Finding it hard to eat enough protein

amykaterob

I'm not new to the site but new to this incarnation of my weight loss journey and I'm trying so hard.

I've recently given up meat because I never really enjoyed it anyway and I actually prefer dairy free milks and spreads. My diet has been quite vegan recently.

Which leads to my dilema - I can't seem to eat enough protein. My goals are 40/30/30 for carbs, protein and fats.

I eat oats with protein or make protein pancakes for breakfast, soups and salads for lunches and then dinners are lentil bolognese, chickpea curry, beans, leafy greens etc. After training I have a chocolate, cacao and banana protein shake.

Nothing brings me close to that goal.

Any useful hints or tips please?

janejellyroll

I'm vegan and I get most of my protein from beans, tofu, tempeh, and seitan. I will sometimes use protein powder and it's rounded out by the protein in grains and vegetables.

I don't focus on limiting my carbohydrates or hitting a specific goal there, I just focus on getting sufficient fat and protein. That makes it easier.

amykaterob

Thank you, what do you generally hit for your macros?

jayuk20

100g boiled lentils - 9g
Protein shake - 30g
100g Tofu - 8g
2tsp Spirulina - 8g
15g Chia Seeds - 2.9g
Lentil snacks - There is a cheap brand in the UK here and a 22g bag provides around 9g protein

175g Pea pasta - 18.4g

Thats approx 81g of protein before adding leafy greens.

dwilliamca

Why did you choose that distribution of macros? Are you meeting the other two or going over? I personally wouldn't worry about protein as long as it was over 20%. I'd play around with the numbers until I found ,what worked for me. I'm not vegan, so can't give you many suggestions. I know my vegan friend eats a lot of beans, quinoa, peanut butter (and other nuts & seeds), and uses protein supplements like amino acid additive.

janejellyroll

amykaterob wrote: »

Thank you, what do you generally hit for your macros?

15-20% protein, 25-30% fat, 55-60% carbohydrates.

This works well for me because I find fat and carbohydrates to be very satiating.

If you're trying to do higher protein for appetite control, I do know that some people find that when some of their carbohydrate-containing foods are higher in protein and fiber (as is the case with beans, for example), they still feel satisfied with higher carbs. Your mileage may vary, of course.

jgnatca

Reset your protein requirements by gram not percentage. You could use this calculator.

https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/interactiveDRI/

Eggs?

LiveLoveFitFab

I still eat ethical eggs, and some greek yogurt and I manage about 95-105 grams a day. My diary is open.

timtam163

I started eating animal products again because I was not just low on protein, but relying a lot on soy as my protein source, so I'm pretty sure I was deficient in various amino acids. Someone's going to get mad at me for saying so, because vegans can absolutely be fit and get enough protein, but not at the number of calories I eat (net 1240 for .5 lb/week loss, no higher than 1800 on high-energy days; i'm petite though so ymmv).

But, here are a few sources I found:
-Nooch (LOTS of protein)
-Pumpkin seeds
-Hemp seeds
-Sweet potatoes
-Nut butters and powders
-Peas
-Whole grains and breads

Non-vegan:
-Parmesan and other hard cheeses
-Greek yogurt
-Kefir
-Eggs
-Fish: canned, cured, etc. I really like canned anchovies, smoked salmon...

misnomer1

Protein powder of your choice will be needed to hit your protein goal, especially if youre trying to lose weight.

TavistockToad

What are your stats? You probably don't need 30% of your cals to come from protein

What does 0.8 x bodyweight in lbs give you?

rainbowbow

jayuk20 wrote: »

100g boiled lentils - 9g
Protein shake - 30g
100g Tofu - 8g
2tsp Spirulina - 8g
15g Chia Seeds - 2.9g
Lentil snacks - There is a cheap brand in the UK here and a 22g bag provides around 9g protein

175g Pea pasta - 18.4g

Thats approx 81g of protein before adding leafy greens.

And how many calories is that? Therein lies the problem. It's easy to eat enough protein on a plant based diet when you've got several thousand a day to work with.

I know the struggle OP especially when you don't have many calories to work with. Your meals all have to revolve around hitting this macro and often veggie sources are split 50/50 with carbs and protein meaning you get to eat these franken-meals of "protein only" kind of foods. Sucks.

How much protein specifically are you trying to hit, what are your total calories allowed, and what foods (in general) do you like to eat (include several examples each for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts, etc.) and i can try and give you some tips.

For reference when cutting (1,550 cals a day) i was able to hit just around 110-120g protein per day.

cryonic_273

I had the same issue.
I was finding it hard to balance my macro totals.
The way to address this is to base meals around the protein rich foods - then add other foods to balance the carbs and fat after -a s these are easier to source.

protein rich - is a relative issue. - Some protein rich foods are also carb or fat rich and this doesnt help you bump up protein %age.

I base meals around the following.
Fish
white meats - chicken/turkey
lean red meat - pork loin, steak medallions etc

high protein dairy - Fage, Skyr, fromage freis, Quark, cottage cheese ( all fat free versions)

then once i work out my daily portions i add in veg fruit and extras to bump up the carb and fat.

deannalfisher

i'm not vegan, but what about some of the meat substitutes - boca burgers etc to help with your protein

tinkerbellang83

OP I know you've said you've given up meat, because you don't enjoy it, you don't seem to say that you are planning to go fully vegan so perhaps fish, eggs or other dairy products? Perhaps a protein bar as a snack?