhere close to my protein recommendations each day. Outside of the obvious "eat more chicken" any good tips for ways to get more protein in without going way over on sugar or fat? I'm open to protein supplements (please please please don't try to sell anything to me!!!) but would love to hear other ideas as well. I currently have an egg at breakfast, dinner leftovers for lunch (which includes a protein) peanut butter with a snack, and beans or meat at dinner. There also occasionally some yogurt thrown in there. I don't lift heavy but do weight and strength training 3 times a week and cardio 5 times a week. Thanks for any ideas you have!

amitkatz0

Most whey protein powder will give you about 25:4:4 ratio of protein:carb:fat. Helps a lot with boosting protein and is a good post gym snack.

happymommy321

amitkatz0 wrote: »

Most whey protein powder will give you about 25:4:4 ratio of protein:carb:fat. Helps a lot with boosting protein and is a good post gym snack.

I know absolutely nothing about protein powders. Is there a good resource to look at different options? I don't even know where to start.

tturley

Cytosport or Muscle Milk from Costco. I think Sams and Walmart carry them, too. They don't taste bad but my expectations are low. I drink them for the protein, not the flavor. I add a tablespoon of Flax meal to make them a little more filling and get some Omega 3. You can add other healthy things like Blackstrap molasses (for electrolytes).

_Demoness_

I'd like to know this as well. I've been eating those Kellogg's Vector bars. 11g protein, but 8 grams fat/sugar, 17 g carbs.

This is new for me, so I'm glad I found HappyMommy's question. I've been too scared to post before, but, I'd really like to know as well. Are the protein powders good for weight loss and muscle building or just toning/building up? Tyvm

cavia

Add some egg whites to your egg in the morning. Swap out your afternoon peanut butter snack for a tin of sardines or some slices of deli chicken or turkey. Have a glass of milk with your meals.

Find a supplement store and ask if you can try a sample of different whey proteins before you buy. Find out what their return policy is if they don't. The place I go to will issue a store credit if you can't stand a flavour. I've never had to go that route. They're generally pretty palatable to me.

badgerbadger1

Whey protein is whey protein. Just look for one without added extra carbs, find a flavor you like, buy a small amount so that if you don't like it you can quickly move on to something else.

happymommy321

cavia wrote: »

Add some egg whites to your egg in the morning. Swap out your afternoon peanut butter snack for a tin of sardines or some slices of deli chicken or turkey. Have a glass of milk with your meals.

Find a supplement store and ask if you can try a sample of different whey proteins before you buy. Find out what their return policy is if they don't. The place I go to will issue a store credit if you can't stand a flavour. I've never had to go that route. They're generally pretty palatable to me.

That's a great tip to ask for samples! I will do that! Thanks!

vividii

Hi, I just recently realized I am not getting enough protein either and am now trying to adjust. Today I had 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg with breakfast. I have also tried the Chobani Blended Non-Fat Plain 0% greek yogurt which has 22g of protein and 6g of sugar per 8oz serving. Purchased a whey protein from the drugstore (experimenting with it instead of creamer in my coffee) but also not too familiar with them, so I am curious to see what others reply to your question.

Also, how do you know how much you need? It seems like there are so many different opinions/suggestions on the correct %

badgerbadger1

One scoop of protein powder in 2 cups of milk or water. Done.

I prefer milk. Extra protein.

bametels

cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, soy (edamame, tofu, soy milk, etc.), nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.) seeds (quinoa, chia, pumpkin, flax, hemp, etc.), legumes (peanuts, lentils, chickpeas, split peas, beans)

Lshona

Great ideas! I struggle with protein also.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

greek yogurt is also a good source of protein,cheese,milk, lots of sources of protein out there. also some stores have single servings of protein powders and GNC may as well. I know amazon has some that are single up to several serving sizes,if that helps any.

CSLoring

Protein can be very difficult especially without supplements. What is your protein goal? Generally if you are lifting and doing cardio you should aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight. This takes knowing your body fat and determining your lean muscle mass. If you don't know it a good trainer can help you for free. If you don't want to do that a shortcut is to pick your reasonable goal weight and have that many grams of protein. That sets your realistic expectation. I strongly suggest good protein powders, that have low sugar, low carbs, decent taste and supply you with needed amino acids. Many of the ones that rate very highly in flavor have too much sugar. A good vanilla protein is very versatile. My wife's and mine favorite thing to do is to take fresh pineapple and juice mix with vanilla protein and water in a blender. 48 grams of protein in something that tastes like a pina colada. You can also mix vanilla protein powder in coffee, baking, just about anything.

I personally like Jim Stoppani's Vanilla Pro-Jym and Optimum Nutrition's chocolate protein. www.bodybuilding.com has great articles and resources as well as reviews of protein so you filter you likes and see what comes close.

Merkavar

I was in a similiar boat.

I found fish to me a good source of protein. Plus what ever good heart fats you get from fish.

Greek yogurt. Not sure abou it's sugar, fat content.

Lentils seem to be fairly high in protein for a non animal product.

amitkatz0

Any big market or store like Target will have a selection of protein powder. Check the labels to see how many grams of each macro you're getting. A good whey powder will have 25g of protein in a serving and less than 10g combined sugar and fat.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

Merkavar wrote: »

I was in a similiar boat.

I found fish to me a good source of protein. Plus what ever good heart fats you get from fish.

Greek yogurt. Not sure abou it's sugar, fat content.

Lentils seem to be fairly high in protein for a non animal product.

greek yogurt has healthy fats in it and you can find low sugar options as well as low fat and non fat options

dmkoenig

Smoothies with a scoop of whey protein powder, chia, flax, Greek yogurt, etc. will provide a very good source of protein. My favorite whey protein is Optimum Nutrition Gold standard whey chocolate malt (24g protein/1g fat/3g carbs). Throw in some spinach leaves, frozen pineapple and blueberries, carrot, ginger into a Nutribullet for a quick and filling smoothie. I also keep around Pure Protein brand Protein bars from Costco which are about 200 cal and have 20g protein, 5g fat and only 3g sugar so they are nothing like some of the ones like candy bars. I also get Premier Protein 11 oz. Vanilla shakes at Costco. They are 160 cal and pack 30g protein and only have 3g fat and 1 gram sugar. These both go on sale periodically and I stock up then. While I am a proponent of "real food" I also have a real challenge in getting enough protein and these are convenient ways to bump up your protein intake if you are on the go, without adding a ton of calories to do so. I also eat a lot of raw almonds but they come with a lot of fat calories so practicing moderation (something I'm not always good at) is necessary.

bametels

CSLoring wrote: »

Protein can be very difficult especially without supplements.

I have no problem eating sufficient protein without the use of supplements. There are plenty of high protein foods that can accommodate a wide range of eating preferences - for omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans.

nickatine

Plain greek yogurt mixed with a scoop of whey, over 40 grams of protein right there.

KellyLouiseGibson

Myprotein.com
They have a section for protein shakes, bars etc. Both me & my partner use lots of items on their website and its brilliant.
The website gives loads of advice to. Fast delivery & great products!
☺

happyfeetrebel1

The EAS Carbvantage chocolate is delicious and only a couple grams of sugar, 110 cals and 17 grams. DELISH

I also like Premier Protein, but it's a bit harder to find. Also low carb and high protein for not a lot of calories.

NoIdea101NoIdea

Salmon and scrambled eggs, love it!

Cryptonomnomicon

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/926789/protein-sources/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1158604

Sbivens2383

Quest makes great protein powder and protein bars!

evarga12

Canned tuna, Dannon Light greek yogurt or Low fat cheese individual strips are some good ones.

nstock

quest bars!! full of protein and delicious

Oldbitcollector

nstock wrote: »

quest bars!! full of protein and delicious

This ^^^^^ I've also starting tossing a couple of these into my week.

They take the place of sweets during the day and provide 20+ grams of protein.

ncboiler89

This is delicious

babydaisy81

I really had a hard time with this too, especially as I'm not a big meat eater. I tried protein powders and really couldn't stomache them and could only drink them with orange juice, just as an attempt to get my protein in. I now make my own protein bars, and actually don't mind the taste! I found a knock off Quest bar recipe and make a batch every week and cut them into 5 bars. Really helps, then I normally have an egg with a pepperette or something at lunch, or tuna salad, and some kind of meat for dinner, or scrambled eggs with cottage cheese.

Good luck!

amitkatz0

Watch out for fruit juices. You're getting all the fructose with none of the fibers, and much more quickly than snacking on an actual fruit.