Need more protein, little meat
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AmyMCGS
Posts: 32 Member
Over the past two years as I've lost weight, I've also lost my ability to eat much meat at all- it's like my body just doesn't want it anymore. (No political views, please.) My problem is I'm always short on protein- I eat beans, peas, eggs, peanut butter, lots of cheese, etc but I still can't ever seem to get enough protein in my diet. I don't want to do protein powders or bars as they all taste like chemicals to me, other than PB2 which I sometime add to smoothies. Does anyone have tried and true tips to get more protein into your diet naturally?
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Replies
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I’m vegan and eat lots of legumes, seitan and leafy greens. If you can eat eggs they have plenty as well as homemade protein balls.2
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Greek yogurt
Quinoa
Liquid egg white
Edamame
If you like PB2, there is PB2 Fit. It has 8 grams of protein and I think the taste is better than PB2.
You can get a huge jar for $12 on Amazon.4 -
Does the Vega protein powder line taste like chemicals? It tastes like something (lol) as there are many people on both sides of the fence. There are so many protein powders to try (many of which come in sample sizes so you're not shelling out $80+ for something you'll eventually hate).
You said eggs but have you tried egg whites as mentioned above by @Talan79? These can make for tasty omelettes coming in at 30 g protein per cup of egg whites. Other than that, you didn't mention fish or seafood. Do you consider this category "meat" as well? If not, perhaps explore there. Nutritional yeast has an oddly large protein ratio.
And then beyond these, your food preferences/tolerances have limited your food options (at least for that macro).3 -
Do you eat edamame or chickpea or lentil pasta and "rice"? Those help me. (The edamame ones, and some black bean ones, have a texture quite different from wheat pasta. I prefer those in pseudo-Asian preparations, with soy sauce, miso, chile paste or that sort of thing. PB2 makes a nice peanut sauce with rice vinegar, chile sauce and seasonings. The chickpea/pea/lentil ones are a lot closer to wheat pasta. Someone here got me eating a pasta sauce made with powdered (in a food processor) dried mushrooms - adds richness but not texture - lentils, tomatoes (or sauce/paste) and seasonings. Put that on some chickpea pasta, maybe add a bit of real parmesan (not the can
), and that's a nice dose of protein and nutrition.)
How about other soy products: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, etc.? If you don't like the texture of tofu, consider blending the soft kind into things (you can put a fair fraction into smashed avocado, and still have a guac-like flavor/texture). Or, try the firmer smoked or baked types. I love smoked tofu in an Ezekiel tortilla with mustard, thin-sliced onion, a little cheese, and some raw sauerkraut. Shelled edamame/mukimame is good in soups and stews, or cooked/cooled in salads.4 -
Over the past two years as I've lost weight, I've also lost my ability to eat much meat at all- it's like my body just doesn't want it anymore. (No political views, please.) My problem is I'm always short on protein- I eat beans, peas, eggs, peanut butter, lots of cheese, etc but I still can't ever seem to get enough protein in my diet. I don't want to do protein powders or bars as they all taste like chemicals to me, other than PB2 which I sometime add to smoothies. Does anyone have tried and true tips to get more protein into your diet naturally?
What's your protein goal? I ask because people often chose unnecessarily high protein goals. Seems like you should be able to hit 20% protein no problem with these foods.
Aha, I see your diary is open and your protein goal is indeed 20%. You've only logged two days recently, and left around 200 calories on the table both days, or perhaps you did not finish logging. Your breakfasts are only 4g protein. I don't see any eggs or beans.
Eat like you say you eat, and you should be fine
Also, your carbs may be crowding out your protein.6 -
How do you feel about tofu and cottage cheese?
Have you tried protein puddings? I don't know what would be available in your area, but I personally like Ehrmann's chocolate protein pudding, but specifically when it's refrigerated. It stores in room temperature but tastes like chemicals that way. When eaten cold, it tastes like regular chocolate pudding and feels more like a treat that also happens to have loads of protein in it.
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kshama2001 wrote: »Over the past two years as I've lost weight, I've also lost my ability to eat much meat at all- it's like my body just doesn't want it anymore. (No political views, please.) My problem is I'm always short on protein- I eat beans, peas, eggs, peanut butter, lots of cheese, etc but I still can't ever seem to get enough protein in my diet. I don't want to do protein powders or bars as they all taste like chemicals to me, other than PB2 which I sometime add to smoothies. Does anyone have tried and true tips to get more protein into your diet naturally?
What's your protein goal? I ask because people often chose unnecessarily high protein goals. Seems like you should be able to hit 20% protein no problem with these foods.
Aha, I see your diary is open and your protein goal is indeed 20%. You've only logged two days recently, and left around 200 calories on the table both days, or perhaps you did not finish logging. Your breakfasts are only 4g protein. I don't see any eggs or beans.
Eat like you say you eat, and you should be fine
Also, your carbs may be crowding out your protein.
Thanks for looking at my diary- that's exactly why I started logging again, to see if I'm really eating what I think I am. I know when I grab a quick breakfast I tend to omit the protein- at the very least a cheese stick would help. I think that while I've been maintaining my weight I've not necessarily been making the best food choices!1 -
How do you feel about tofu and cottage cheese?
Have you tried protein puddings? I don't know what would be available in your area, but I personally like Ehrmann's chocolate protein pudding, but specifically when it's refrigerated. It stores in room temperature but tastes like chemicals that way. When eaten cold, it tastes like regular chocolate pudding and feels more like a treat that also happens to have loads of protein in it.
While I don't love cottage cheese, I do eat it- with tomatoes, fruit, or even just a teaspoon of jam. I've tried tofu and did not like it, but I'm willing to try it again. And I've never heard of protein pudding, so I'll look for those, thanks!0 -
Do you eat edamame or chickpea or lentil pasta and "rice"? Those help me. (The edamame ones, and some black bean ones, have a texture quite different from wheat pasta. I prefer those in pseudo-Asian preparations, with soy sauce, miso, chile paste or that sort of thing. PB2 makes a nice peanut sauce with rice vinegar, chile sauce and seasonings. The chickpea/pea/lentil ones are a lot closer to wheat pasta. Someone here got me eating a pasta sauce made with powdered (in a food processor) dried mushrooms - adds richness but not texture - lentils, tomatoes (or sauce/paste) and seasonings. Put that on some chickpea pasta, maybe add a bit of real parmesan (not the can ), and that's a nice dose of protein and nutrition.)
How about other soy products: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, etc.? If you don't like the texture of tofu, consider blending the soft kind into things (you can put a fair fraction into smashed avocado, and still have a guac-like flavor/texture). Or, try the firmer smoked or baked types. I love smoked tofu in an Ezekiel tortilla with mustard, thin-sliced onion, a little cheese, and some raw sauerkraut. Shelled edamame/mukimame is good in soups and stews, or cooked/cooled in salads.
I haven't tried those "pastas", but I'm willing! That pasta sauce sounds delicious! And my past experience with tofu was bad, but I'm willing to try again. Thanks for the ideas!0 -
Does the Vega protein powder line taste like chemicals? It tastes like something (lol) as there are many people on both sides of the fence. There are so many protein powders to try (many of which come in sample sizes so you're not shelling out $80+ for something you'll eventually hate).
You said eggs but have you tried egg whites as mentioned above by @Talan79? These can make for tasty omelettes coming in at 30 g protein per cup of egg whites. Other than that, you didn't mention fish or seafood. Do you consider this category "meat" as well? If not, perhaps explore there. Nutritional yeast has an oddly large protein ratio.
And then beyond these, your food preferences/tolerances have limited your food options (at least for that macro).
I haven't tried that brand, maybe I will. I enjoy fish/ seafood, but my husband is deathly allergic, so I rarely have it. The meat thing is weird- something will sound good, I'll prepare it, and after about two bites my body is just like "nope" and I can't choke it down. 🤷🏼♀️1 -
Hanibanani2020 wrote: »I’m vegan and eat lots of legumes, seitan and leafy greens. If you can eat eggs they have plenty as well as homemade protein balls.
I had to Google Seitan and now I want to try it- thank you!0 -
I looked it back up on my Amazon order. It’s just PB Fit, not PB2. Total different company. It has an orange label.0 -
^^🚩1
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NVM0
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