How do you get your protein
Cerimie
Posts: 18 Member
I started trying protein bars and yoghurts and I have ordered some protein powder but I'm usually below by like 70/50g of protein which is quite alot and I'm on a budget lol! So I can't eat a ton of chicken etc, any tips ?
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Replies
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My breakfast packs a big protein punch: unflavored Skyr yogurt with flavored protein powder and fruit.
Any (lean) meat or fish will do, doesn't have to be chicken. And aside from that, think about complementary sources like pulses, beans, grains...
You can find some inspiration here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also#latest2 -
Yeh, protein is where I come under lots of days too.
I do like meat but I just don't eat a lot of it.
I live on nonfat plain yogurt, have eggs a couple times a week, maybe a can of tuna when I'm really under too much for too long.
There are lots of posts on protein, read through them and maybe you'll find things you hadn't thought of but can incorporate into your plan. There was also a great list of protein foods....somewhere.
Wish I'd kept it.
ETA: that link Lietchi(thanks so much for posting it!!) posted actually has the list I was thinking of. Off to bookmark it.
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Being low by 50/70 grams tells me you likely have your protein set really high...? What do you have as your protein goal grams?
Here's the "How to set your macros" thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p12 -
Yeh, protein is where I come under lots of days too. I do like meat but I just don't eat a lot of it.
I live on nonfat plain yogurt, have eggs a couple times a week, maybe a can of tuna when I'm really under too much for too long.
There are lots of posts on protein, read through them and maybe you'll find things you hadn't thought of but can incorporate into your plan. There was also a great list of protein foods....somewhere. Wish I'd kept it.
ETA: that link Lietchi(thanks so much for posting it!!) posted actually has the list I was thinking of. Off to bookmark it.
ooh i will definitely have a look at that thank you very much!0 -
cmriverside wrote: »Being low by 50/70 grams tells me you likely have your protein set really high...? What do you have as your protein goal grams?
Here's the "How to set your macros" thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
Yes so im currently strength training and looking to build muscle as well as reduce my appetite so I'm trying to have more protein in general2 -
cmriverside wrote: »Being low by 50/70 grams tells me you likely have your protein set really high...? What do you have as your protein goal grams?
Here's the "How to set your macros" thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
Yes so im currently strength training and looking to build muscle as well as reduce my appetite so I'm trying to have more protein in general
I remember in high school being taught that whereas meats provide complete proteins, ie easy one stop shop proteins, beans and other vegetables can provide partial proteins that our bodies can fit together to make complete proteins.
I don't know a lot more than that; I know what it's like on a financial budget, but I do know even wheat contains protein.
If you do some google you might find there are things like daal with beans and whatever which mixed together provide complete protein. Also I understand your body can cannibalise old bits of muscle and such to make new muscle.
I am lately eating a lot of sardines and tuna, cheese, and not much meat. Except maybe bacon. I have about 4 rashers of bacon about 3 or 4 times a week, I'm finding that expensive to buy, but takes a while to use up and it doesn't go bad in the fridge in a couple of days, so like that.
Eggs are really good too.0 -
quest protein bars, milk with protein powder (muscle feast whey protein isolate), soy beans, tempeh, egg whites, yogurt, cheese. i try to eat 20 grams of protein every 2 to 3 hours.1
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I eat a lot of yogurt and eggs0
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zebasschick wrote: »quest protein bars, milk with protein powder (muscle feast whey protein isolate), soy beans, tempeh, egg whites, yogurt, cheese. i try to eat 20 grams of protein every 2 to 3 hours.
I actually bought a tester pack of protein powders to try out new flavours that I'm hoping I can incorporate into my fruit smoothies yoghurt etc!
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If you're on a budget, it's going to be cheaper to actually buy chicken and other lean meats than protein bars and powders. Supplements tend to be expensive...food tends to be cheaper. It doesn't have to just be chicken either...but as chicken goes, buying a whole chicken to roast is pretty cheap...I primarily eat boneless/skinless chicken thighs which are also pretty cheap. For some reason boneless/skinless chicken breasts are expensive...I don't get it, because chicken breasts suck in terms of flavor and I think it's just about the worst part of the chicken.
When I was flat broke, my primary protein sources were whole chickens, pork chops, ground beef, canned tuna, and eggs as far as animal products go. I'd still be interested to know what your actual protein target is...like an actual number in grams. As someone else suggested, being 50+ grams under kind of indicates that your protein target may be unnecessarily high...I mean, yeah, it's important...but lately, it's become rather stupid the amounts of protein that are being thrown around and recommended for your average person just trying to do some good work in the gym and be fit and healthy. It's gotten way over the top.
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For comparison, depending on the web resource looked at, I should be taking in anywhere from 80-220 grams of protein daily. Days I lift weights I aim for 150; days I don't lift, I aim for 100+; the main difference between is simply adding a protein shake after my workout on lifting days. I've been quite satisfied with my results. Are they optimum? Probably not, but the point is even though I'm "way under" protein per some sources, I am still doing well in the gym, improving my lifts, looking good in the mirror, and fitting it all into both my financial budget as well as my calorie budget with plenty of room for daily sweets.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »If you're on a budget, it's going to be cheaper to actually buy chicken and other lean meats than protein bars and powders. Supplements tend to be expensive...food tends to be cheaper. It doesn't have to just be chicken either...but as chicken goes, buying a whole chicken to roast is pretty cheap...I primarily eat boneless/skinless chicken thighs which are also pretty cheap. For some reason boneless/skinless chicken breasts are expensive...I don't get it, because chicken breasts suck in terms of flavor and I think it's just about the worst part of the chicken.
When I was flat broke, my primary protein sources were whole chickens, pork chops, ground beef, canned tuna, and eggs as far as animal products go. I'd still be interested to know what your actual protein target is...like an actual number in grams. As someone else suggested, being 50+ grams under kind of indicates that your protein target may be unnecessarily high...I mean, yeah, it's important...but lately, it's become rather stupid the amounts of protein that are being thrown around and recommended for your average person just trying to do some good work in the gym and be fit and healthy. It's gotten way over the top.
I'm trying to get 40% protein from my diet based on tips and stuff I found online, it's definetly getting easier and I'm figuring our what food works for me, I'm actually eating chicken from whole roast chicken for breakfast atm! But I find it fills me up alot more too as I have an issue with snacking its been very beneficial for me. I'm currently trying to get around 140g of protein a day which might be too much but I'm also trying to gain muscle even as a lady !0 -
For comparison, depending on the web resource looked at, I should be taking in anywhere from 80-220 grams of protein daily. Days I lift weights I aim for 150; days I don't lift, I aim for 100+; the main difference between is simply adding a protein shake after my workout on lifting days. I've been quite satisfied with my results. Are they optimum? Probably not, but the point is even though I'm "way under" protein per some sources, I am still doing well in the gym, improving my lifts, looking good in the mirror, and fitting it all into both my financial budget as well as my calorie budget with plenty of room for daily sweets.
That seems like a really good way to measure it! I tend to get around 70g of grams of protein on average so I'm generally trying to increase it especially on weightlifting days0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »If you're on a budget, it's going to be cheaper to actually buy chicken and other lean meats than protein bars and powders. Supplements tend to be expensive...food tends to be cheaper. It doesn't have to just be chicken either...but as chicken goes, buying a whole chicken to roast is pretty cheap...I primarily eat boneless/skinless chicken thighs which are also pretty cheap. For some reason boneless/skinless chicken breasts are expensive...I don't get it, because chicken breasts suck in terms of flavor and I think it's just about the worst part of the chicken.
When I was flat broke, my primary protein sources were whole chickens, pork chops, ground beef, canned tuna, and eggs as far as animal products go. I'd still be interested to know what your actual protein target is...like an actual number in grams. As someone else suggested, being 50+ grams under kind of indicates that your protein target may be unnecessarily high...I mean, yeah, it's important...but lately, it's become rather stupid the amounts of protein that are being thrown around and recommended for your average person just trying to do some good work in the gym and be fit and healthy. It's gotten way over the top.
I'm trying to get 40% protein from my diet based on tips and stuff I found online, it's definetly getting easier and I'm figuring our what food works for me, I'm actually eating chicken from whole roast chicken for breakfast atm! But I find it fills me up alot more too as I have an issue with snacking its been very beneficial for me. I'm currently trying to get around 140g of protein a day which might be too much but I'm also trying to gain muscle even as a lady !
IMO, it's overkill. Generally speaking, 0.6-0.8 grams per Lb of a healthy body weight is very good. For most, 0.8 grams per Lb of a healthy bodyweight is generally going to correspond well to the 1 gram per Lb of lean body mass "rule"...it's just easier because estimating lean mass can be difficult. More than that is really overkill and you're just making expensive glucose...there really isn't any benefit of more. Even then, you're only going to get the benefit of that high of a protein intake if your lifting protocol is also very good....and even then, most average people who have very good lifting programs aren't lifting like bodybuilders.
Protein is important, but male or female, gaining muscle is largely going to come down to how good your programming is and overall diet and calorie intake and then sufficient protein. In general, you're not really going to put on significant muscle in a calorie deficit...if you're dieting, you're in a catabolic state and building muscle is an anabolic process. The people typically eating a gazillion grams of protein to build muscle are also eating in a calorie surplus and have very specific lifting programs to gain muscle...they're not just eating protein and lifting some weights.
In general, Id say you're making things harder on yourself than need be with likely not much to gain from it. For reference, I'm a 199 Lb male and my protein target is 120-140 grams and I build and retain muscle mass just fine.2 -
Tofu!! It’s cheap and an awesome source of protein. I used to be wary of it but I’ve since learned so many different and interesting ways to cook and use it. Check out the baked tofu bites, Chili, and taco crumbles recipes on the recipe blog It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken for starters. Those are some of my favourite and easy recipes for tofu.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »If you're on a budget, it's going to be cheaper to actually buy chicken and other lean meats than protein bars and powders. Supplements tend to be expensive...food tends to be cheaper. It doesn't have to just be chicken either...but as chicken goes, buying a whole chicken to roast is pretty cheap...I primarily eat boneless/skinless chicken thighs which are also pretty cheap. For some reason boneless/skinless chicken breasts are expensive...I don't get it, because chicken breasts suck in terms of flavor and I think it's just about the worst part of the chicken.
When I was flat broke, my primary protein sources were whole chickens, pork chops, ground beef, canned tuna, and eggs as far as animal products go. I'd still be interested to know what your actual protein target is...like an actual number in grams. As someone else suggested, being 50+ grams under kind of indicates that your protein target may be unnecessarily high...I mean, yeah, it's important...but lately, it's become rather stupid the amounts of protein that are being thrown around and recommended for your average person just trying to do some good work in the gym and be fit and healthy. It's gotten way over the top.
I'm trying to get 40% protein from my diet based on tips and stuff I found online, it's definetly getting easier and I'm figuring our what food works for me, I'm actually eating chicken from whole roast chicken for breakfast atm! But I find it fills me up alot more too as I have an issue with snacking its been very beneficial for me. I'm currently trying to get around 140g of protein a day which might be too much but I'm also trying to gain muscle even as a lady !
IMO, it's overkill. Generally speaking, 0.6-0.8 grams per Lb of a healthy body weight is very good. For most, 0.8 grams per Lb of a healthy bodyweight is generally going to correspond well to the 1 gram per Lb of lean body mass "rule"...it's just easier because estimating lean mass can be difficult. More than that is really overkill and you're just making expensive glucose...there really isn't any benefit of more. Even then, you're only going to get the benefit of that high of a protein intake if your lifting protocol is also very good....and even then, most average people who have very good lifting programs aren't lifting like bodybuilders.
Protein is important, but male or female, gaining muscle is largely going to come down to how good your programming is and overall diet and calorie intake and then sufficient protein. In general, you're not really going to put on significant muscle in a calorie deficit...if you're dieting, you're in a catabolic state and building muscle is an anabolic process. The people typically eating a gazillion grams of protein to build muscle are also eating in a calorie surplus and have very specific lifting programs to gain muscle...they're not just eating protein and lifting some weights.
In general, Id say you're making things harder on yourself than need be with likely not much to gain from it. For reference, I'm a 199 Lb male and my protein target is 120-140 grams and I build and retain muscle mass just fine.
I agree with this.
I'm not a lady, necessarily 😉; but I am a woman and always have been, and I like staying strong/active.
At 5'5", and a narrow build, mid-120s pounds (where I am now, in maintenance) is a good weight for me. I shoot for 100g protein as a daily minimum, don't seem to have a problem athletically at that level (been there for 6+ years now) despite being old (we need more, I'm 66) and vegetarian (so it's good to get extra).
It was a little lower when I was losing (fewer calories to spend), but usually in the high 80s to 90s grams. I figure I have something in the 90s pounds of lean mass, probably low 90s, but I don't have a reliable precise estimate, that's just ballpark.
This is another source you could check out, research based and generally regarded as neutral (i.e., they don't sell supplements):
https://examine.com/nutrition/protein-intake-calculator/
and its background/explanation:
https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/
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cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »If you're on a budget, it's going to be cheaper to actually buy chicken and other lean meats than protein bars and powders. Supplements tend to be expensive...food tends to be cheaper. It doesn't have to just be chicken either...but as chicken goes, buying a whole chicken to roast is pretty cheap...I primarily eat boneless/skinless chicken thighs which are also pretty cheap. For some reason boneless/skinless chicken breasts are expensive...I don't get it, because chicken breasts suck in terms of flavor and I think it's just about the worst part of the chicken.
When I was flat broke, my primary protein sources were whole chickens, pork chops, ground beef, canned tuna, and eggs as far as animal products go. I'd still be interested to know what your actual protein target is...like an actual number in grams. As someone else suggested, being 50+ grams under kind of indicates that your protein target may be unnecessarily high...I mean, yeah, it's important...but lately, it's become rather stupid the amounts of protein that are being thrown around and recommended for your average person just trying to do some good work in the gym and be fit and healthy. It's gotten way over the top.
I'm trying to get 40% protein from my diet based on tips and stuff I found online, it's definetly getting easier and I'm figuring our what food works for me, I'm actually eating chicken from whole roast chicken for breakfast atm! But I find it fills me up alot more too as I have an issue with snacking its been very beneficial for me. I'm currently trying to get around 140g of protein a day which might be too much but I'm also trying to gain muscle even as a lady !
IMO, it's overkill. Generally speaking, 0.6-0.8 grams per Lb of a healthy body weight is very good. For most, 0.8 grams per Lb of a healthy bodyweight is generally going to correspond well to the 1 gram per Lb of lean body mass "rule"...it's just easier because estimating lean mass can be difficult. More than that is really overkill and you're just making expensive glucose...there really isn't any benefit of more. Even then, you're only going to get the benefit of that high of a protein intake if your lifting protocol is also very good....and even then, most average people who have very good lifting programs aren't lifting like bodybuilders.
Protein is important, but male or female, gaining muscle is largely going to come down to how good your programming is and overall diet and calorie intake and then sufficient protein. In general, you're not really going to put on significant muscle in a calorie deficit...if you're dieting, you're in a catabolic state and building muscle is an anabolic process. The people typically eating a gazillion grams of protein to build muscle are also eating in a calorie surplus and have very specific lifting programs to gain muscle...they're not just eating protein and lifting some weights.
In general, Id say you're making things harder on yourself than need be with likely not much to gain from it. For reference, I'm a 199 Lb male and my protein target is 120-140 grams and I build and retain muscle mass just fine.
I am trying to lose also at the moment so I'm eating around 1700 calories and now finally able to get around 80-100 grams of protein a day. I am still trying to build up my weightlifting routine but I am able to do it longer and longer. I am mostly trying to focus on it as it motivates me to think about food in the sense of macros instead of just calories. I am around 188 lbs at the moment so using the 0.8 grams x lbs = 150g1 -
At the advice of both trainer and dietician, I shoot for 200gr a day. In truth, I average about 165 a day or so.
I know that’s hella above RDA, but it works for me.
My diary is open, if you need ideas.
I eat a lot of chicken breast, which (thankfully) I love, but I also eat deli type hams, prosciutto and coppa. On gym days I’ll have two lunches, one before and one after. A “real” one, and a very light one of slice of bread with a serving of ham and some zero cal mayo.
I tried flavored whey powders three times and end up giving the containers to random people at the gym. They taste chalky and nasty to me no matter how I try to disguise them.
Instead, I find other places to use whey products.
I make homemade skyr (store bought is so dang expensive!). A batch typically yields two quarts of liquid whey. I add that to homemade breads, pancakes, in lieu of water in sugar free puddings, smoothies or homemade ice creams. Liquid whey in baked goods is like leveling up! Whey + baking soda (or salt) makes them super light and fluffy.
Skyr is high protein. I use it to make my own low cal homemade ice cream mixes, and use it in some recipes to bake with.
I have a crazy but delicious cake-batter pancake recipe that among other ingredients, includes liquid whey, plain whey powder (I like Bobs and Naked), eggs and egg whites, and a couple cups of cottage cheese. All are high protein. Red velvet and devils food are the best.
I put cream cheese on my pancakes instead of syrup. More protein.
Cottage cheese with fruit, balsamic and a light sprinkle of grape nuts is my afternoon treat.
Nugo makes very very tasty protein bars, and I’ve learnt to like the Costco Kirkland brand, which are very high protein and actually do (with a little imagination) taste like cookie dough (a particular binge weakness if you look at my diary).
Lunches are usually leftover steak, taco chicken, chopped grilled chicken rolled in wraps or over a giant, filling salad.
Even roasted edamame in salads can pop in a few grams of protein.
Today I’ll be supplementing lunch with an amazing, oil free, chickpea and carrot salad from a local Colombian restaurant. It was a side with dinner last night and was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I asked for a cup to take home. I’m going to carefully dissect it , give it the sniff test etc, to see if I can figure out what’s in it. I’ve spent an hour googling and can’t find anything like it online. That will be 16gr right there.
Speaking of chickpeas, there’s a lovely four ingredient Mediterranean flatbread called socca, made from chickpea flour. High protein there, too. Takes a couple minutes to blend, thirty for the batter to rest, and about three under a broiler to cook to crispy edged perfection.
There’s so many opportunities for adding protein if you are simply conscious.
Let it be a game instead of a worrying point.1 -
PS one of my friends just posted a recipe for a smoothie made from silken tofu, coffee, ice and some sweetener. (She used brown sugar, but I keep an arsenal of Jordan’s zero cal syrup flavors on hand.)
That’s potentially a nice smoothie for about 100 calories.
I’m buying some today to test it out. As soon as it’s not 21 degrees here. Brrrr…..1 -
springlering62 wrote: »At the advice of both trainer and dietician, I shoot for 200gr a day. In truth, I average about 165 a day or so.
I know that’s hella above RDA, but it works for me.
My diary is open, if you need ideas.
I eat a lot of chicken breast, which (thankfully) I love, but I also eat deli type hams, prosciutto and coppa. On gym days I’ll have two lunches, one before and one after. A “real” one, and a very light one of slice of bread with a serving of ham and some zero cal mayo.
I tried flavored whey powders three times and end up giving the containers to random people at the gym. They taste chalky and nasty to me no matter how I try to disguise them.
Instead, I find other places to use whey products.
I make homemade skyr (store bought is so dang expensive!). A batch typically yields two quarts of liquid whey. I add that to homemade breads, pancakes, in lieu of water in sugar free puddings, smoothies or homemade ice creams. Liquid whey in baked goods is like leveling up! Whey + baking soda (or salt) makes them super light and fluffy.
Skyr is high protein. I use it to make my own low cal homemade ice cream mixes, and use it in some recipes to bake with.
I have a crazy but delicious cake-batter pancake recipe that among other ingredients, includes liquid whey, plain whey powder (I like Bobs and Naked), eggs and egg whites, and a couple cups of cottage cheese. All are high protein. Red velvet and devils food are the best.
I put cream cheese on my pancakes instead of syrup. More protein.
Cottage cheese with fruit, balsamic and a light sprinkle of grape nuts is my afternoon treat.
Nugo makes very very tasty protein bars, and I’ve learnt to like the Costco Kirkland brand, which are very high protein and actually do (with a little imagination) taste like cookie dough (a particular binge weakness if you look at my diary).
Lunches are usually leftover steak, taco chicken, chopped grilled chicken rolled in wraps or over a giant, filling salad.
Even roasted edamame in salads can pop in a few grams of protein.
Today I’ll be supplementing lunch with an amazing, oil free, chickpea and carrot salad from a local Colombian restaurant. It was a side with dinner last night and was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I asked for a cup to take home. I’m going to carefully dissect it , give it the sniff test etc, to see if I can figure out what’s in it. I’ve spent an hour googling and can’t find anything like it online. That will be 16gr right there.
Speaking of chickpeas, there’s a lovely four ingredient Mediterranean flatbread called socca, made from chickpea flour. High protein there, too. Takes a couple minutes to blend, thirty for the batter to rest, and about three under a broiler to cook to crispy edged perfection.
There’s so many opportunities for adding protein if you are simply conscious.
Let it be a game instead of a worrying point.
That sounds amazing !! Would love to get some inspiration from your diary 😍 I have sent you a friend request!0 -
springlering62 wrote: »PS one of my friends just posted a recipe for a smoothie made from silken tofu, coffee, ice and some sweetener. (She used brown sugar, but I keep an arsenal of Jordan’s zero cal syrup flavors on hand.)
That’s potentially a nice smoothie for about 100 calories.
I’m buying some today to test it out. As soon as it’s not 21 degrees here. Brrrr…..
My main issue is if I need to buy tofu for something like smoothies I think it will get a bit too expensive for me personally0 -
Do you have an Aldi or Lidl near you? The quality of Lidl products has been outstanding. Their Greek yogurt is less than $2 for a large tub.
You could also try making your own yogurt or kefir to cut expenses. It’s super easy to do. It’s kind of like sourdough. You use a little of the last batch to be the starter for the next one.
With homemade yogurt, you get liquid whey as a byproduct. It’s good in smoothies and fantastic in baked goods, including bread.
I make pudding with Greek yogurt, a little water, and sugar free instant pudding mix. It’s lovely. Tastes like mousse and very filling. My favorites are lemon (yum!!!!!), and vanilla mixed with a can of pumpkin purée and some pie seasoning. Tastes like the center of a pumpkin pie.
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Lidl also sells pound containers of store brand uncured deli ham (50 calories/56gr serving) for half what Publix and Kroger sells it for, and they’ve started carrying Oscar Mayer deli cut turkey (same cals as the ham) for a good price.
They also have some pretty fabulous chicken sausage (high protein/low cal) that is often on sale, occasionally even BOGO. I’m using their andouille chicken sausage in some red beans next week. I just made a great tomato soup with slices of their Italian chicken.0
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