Having a hard time getting the protein in. Tips?

funkycamper

I'm not a big meat eater. I find it really hard to just eat a piece of meat without hiding it in a casserole, between bread, etc. However, I'm a Type 2 Diabetic and really have to watch my carb intake so pastas, rice, potatoes, and bread are things I try to avoid or minimize. I might have an open-face sandwich once in awhile using whole-grain bread. (I do not avoid vegetable carbs except potatoes, fyi.) Also, don't need the calories from those types of foods. I'm rambling....

I do eat eggs but I can get burned out on them and need a break once in awhile. I do eat cheese but not massive amounts due to the calorie density.

I just need some tips, some inspiration. Hoping for some ideas. Thanks!

Acg67

what about fish, beans, protein shakes etc?

Bri_and_Oli_Mum

do you eat chicken? What about chocolate milk, I have heard that is great.

Karabobarra

Two of my most favorite things I have added to my diet since I started mfp are also good for some protein, lentil soup and pumpkin seeds. They are not as high in protein as meat but enough to make a difference. I also had a hard time getting protein in as I am allergic to dairy and soy, and I don't eat fish and I'm not a big fan of red meat.

Hope this helps
Kara

Enforcer25

Here is a list of foods too. The protien shakes are great. I like optimum nutrition they make a very good tasting chocolate that mixes very easily in milk and tastes great.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/highproteinfood.htm

Good luck.

aippolito1

eggs
greek yogurt
whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc.)
peanut butter
nuts
seeds

add these to as many things as possible.

atsteele

eggs
greek yogurt
whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc.)
peanut butter
nuts
seeds

add these to as many things as possible.

This a good list, especially greek yogurt which can have as much as 15 g of protein. An egg only has 6 g protein. Same for nuts and peanut butter. But when you add it up over the course of a day, you will be suprised how much protein you can get from sources other than meat. Another favorite source of mine is using Barilla Plus pastas which also has 10 grams of protein per serving. I supplement sometimes with protein bars, but as you probably already know, many of them are high in sugars.

jennarandhayes

I think that all of my ideas have been mentioned, but I eat loads of beans (veggie chili, bean burritos, black beans in couscous-with mango,yum!, white beans with green beans and garlic, etc.), natural peanut butter on rice cakes or banana, low fat cheese, greek yogurt, and avocado.

atsteele

I forgot to add quinoa and coucous which have 6g and 8g of protein per serving, respectively.

ShelleyLynne4

Sounds like you've had some great replies. I am a vegetarian and there is a store in the back of the Seventh Day Adventist book store here that has vegetarian foods with alot of protein in them. You just have to watch the sodium in them as well. See if you have something like that in your area. It helps alot.

funkycamper

Thanks for the great ideas, everybody. I think some of these tips will be a big help. There were foods items listed I never thought about.

bllowry

I'm also a diabetic (for now) and my nutritionist recommended protein shakes, greek yougurt, whole grain everything and eating a few vegetarian meals a week, which it sounds like you're all ready doing. As a diabetic you need 3-4 units of carbs each meal (1 unit=15 gr) to keep your blood glucose levels stable and I found eating my carbs with a bit of protein prevents spikes. Good luck on managing your glucose levels. I've set getting off all meds as my goal, and I've been able to stop one all ready.

recesq

I know you said you're not crazy about eggs, but egg whites are a pure protein food source. Try mixing with spinach and feta.

I also agree about the low carb protein shakes. I use vanilla powder and toss in spinach, ice cubes, water, a little half and half-low carb-and sometimes a little bit of apple or other low sugar fruit. And when you crave chocolate, the chocolate powders made w/ half and half and water and ice are great too.

Try fish-tuna especially. I think the shakes work really well when you are just tired of meat.

Hope this helps.

jennarandhayes

Edamame is great for snacking on and you can carry it around with you for a quick fix. You can buy it fresh or frozen.

shannon_stallone

I forgot to add quinoa and coucous which have 6g and 8g of protein per serving, respectively.

I love quinoa!

funkycamper

I'm also a diabetic (for now) and my nutritionist recommended protein shakes, greek yougurt, whole grain everything and eating a few vegetarian meals a week, which it sounds like you're all ready doing. As a diabetic you need 3-4 units of carbs each meal (1 unit=15 gr) to keep your blood glucose levels stable and I found eating my carbs with a bit of protein prevents spikes. Good luck on managing your glucose levels. I've set getting off all meds as my goal, and I've been able to stop one all ready.

I'm not on any meds anymore. Only needed them when I was eating higher carb. I find that I do better on a lower-carb diet than you're suggesting. My BG levels are more stable and I feel more energetic and think more clearly. While I will occasionally have a slice of whole-grain bread with an open face sandwich, I generally avoid starches and get my carbs from veggies and an occasional fruit. Oh, and an occasional splurge on a higher-carb soup like clam chowder because I couldn't live without it once and awhile. If I ate 15grams carb per meal, I would have to go back on meds.

dreamerBBC

brotein powder

Rae6503

How about low carb wraps instead of sandwiches?

funkycamper

I know you said you're not crazy about eggs, but egg whites are a pure protein food source. Try mixing with spinach and feta.

I also agree about the low carb protein shakes. I use vanilla powder and toss in spinach, ice cubes, water, a little half and half-low carb-and sometimes a little bit of apple or other low sugar fruit. And when you crave chocolate, the chocolate powders made w/ half and half and water and ice are great too.

Try fish-tuna especially. I think the shakes work really well when you are just tired of meat.

Hope this helps.

It''s the whites that I have a hard time with. I do like eggs and eat them a lot, just get tired of them. If I fry an egg, I can typically only eat about half the whites. My dog loves that as she gets the rest of the white. The only ways I can eat all the white without starting to want to gag a bit are when they're chopped up fine in an egg salad, a hard-boiled egg is thinly sliced and used as a garnish (like in a salad), scrambled or in an omelet or frittata. I eat at least 18-20 eggs per week now, sometimes more, so I'm looking for something besides eggs.

I like tuna. We home can our own. So I should probably eat more of it but then I'd have to change to store-bought as my home-canned supply wouldn't last and the store-bought just isn't as good. But, in a pinch, that would work.

I haven't actually made any protein shakes yet but I have bought a few pre-mixed protein drinks. Not bad so I think I'm going to experiment with protein shakes to help keep my protein levels up.

Thanks..

funkycamper

Edamame is great for snacking on and you can carry it around with you for a quick fix. You can buy it fresh or frozen.

Interesting idea. I've had it in salads and mixed in other meals but have never thought to just snack on it. Isn't it rather tasteless? Well, I'll give it a try and see.

funkycamper

How about low carb wraps instead of sandwiches?

I do wraps once in awhile. I just keep them to occasional use like I do with whole-grain bread as I'm not fond of the low-carb variety. Strange texture. Quite often, I'll just use a big lettuce leaf to wrap my sandwich innards in. Yummy and low carb.