High protein but low fat foods

junkmail4379

Hello,

I'm looking for some high protein foods that are low in fats. It's really hard meeting my macro goals particularly with protein as almost everything I eat that is high in protein is also high in fat. The result is I tend to overshoot my fat goals in order to meet my protein goal. What I need is a list of high protein but low fat foods. Does anyone have any suggestions?

tomcustombuilder

Skinless chicken breast. I cook em in an air fryer after brining. They go in tacos and so many other dishes. I think I’ve sprouted feathers from eating so much over the years. Flank steak is another good one….

Oatmeal in the morning with a scoop of protein powder in it is a good way to start the day also.

AnnPT77

This thread links to a spreadsheet that lists many, many foods in order by protein/calorie efficiency, i.e., most protein for fewest calories:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

That will inherently prioritize foods that are relatively high in protein, relatively lower in any other macro (or alcohol, for that matter ). Find foods on that spreadsheet that you like, eat them in place of something you eat now that's a less calorie-efficient protein source.

You might also consider prioritizing sides, snacks, breads, etc., that are a little higher in protein than your current choices, if you're very short on protein. Those smaller amounts add up across a day.

Keep chipping away at remodeling your eating in that way, you should be able to reach any reasonable protein goal.

Some people have an unnecessarily high protein goal. For example, if you're overweight, but got your protein goal from some site that recommends 1g or thereabouts per pound of bodyweight (as some bodybuilding sites will do), use your healthy goal weight as the base, not your overweight bodyweight.

Assuming you're an omnivore, and you got your protein goal from the MFP default macro split, it should be achievable to hit your protein goal. (But a more nuanced protein goal in grams rather than percents is a good idea.)

Best wishes!

dustintheskies

Fage Plain non-fat greek yogurt: 90 calories: 5g carb, 0g fat, 18g protein
Walmart Great value plain non-fat greek yogurt: 100 calories, 7g carb, 0g fat, 17g protein

This was a game changer for meeting my protein goals. Much easier to eat and add to meals vs chicken breast/tuna. No prep, no cook.

I add vanilla protein powder to sweeten it up and up the protein even more and top off with frozen raspberries.

kshama2001

junkmail4379 wrote: »

Hello,

I'm looking for some high protein foods that are low in fats. It's really hard meeting my macro goals particularly with protein as almost everything I eat that is high in protein is also high in fat. The result is I tend to overshoot my fat goals in order to meet my protein goal. What I need is a list of high protein but low fat foods. Does anyone have any suggestions?

The link to the list Ann provided is a good one. My personal go-to's are chicken breast, fat-free cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt.

As we do see a lot of people here with unnecessarily high protein goals, I am also curious as to what yours is.

Here's a reputable protein calculator:

https://examine.com/nutrition/protein-intake-calculator/

I shoot for 500 calories of exercise per day, and when I achieve that, using the MFP default of 20% protein aligns with the protein recommendation from examine. If I were completely sedentary, I'd need to bump it up to 30%.

cwolfman13

Any lean meat, poultry, or fish. Non or low-fat Greek yogurt, etc. I eat quite a bit of fish...mostly shrimp, cod, tuna, and salmon. After that would be boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I don't really do breasts). After that for me is pork tenderloin which is cheap and provides for a whole mess of food and leftovers. Save for grilling my own burgers I eat beef pretty sparingly as it is, 1) expensive; and 2) I really prefer fatty cuts so it tends to be more of a special treat.

I round things out with things like eggs...I pretty much eat them daily and they are also a good source of healthy fats and beneficial vitamins and minerals, Greek yogurt, jerky, and stuff like that. Beware of what amount to marketing gimmicks for things like nuts which often market as a good source of protein, but they're really a good source of healthy fats with some protein.

Beyond that, going over your macros or hitting your macros bang on doesn't really matter at all.

junkmail4379

Thanks for all the info everyone. This is plenty!

kshama, my protein goal without workouts is 171g/day. I'm on a fat loss / muscle building routine. I'm a 46 yr old 5'9" male and weight roughly 200lb. My trainer thinks 171g is reasonable for my goals and my makeup.

psuLemon

junkmail4379 wrote: »

Thanks for all the info everyone. This is plenty!

kshama, my protein goal without workouts is 171g/day. I'm on a fat loss / muscle building routine. I'm a 46 yr old 5'9" male and weight roughly 200lb. My trainer thinks 171g is reasonable for my goals and my makeup.

That is likely overkill given you probably only have 120-140lbs of lean mass. The recommendation is .7-1g/lb of lbm. Also, are you going on stage? If not, carbs vs fat is not a huge concern during fat loss or recomp.