Getting protein without all the other stuff
fmbomzo
Posts: 382 Member
I'm not a big meat eater. How do I get even close to my protein macro without going over in sodium and fat? My diary is open. I know cutting out the processed foods will help lower the sodium, but I struggle regularly with getting enough protein. I even added some protein shakes (approx 15 g per serving), but they add a lot of carbs because of the fruit in them. And I don't do sugar substitutes.
What's a girl to do?
What's a girl to do?
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Replies
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Could you add some soft tofu or Greek yogurt to your smoothie? Sodium would be minimal this way. May need to check brands of tofu to determine if fat % varies much. You could buy 0% fat yogurt. Here's facts I found for general soft tofu.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (1/2" cubes) (248.0 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 151Calories from Fat 82
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9.2g14%
Saturated Fat 1.3g7%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.2g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 20mg1%
Total Carbohydrates 4.5g1%
Dietary Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugars 1.7g
Protein 16.2g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 28% • Iron 15%
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet0 -
Cottage cheese also seems to be a good choice if you can find a low sodium one. For example,
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 20Calories 163
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 2.26g 3%
Saturated Fat 1.428g 7%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.07g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.642g
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 29mg 1%
Potassium 194mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.1g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 6.1g
Protein 28.02g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 14% Iron 2%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18
I have never liked cottage cheese so never eat it, but might try it now. Anyone have ideas for jazzing it up?
How about Edamame??
I love these but usually with put salt or a garlic marinade on them. You could add the unshelled beans to salads.
Generic - Edamame Beans
Servings:
Calories 150 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 12 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 13 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 12 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 15 g
Trans 0 g Protein 24 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Vitamin A 0% Calcium 4%
Vitamin C 4% Iron 8%0 -
Cottage cheese also seems to be a good choice if you can find a low sodium one. For example,
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 20Calories 163
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 2.26g 3%
Saturated Fat 1.428g 7%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.07g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.642g
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 29mg 1%
Potassium 194mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.1g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 6.1g
Protein 28.02g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 14% Iron 2%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18
I have never liked cottage cheese so never eat it, but might try it now. Anyone have ideas for jazzing it up?
Yes i do, it may sound weird but bbq chips and cottage cheese is great! I'm not a huge cottage cheese eater, but doing that makes it so much better.0 -
I have never liked cottage cheese so never eat it, but might try it now. Anyone have ideas for jazzing it up?
Yes i do, it may sound weird but bbq chips and cottage cheese is great! I'm not a huge cottage cheese eater, but doing that makes it so much better.
Sounds interesting...I think this is just a holdover from when I was a kid. I just thought cottage cheese looked gross so I never ate it and then never bought it as an adult. Think I'll pick some up next time.0 -
I have never liked cottage cheese so never eat it, but might try it now. Anyone have ideas for jazzing it up?
Yes i do, it may sound weird but bbq chips and cottage cheese is great! I'm not a huge cottage cheese eater, but doing that makes it so much better.
Sounds interesting...I think this is just a holdover from when I was a kid. I just thought cottage cheese looked gross so I never ate it and then never bought it as an adult. Think I'll pick some up next time.
ya for me it has to be fresh, I hate it when it's watery and I like the smallest curds. try it, it's great snack.0 -
Wait... they make low sodium cottage cheese???
Where do I find this!?!? 0 -
Wow. Thanks for the suggestions. I have a mental block against cottage cheese. Never had it but heard all the jokes about it. I will try it. Also, I didn't even think about adding tofu to the smoothie... great one. I think I need to expand my smoothie assortment. I kind of stick with strawberries, banana, sometimes PB, agave nectar and flaxseed sometimes.
Is cottage cheese tangy? I like feta. Is it anything like that? I'm very afraid to try it as you can tell.
I've never tasted edamame either. I will have to expand my selection in order to get what I need. I was doing better protein-wise when I ate more fish, but it's hard to find fish that's not farm-raised at stores near my house.0 -
Depending on your protein powder, you may find others out there with less carbs in it.. some have high carbs, while others are under 4g.. Depending on your flavor or choice, you could try mixing it up with just milk and yogurt.. or maybe just one fruit instead.
Cottage cheese blended up in smoothies is great.. you dont get that curd texture:)0 -
Mmm, cottage cheese. It's not *exactly* tangy, in my opinion, but it has a slightly cheesy flavor. Trust me - try it.
As my grandpa always said ... "If you don't like it, you can spit it out!" LOL, I like to mix mine with a can of tuna and a little apple cider vinegar. Delish! I know it sounds funny, but it is good and has a great amount of protein!
As far as protein powders ... try Body Fortress from Walmart. It's about $15. Per scoop it has 140 calories, 3 g carbs and 26 grams of protein. I like the vanilla the best, strawberry is okay, chocolate is meh and I haven't tried the cookies and cream. You can always mix it with something yummy. I've been mixing mine with Carb Master yogurt from Kroger, which has around 4 carbs and 8 grams of protein per container, depending on the flavor. Talk about keeping you full ... omgosh!0 -
I don't like cottage cheese all by itself but I make protein pancakes that have cottage cheese in them
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup egg whites
1/4 cup blueberries
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
(many people add protein powder to this as well but I hate protein powder so I dont).
Blend all the ingredients except blueberries, add the blueberries after. Drop spoon fulls onto a warm non stick pan, spread the pancakes out so they are relatively thin otherwise they stay mushy inside. Then I top it with a TBSP of maple syrup.
I feel good about eating these and I serve them to my daughter who loves them and I feel good about her eating them (as opposed to regular pancakes....which we still have but just on occassion).
I also have been eating protein bars since I can't stand protein powder.0 -
I'm not a big meat eater. How do I get even close to my protein macro without going over in sodium and fat? My diary is open. I know cutting out the processed foods will help lower the sodium, but I struggle regularly with getting enough protein. I even added some protein shakes (approx 15 g per serving), but they add a lot of carbs because of the fruit in them. And I don't do sugar substitutes.
What's a girl to do?
I would definitely change your protein powder! There are brands out there that have way less carbs and a lot more protein in them. I use Walgreens brand vanilla whey protein. 1 scoop is 150 calories, 26 grams of protein, 8 grams of carbs (only 3g being from sugar) and 2 grams of fat. It's also only $23 for a big ol' container!0 -
I live cottage cheese! It can be used with sweet or savory foods.
Last night I put in dried dates and used pumpkin pie spice! My sweet tooth was satisfied!!
Tastes great with pineapple too!!
Spice it up with garlic and red pepper and dip celery in it!0 -
I've never tasted edamame either.
Buy the ones that are already out of the shell. Usually in the frozen section. You can thaw them and use in salads. Chickpeas are another good salad addition.0 -
Off to buy some cottage cheese, I'm going to see if there is a low-sodium choice.
Hum.......are we going to start a cottage cheese cult?? Lol0 -
I buy my protein powder from a health food store and it only has Whey protein isolate and natural vanilla flavoring. You might want to check out any health food stores and see if they have something without all the extra junk. 0
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I love cottage cheese! And edamame! I eat a ton of it. I actually prefer it in the shell. I steam it then I take a tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce and toss them in it for a touch of flavor and I will eat the WHOLE bag by myself! I prefer my cottage cheese plain but a lot of people like it with pineapple or toasted on bread. I eat a lot of fat free Greek yogurt too!0
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Awesome suggestions! Now I have new things to shop for.
- A better protein powder
- Edamame
- Cottage cheese0 -
I love my cottage cheese with potato chips too! But I prefer sour cream and onion! I usually just eat it by itself though.
I was at the grocery store the other day and found low sodium tuna!! It was starkist brand chunk light! It's the kind I normally get, but just low sodium
Edemame is yummy without the salt in salads for extra protein.0 -
I'm on a shrimp kick right now. I got some on sale at the store recently and now I can't stop. I've been defrosting 12 (3 ounces) at a time in cold water and tossing them with about a tablespoon of sweet chili sauce. There are 18 grams of protein in 3-ounce serving. Made that way it has just over 200 mg of sodium but for meat that's not horrible.
Quinoa has around 6 grams of protein per serving. We try to eat it often as a rice replacement. It's tasty and a little crunchy when you cook it with a 1:1 water ratio but any more water than that (some recipes call for more) makes the texture wrong. It can be expensive but if your store has a bulk section you can usually get a pretty good deal.
Canned beans usually have a ton of sodium but if you buy them dry and cook them yourself they are salt free. You can make a big batch at a time then freeze what you don't need for later. One cup of cooked black beans has 15 grams of protein and 19 grams of fiber.
Frozen lima beans are also pretty good and one of my favorites. I like to pack a half a cup still frozen with a bit of light Smart Balance spread in a plastic bowl and take it to work as an afternoon snack. Check the label, some have added sodium, but the Kroger brand I buy has almost no sodium and 6 grams of protein per half cup.
Swiss cheese is also a good one. One sandwich-sized slice has 6 grams of protein and only 45 mg of sodium. The same amount of cheddar has three times that much sodium and only 5 grams of protein. A half cup of 2% cottage cheese has about as much protein as two slices of Swiss cheese but 470 mg of sodium.
My new awesome breakfast sandwich I've been eating uses on whole wheat flat bun, two slices of Swiss cheese, one egg and a little olive oil mayo. It has 22 grams of protein and 325 mg of sodium. If I wash it down with a skim milk/protein powder shake I get 54 grams of protein and 425 mg of sodium for breakfast, which I think is pretty decent.0 -
Wait... they make low sodium cottage cheese??? Where do I find this!?!?
Yep, they do!! I think it's Breakstone and I got mine at Walmart.0 -
I love my cottage cheese with potato chips too! But I prefer sour cream and onion! I usually just eat it by itself though.
I was at the grocery store the other day and found low sodium tuna!! It was starkist brand chunk light! It's the kind I normally get, but just low sodium
Edemame is yummy without the salt in salads for extra protein.
Got the Low Sodium Starkist Tuna Packets too!!0
