Upping protein without shakes...Help a girl out, will ya? :)

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  • Hjdavenport
    Hjdavenport Posts: 21
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    Roasted edamame beans are a great snack! To me they taste a lot like peanuts, and they have 14g of protein in 1/4 cup.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I'm trying to hit around 160g of protein a day and not go above 45g fat...

    In a similar place.

    Roasted chicken thighs (skin peels right off). Tuna. Extra-lean ground beef into a crockpot for six hours with whatever vegetables/starches happen to be laying around. Stir-fry beef/pork cubes w/ assorted vegetables.
  • rbear713
    rbear713 Posts: 220 Member
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    OMG FISH!!!! Pinto Beans, Black Beans, Quinoa.

    AND how about tryin Muscle Milk? 25g protein. 3g sugar. YUMMMM
  • Buckeyt
    Buckeyt Posts: 473 Member
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    As exciting as it is, Chicken Breast. It is almost entirely protein so it doesn't really mess with your other macros.

    Don't buy the hype about nuts and protein. YEs they have protein but as a % of the calories they are a poor source.
  • FrauHaas2013
    FrauHaas2013 Posts: 615 Member
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    Beef jerky!!!
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    I had a killer pumpkin smoothie this morning. 0% fat Greek Yogurt, pumpkin puree, honey, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ice. 17g protein, mmmmmm :D

    omg i'm going to try this - i need to up my protein as well and am not a fan of protein shakes
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    Breakfast- I think that everyone forgets the oatmeal has protein b/c it also contains carbs... I like it mixed with some yogurt & fresh fruit.

    Snack- low sodium beef jerky

    Lunch- Throw some tuna (or chicken breast) on a salad. Add another chopped hard boiled egg white and some low fat cheese. Top with red wine vinegar & turkey bacon crumbles (I cook turkey bacon in the microwave for 2 minutes and it gets really crispy and easy to crumble)

    Dinner- Hunk of meat with sides... Quinoa, mung beans and black bean pasta all have a decent dose of protein and fiber.

    I'm at pretty much the same numbers as you for protein & fats... I use 1 shake a day. 2 when I'm lifting. I don't have time to make a formal breakfast when I get up so I have a protein shake with unsweetened almond milk, strawberries, and some flax. I honestly don't see the harm in shakes, they've helped me immensely.
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
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    I'm in the same spot! Need to really up my protein but I'm willing to use shakes ... the organic Nutiva Hempshakes taste really good (if eaten immediately upon blending).

    http://www.nutivahempshake.com/

    I've also been roasting whole organic/free range chickens every weekend to eat throughout the week (I reeeeeally don't like eating meat or fish from a can). I add low fat dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese) and nuts. Even the smaller amounts like 4 or 5 grams really add up, but I have to get 40g PER MEAL! While keeping my net calories for the day under 1500. hmmm ...

    Also, fish and shellfish have been a salvation on the protein. I'm going to stock up on shrimp!
  • jedigrover
    jedigrover Posts: 21 Member
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    Personally, as a paleo guy, I don't mind the fat. In fact, it helps me. But I also only do uncured bacon (it's not the fat that concerns me, it's all the added nitrates & nitrites).

    But if you want to up protein without much fat & you don't want to do powders/shakes, then your best bets are:

    1) Chicken breast, skin removed, roasted or grilled. Mostly protein, little fat, no carbs.
    2) Salmon steak
    3) Egg Whites. Hard boil eggs and scoop out the yolk if you are concerned with the fat and/or cholesterol.
    4) Legumes. Soak overnight before cooking to get rid of some of the lectins and phytic acid. OK sources of protein, but really are more of a carb source than a protein source. Might throw off your macros if you lean on them too heavily.

    If you can make your own beef jerky (so that it's not filled with preservatives), then that is also a nice "snacky" thing to use.
    Other snack: Pistachios. Lower fat & more fiber than most nuts, still decent protein, taste great.
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
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    Egg whites, shrimp, skinless/boneless chicken breast. All are almost all protein.
  • hottamolly00
    hottamolly00 Posts: 334 Member
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    I love me some dried/roasted edamame. 11 grams of protein for 1 oz serving. It's a good replacement for chips when you want something crunchy/salty. Mmmmmmm!
  • lorigem
    lorigem Posts: 446 Member
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    My 2 go-to snacks packed with protein:

    Greek Yogurt, some kind of fruit, granola and 1/2 scoop protein powder = approx 40-50 grams of protein (look at my diary for the other macros)

    Cottage cheese, fruit = 11 grams of protein

    Yummy in my tummy!
  • hottamolly00
    hottamolly00 Posts: 334 Member
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    Personally, as a paleo guy, I don't mind the fat. In fact, it helps me. But I also only do uncured bacon (it's not the fat that concerns me, it's all the added nitrates & nitrites).

    But if you want to up protein without much fat & you don't want to do powders/shakes, then your best bets are:

    1) Chicken breast, skin removed, roasted or grilled. Mostly protein, little fat, no carbs.
    2) Salmon steak
    3) Egg Whites. Hard boil eggs and scoop out the yolk if you are concerned with the fat and/or cholesterol.
    4) Legumes. Soak overnight before cooking to get rid of some of the lectins and phytic acid. OK sources of protein, but really are more of a carb source than a protein source. Might throw off your macros if you lean on them too heavily.

    If you can make your own beef jerky (so that it's not filled with preservatives), then that is also a nice "snacky" thing to use.
    Other snack: Pistachios. Lower fat & more fiber than most nuts, still decent protein, taste great.

    I heard legumes aren't Paleo. Am I wrong? I want to do paleo, but realistically with my lifestyle, I can't do it 100%. Correct me if I'm wrong, though!
  • running_shoe
    running_shoe Posts: 180 Member
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    I didn't want to resort to protein shakes, either. I really would prefer to eat real food. However, even to get my protein up over 100, I found I had to eat protein every time I put something in my mouth and I was not enjoying it and eating way too much dairy. I found a vegan protein powder that I don't hate and it gives me the push over the line I need. Yup, I gave in....
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
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    bump for the great ideas
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    My goals are 100+ protein and 45+ fat and I usually have chicken with lunch and dinner. I just don't really like beef much :P
    Chicken meatballs, chicken breasts, chicken thighs. In soup, with peppers and onions, in quesadillas, with green beans and carrots, etc. I'm not a fan of egg white omelets but I do love omelets, quiche, and egg sammies :)

    (But I also use myofusion banana perfection a few times per week, sometimes baked into mini peanut butter banana muffins ;))
  • aggieanne04
    aggieanne04 Posts: 71 Member
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    Tuna, oatmeal, whole grain bread, deli meats (I'm partial to the oven-roasted turkey 98% fat free kind), cheese (but I know that doesn't help with your fat grams...), skim milk, Greek yogurt (Chobani nonfat has 11.5g protein per 1/2 cup), nonfat cottage cheese (13g protein per 1/2 cup), navy beans (8g per 1/4 cup dry), black beans (12g per 1/4 cup dry), lentils (10g per 1/4 cup dry), whole wheat pasta, quinoa, couscous, lean beef/chicken/pork...

    I like putting in beans to my scrambled eggs in the mornings. Also, tuna or shredded chicken with boiled eggs, Greek yogurt (instead of mayo), and navy beans gives a nice chunk of protein atop a lettuce salad.

    I know you said you weren't a fan of protein shakes, but the AdvoCare ones are really good, IMO. :)

    ETA: Make dip out of Greek yogurt to eat with veggies- I mix 2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt with a packet of Ranch dressing.
  • StacyReneO
    StacyReneO Posts: 317 Member
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    I am not big on protein shakes, but once in a while (maybe 1x a week) I will have a Vega shake to up my protein levels. I also like Quest bars. Other than that, I keep high protein deli meats in the fridge at work and just snack on those - roast beef, ham, salami. I snack sized can of tuna also packs a lot of protein,
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Higher protein snacks:
    Beef jerky, lunch meat, CHEESE, milk, yogurt, hummus, soup, sandwiches, hard boiled eggs.
  • Vini9
    Vini9 Posts: 343 Member
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    For me I use fage plain Greek yogurt 0% fat. it has 23g protein in a cup. I add nuts to it, sometimes honey to sweeten it. Light string cheese low cals and fat. Regular cheese, turkey jerky, tuna on crackers, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese (you can do so much with cottage cheese when blended) nut butters, and a new favorite if mine is Quest bars. They come in all natural flavors. Personally I have shakes too. I find it gets to be really expensive when buying all that food. So I do both, somedays a shake, somedays not. I am not the type to eat the same thing everyday. I do mostly hit 160g of protein a day. Also fish like Maui, or haddock has a mild flavor and goes good on salads. Everyone has really good suggestions. You'll get there it does take some getting used to and for my hubby it makes him gasy but not me. :) good luck op!

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