low carb high protein foods

jesss5885

hi!
i'm trying to eat less carbs and more proteins.
is anyone else using this strategy?

what are your go-to foods or snacks?
i'm not really into protein bars or powders... but if that's my best option, i suppose i would try the powder as a supplement.

looking forward to some suggestions! thanks!!

knowwhentoshutup

I'm trying to do that too! I just started P90x, and am loosely following their goal of 50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fats. You can take a look at my diary (just don't pay attention to this past weekend!)

I am trying to stay away from the protein powder, but I have found good luck upping my protein levels with the following:

Fat free cottage cheese (I like to mix it with crushed pineapple)
String Cheese
Eggs (egg whites for a lower fat content)
Tuna
poached chicken breast
peanut butter

commonly_unique

I'm looking for some suggestions too! I'm such a carbaholic it's difficult to get in all of my protein. Thanks for posting!

FungusTrooper

I'm trying to do that too! I just started P90x, and am loosely following their goal of 50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fats. You can take a look at my diary (just don't pay attention to this past weekend!)

Your diary is friends-only fyi .

soontobesam

I'm a total carbivore - RAWR!!

Will be checking back on this post so I can steal ideas. :devil:

cobaltis

Well I eat primarily vegetables and lean meats...

Grilled Chicken, thousands of different seasonings, I like dry rubs for calorie free flavor changers (Salads, tacos, or just with veggies)
Eggs
Ground Turkey (Burgers,Meatloaf,Ground up for salads)
Tuna or Salmon
I like the Cytosport whey protein from Costco, mixes easy, tastes good, good way to add protein if you have a problem eating it. I often drink 1 after a workout or for a snack.
Fat Free Cottage Cheese and fruit (I like all berries and peaches personally, doesn't take much to make cottage cheese taste entirely different. Brand matters a lot for flavor too... I can't stand Costco's despite how cheap it is)


I avoid nuts, cheese and peanut butter when I'm trying to lose weight, high in fats makes these some of the highest calorie protein options.

Also if you don't like meat that much then you can also look into tofu and beans, beans carbs are complex like veggies, not simple like breads)

MaybeAMonkey

bump for later, definitely need help upping my protein and cutting back on those delicious tasty yummy carbs.

mcn79

I'd appreciate some ideas, too. I have a dairy sensitivity, so things like cottage cheese, string cheese and yogurt don't work for me...

tsavisky

you might want to take a look at some paleo or primal blogs and websites. www.markdailyapple.com is a good one to get started and explains how to get started and there are tons of super easy meal ideas, and great advice. www.againstallgrain.com is another great one for recipes.

athensguy

Since I exercise, I eat a bunch of carbs, but I also like to meet my minimum protein goal, so I eat things like Fage Greek Yogurt and Edamame. Meat is another source of protein I occasionally use.

sunshinesquared

bump for later!

caraiselite

nuts, veggies, protein.

sunshinesquared

cobaltis....Wow! Very impressive weight loss!

BringingSherriBack

Fat -free or low-fat cottage cheese
tuna/tuna salad
string cheese (Frigo Cheesehead lights)
grilled chicken breast
grilled burgers (no bun)
Baby Bell Mini Light cheeses
Almonds
crockpot buffalo chicken breasts (got recipe here on MFP)
Taco salads (taco seasoned ground beef with lettuce, tomato, low-fat shredded cheese and salsa)
low-carb wraps with ham or turkey and cheese on a low-carb tortilla
pizza or chicken quesadillas made with low carb tortillas
ham or turkey wrapped around string cheese dipped in spicy brown mustard
homemade chicken salad
any grilled or baked meats
most green veggies
garden salads
Pork rinds

caraiselite

and by protein i mean meats. seafood. anything you'd eat for a meal.. but smaller.

get a rotisserie chicken. yum.

Pilotgirl86

I love cottage cheese & yogourt for protein. I make my own yogourt, so I control 100% of what goes in (just milk and probiotic).

Another great way is to add lean meats as snacks. I cook more than we need for dinner (chicken or turkey usually) and then just have meat or meat and cottage cheese, or meat on a salad for snacks. I really like roast turkey with cottage cheese & dried cranberries, or pear. I eat the meat cold. I also use cottage cheese & mustard instead of salad dressing to cut out the fats there.

If you're really strapped for time or want "easy" snacks, you can always opt for deli meats & low fat cheese string. Wrap a piece of fat-free turkey breast around a piece of low fat cheese, and wrap all of that in a lettuce leaf! No dressing required!

Nuts are also a great source of protein, although they do have a higher fat content, it is however the healthy kind of fat to have, so a handful of almonds or cashews (unsalted) is great too!

Another favourite of mine is homemade beef jerkey. I have a few great recipes to do it in the oven, so I can control how much salt goes into it, how fatty the meat you use is etc.

Mini cans of tuna are also excellent. They come in a variety of flavours and are high in Omega 3. I dip celery sticks into them when I want to skip the carbs, or I eat them with unsalted rice crackers for a treat.

cobaltis

and by protein i mean meats. seafood. anything you'd eat for a meal.. but smaller.

get a rotisserie chicken. yum.

While it is delicious, I try to grill almost everything so fat drips off, the fat makes it taste better though AKA Rotisserie... When I am cutting I try to cut every little extra I can to ensure good results hah...

Bellren

I followed an approach similar to this when I was a member of 'slimming world' diet club in the UK some years back.

On the plan I followed you were basically allowed to eat as much lean protein (beef, chicken, eggs, fish, pork etc) as you wanted.

The plan distinguished between 'good carbs' (fruit and most veg) which you were also allowed in unlimited quantities, and the 'starchy carbs' which you had to be more careful about - pasta, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes etc - I was allowed 2 x 35g portions of the latter each day.

Then (depending on how overweight you were), you were allowed a certain number of 'sins' each day which you could 'spend' on oils, cheeses, drinks, snacks etc.

It really worked a treat and I lost quite a bit of weight on it - I wouldn't rule out going back on it again. I'm following a more flexible plan right now but I still like to incorporate protein to all my main meals, it definitely keeps you fuller for longer.

One of the lowest kcal and easiest protein based meals - omelette! :-)

emmeylou

Hello! I have been low-carb/high protein for just over a year now! One thing I found was that when I tried to do low-carb AND low-fat... my options, well they stunk! So that is why I don't worry about the fat content in my food. Generally it all evens out anyways. I could give you really, really long lists but I'm just going to list the my top choices for time/space.

Foods that need to be cooked:
-meat (watch out for food like hot dogs, sausage, keilbasa, they often have hidden carbs. All in moderation!)
-seafood (I don't like fish, but I can tolerate tuna, shrimp, scallops... these are GREAT since they are also lower calorie)
-eggs. All protein, no carbs. These are great. I find that egg whites aren't worth it. Just about half of the protein in an egg is in the yolk... along with most of the nutrients. This is one place where I will gladly take the "extra" fat hit.

Snacks/etc:
-greek yogurt. This is my number one, I have it almost every day. I get the PLAIN and then flavor it myself using splenda, espresso powder, crystal light packages, sugar free syrups, etc. I know many people add berries and fruit as well. I ALSO use this in meatballs. You do not taste it at all, but it keeps them moist and "together" without adding eggs or bread crumbs. My favorite brand is FAGE 2%, but 0% isn't bad either if you are also watching your fat.
-CHEESE. This is a great source of protein, but again watch out for hidden carbs. I often add some into my meals for the calcium.
-pepperoni "chips"... these are my go to when I want crunch! You can use turkey pepperoni if you'd like as well. Very, very simple to make. You take a microwave safe plate and place a paper towel on it. Arrange however many pepperoni slices you want on the plate (don't overlap them). Microwave them for about a minute... pat the grease off and let them cool. They will be nice and crispy. You can also do this in the oven, just watch it doesn't burn.

One of my favorite meals is to grill chicken breast on my george forman (I live in an apartment... grills are a big no-no). Then I put cheese and pepperoni on top (not a lot) and melt in in my toaster oven... its low-carb pizza!

Many people will also say nuts are great. And for the most part they are, except that the carb:protein ratio I find is rather high. But again, it depends on what your version of low-carb is.

Let me know if you want any more little recipes or more ideas.

hokielrod

That is my strategy as well...and it seems to be working! I like Atkins protein shakes--to me they are creamy and tasty. I like Zone Perfect Protein bars (I call them candy bars to make me feel better). I snack on greek yogurt, almonds and beef jerky. Good luck to you!!

dawny78

I seem to do well going over on protein .....I havn't done this on purpose but I seem to eat more food like it please take a look at my dairy and get some ideas.

PreshelledPistachio

Instead of toast or cereal for breakfast, have yogurt or cottage cheese.

Instead of a meat/cheese/whatever sandwich, have a meat/cheese/whatever salad and increase the amount of meat/cheese/whatever.

Instead of potatoes on the side, have a less starchy vegetable. Mushrooms and broccoli are very low carb and have a surprising amount of protein. Any leafy green is great, cauliflower, green beans, aubergine, asparagus, celery.

Instead of fruit, have nuts and seeds.

lilbitz82

I started following his blog. Do you follow everything to a t or more or less just keeping carbs low protein high?

knowwhentoshutup

I'm trying to do that too! I just started P90x, and am loosely following their goal of 50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fats. You can take a look at my diary (just don't pay attention to this past weekend!)

Your diary is friends-only fyi .

Just changed it. Whoops!

jesss5885

awesome responses! i literally just printed this thread out to take to the grocery store with me!

thanks all