I need help with finding more protein options

yungibear

Hi everyone! I have been working on my eating habits on MFP for a little over a month now. Lately, I've been wanting to start working on my macros and hitting my goals. It seems like I tend to have more carbs and fats and too little protein (I'm still working on planning my "treats" into my days). The problem is, the only proteins I know of so far are various kinds of meats. Although I used to live alone and cook for myself, I now live at home with my family and I commute to my university. My mother is in charge of making dinner (which also becomes my lunch for the next day). This means I have little control over these two meals.

Could I get some help in increasing my protein intake for breakfast and snacks? I'd like to avoid proteins that are high in fats as I'm already having trouble staying within my daily goal. Something I've been trying out is jerky and I found it's been helping me curb my hunger throughout the day.

I'm Chinese-American, so it'll be hard for me (probably impossible) to do a rice replacement like lentils or beans. I have been reducing the amount of rice I eat during my meals so I can have more veggies and meats. My diary is public and open for anyone to see, so any suggestions will be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

bridgie101

this thing calculates a lot of protein for you. Anything over 50 is fine.

Try this...

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/#results

fill it in, and then look at the different systems they use: miffin st jeor and harris benedict are the two options without getting out the callipers and you can see they give you different protein quotas.

But the point is that MFP is a basic, not very sophisticated thing and the scooby workshop site is a way better way to go.

editing: i think I might be in the wrong: it's saying 41 g protein but I'm not sure if that's for every meal or not.

I give up. ignore me!

pandafoo

I'm trying to fit in more proteins too. On top of meats like steak or fish, other sources of protein I usually eat are eggs, cheese, milk, nuts, tofu, and beans.

Some of these items such as nuts are high-fat, but usually they have the good kinds of fats and if you eat in moderation, it will be fine. For example, 1/4 cup of nuts is the recommended serving size, and I portion them out before eating. Because of the fat content, they will also keep you fuller for longer (compared to eating just fruits as a snack which will get digested rapidly), which usually means you will eat less throughout the day.

For breakfast, I usually eat scrambled eggs or a smoothie made of almond milk, frozen banana, tbls peanut butter, some cocoa powder, and raw unsweetened coconut flakes. For snacks, I'd advise eating a carb with a protein/fat source to help delay digestion, such as: apple slices with cheddar cheese, grapes and nuts, banana with peanut butter, etc.

I hope this helps!

salgalruns

I am always WAY over on protein! My day: egg whites (2/3 c daily) for breakfast for me, lunch will usually have 4 oz of turkey or chicken, dinner is the same but usually 5-6 oz. I have a Quest Nutrition bar most afternoons (there's about 20-21g of protein in each and they range from 160-200 calls), and may have a protein shake after a workout.

I DO have carbs as well, but have those in the morning mostly - 1/2 c oatmeal for breakfast or some fruit on occasion. I also put some (not much) dried fruit on my salad at lunch. I may have things like almonds (unsalted), almond butter (I have a hard time portion controlling this), and some cheese (this has decreased tremendously lately) can be added in, but all of those are higher in fat, so I don't do them often.

My meals are very similar - a LOT of steamed veggies (no oil or butter) with whatever protein I listed above. Lunch tends to be a colder salad with the chicken or turkey heated. I prep 2 lunches at a time in advance which helps. I also prep the protein and then just store it in a container in the frig - the turkey or chicken really only needs to be there for about 2-3 days before I go through it anyhow, so it's fine. I keep the Quest Bars in my car as I eat those after work on my way to the gym or to training - pre workout protein. For the protein shake (which I don't always have - only if I'm not having dinner right after my workout), I put a blender cup in my gym bag with the scoop of powder in in already then add water when I need it.

Hope that helps!

KarenJanine

Eggs / egg whites
Green vegetables like broccoli
Peas
Milk
Cheese (eg Cottage cheese if you're trying to keep fats down)
Tuna
Seafood / Shellfish
Tofu / soya beans / soya 'meats'
Quorn
Chicken / turkey
Whey powder

nat3rd

I've been researching today as I have the same issue. I came across this website which I found really helpful: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-highest-in-protein.php

I would also recommend protein bars and protein shakes to ensure you hit your macros without exceeding your daily calorie goal.

yungibear

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I'll definitely give some of these a try and perhaps get a little creative when putting together my snacks! Until I can go shopping on the weekend, it'll be eggs, milk, and meat, ahahah!

maybabier

You're chinese? Ask your mom to make you tendon stew. Just look at the protein count on beef tendon, it's ridiculous.

Breakfast: eggs, bacon, ground bison to make scramble, spinach
Lunch/Dinner: chicken breast, turkey, white fish, shrimp, egg, mix your rice with quinoa (not that much protein in quinoa, you're better off just eating a small portion of rice or none at all)
Others: whey powder, almonds

seismicmuffin

http://greatist.com/health/high-protein-snacks-portable

I have this site bookmarked for when I need to look up a quick protein snack.

yungibear

You're chinese? Ask your mom to make you tendon stew. Just look at the protein count on beef tendon, it's ridiculous.

Breakfast: eggs, bacon, ground bison to make scramble, spinach
Lunch/Dinner: chicken breast, turkey, white fish, shrimp, egg, mix your rice with quinoa (not that much protein in quinoa, you're better off just eating a small portion of rice or none at all)
Others: whey powder, almonds

Oh dang, I had beef tendon maybe 3 weeks ago? I didn't care too much about protein at that time so I'm going to go back and check what my protein levels were like that day. Thanks!

arl1286

I'm a vegetarian, so I get all of my protein from non-meat sources. Feel free to add me and/or browse my diary for suggestions.