How do you get enough protein in your diet?

2

Replies

  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Eggs, fish, and beef are my go-tos. However, it sounds like that may not work for you given your meal plan issue. Good luck working through/around that.
  • MichaelWms
    MichaelWms Posts: 22 Member
    I go to the grocery store and get the cans of chicken. They have about 22 grams in a can and it is only about 120 calories. For lunch I usually have two cans and a little bit of mayo. That is only 240 calories and 44 grams of protein! Plus they taste great!

    Awesome! I never tried the canned chicken, but the tuna is super cheap. It's basically protein in a can.
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    Please either start slowly increasing your overall intake right away and/or seek help. Please.
  • MichaelWms
    MichaelWms Posts: 22 Member
    From a quick glance at your diary, you often eat below 1000 calories a day.You need to increase that especially if you are running. Have you tried protein bars?


    Women should not consume fewer than 1,200 calories, reports the National Institutes of Health. In some cases, women may be able to consume between 500 to 800 calories on special low-calorie diets. However, these diets should be medically supervised.



    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/306358-minimum-calories-per-day-for-women/#ixzz24sQ8gDxS
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
    Is milk usually available in the cafeteria? You might try drinking more milk if you can, it has good carbs and a cup has around 12 gms of protein.
  • sobriquet84
    sobriquet84 Posts: 607 Member
    doesn't look like not getting enough protein is your main problem. you're not eating enough, PERIOD.
  • myfitnessval
    myfitnessval Posts: 687 Member
    find a protein source you love. for me its turkey and fish, i eat them almost daily. i'm finally coming around to liking chicken but id prefer salmon over chicken any day. i also supplement about 35 grams a day with these awesome "eat good look great" protein bars i found at target and a post-workout 100 cal "Muscle Milk" protein shake. other than that i try to focus on eating more protein than carbs throughout the day and usually wont eat anything that isnt a good source of the stuff since my proportions i've set for myself are so high. i hope i helped a little bit!
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    Whey protein shake - just get the cheap stuff no need to pay £50 for something that will do you basically the same.
  • dlcam61
    dlcam61 Posts: 228 Member
    Egg whites, beans, lean meats such as chicken or turkey, fish/seafood, tofu (but not in excess), protein powders (I like Vcore from Complete Nutrition & Optimum Nutrition Gold), low fat dairy but I wouldn't advise depending on dairy as milk has lactose which is a sugar. Google lean protein foods and you can find lots of options. :flowerforyou: Good luck & eat more it's good for you!
  • NikkiSixGuns
    NikkiSixGuns Posts: 630 Member
    Do you have access to a fridge where you can keep a few things? If so, I'd try to keep things like pre-cooked chicken breast (cook it yourself ahead of time in batches or you can get some pre-cooked from the grocery) and string cheeses in there. Also, pouches of tuna are great. They're pre-portioned and you don't need a can opener. Sometimes I'll eat one straight out of the bag as a snack. You could also supplement it with a little cheese and crackers.

    Canned chicken is pretty good, too. Packages of nuts, protein bars, etc.

    Good luck!
  • 1SlimShaylee
    1SlimShaylee Posts: 204
    i add protein powder to my oatmeal along with some peanut butter. i eat lots of canned chicken, chicken breast, tuna, salmon, trukey burger, and ground turkey! i stopped eating cereal for breakfast and started eating chicken!
  • tvanhooser
    tvanhooser Posts: 326 Member
    I've noticed that even if I have a substantial protein in a decent portion at EVERY meal, I have a hard time getting up to what the chart at the bottom of my diary tells me is my goal. Fat and carbs -- no problem, even have to watch it there cause I can run out quickly before I get to a decent calorie level. BUT that being said, I noticed something the other day while waiting in the grocery line. They had a display of Kashi at the checkstand and a big splashy logo on the box announced that it has as much protein as an egg. I looked at the nutrition label while I was waiting and it had something like 9g of protein in one serving (can't remember serving size) which is ALOT compared to other cereals and it is also high in fiber which is something I am trying to watch. Looked pretty good over all....so I have that on my shopping list for my big trip on the first to see if eating a bowl or two for breakfast or snack helps raise my protein intake more in the vicinity of where it should be!! We'll see...anyway, that would be my suggestion since it's something you can stick in a baggie and take along to snack on like granola.
  • melgunner
    melgunner Posts: 9
    Powdered peanut butter I think it's called PB2, it has reduced fat and calories. It's also very tasty. Eggs, fish, whey protein mix, try some lentils too. When I lived in res they always would make a fried egg any time you want, they also use low cal cooking spray so you don't have to worry about too many extra calories. Maybe your meal hall will do the same.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Eat more kale.
  • healthynotthin
    healthynotthin Posts: 223 Member
    I'm aware I'm not eating enough, thanks. I believe I posted that in my initial post...

    I'm working on it right now, and appreciate the help but that's not my question. I'm not used to eating a lot and I hurt when I do. I'm seeing a counselor so don't go all over-concerned for me, please. I'm working on my relationship with food right now. And regardless of how many calories I eat, even if I doubled the intake, I would still be below protein levels.

    I'm going to ask my dad to bring up protein powder when he visits me at college Saturday. It's hard to fend for myself at college, because there's nothing prepared for me and nobody to keep me accountable. I'm working on it. I'm working on it.
  • healthynotthin
    healthynotthin Posts: 223 Member
    @tvanhooser:

    Thank you for the suggestion! I'll look into it :)
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    For protein my two favorites are chicken breast and tuna. They're really not too expensive. Once I've had 200 gms of either with my 200 mils whole milk I'm basically on my protein and fat targets which leaves the rest for carbs which I've been having (generally) as fruit. It's been working GREAT so far ^^

    Eggs, milk, beans, tuna, nuts (lots of fat though), chicken...

    My 10 cents.

    Lots of GOOD fats though. It's a long time misnomer that fat is bad for you--processed, saturated fats from **** like HFCS are bad for you. Fat from nuts is perfectly fine.
  • healthynotthin
    healthynotthin Posts: 223 Member
    If you read down my profile at all (I don't know if that's possible on my privacy settings) you'd see that I am starting today to realize how much more nutrition I need, and am starting to work on that.
  • RunninSD
    RunninSD Posts: 36
    protein is found everywhere, yogurt, oatmeal, nuts, egg whites, milk, soy milk...
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    I drink a pretty big protein shake in the mornings after I work out and I eat a ridiculous amount of chicken. It gets boring, but it keeps me satiated and gives my body the fuel it needs! Cottage cheese is pretty high in protein as well.
  • Toxictwist
    Toxictwist Posts: 274
    eggs, chicken, fish, cottage cheese
  • Kristie18
    Kristie18 Posts: 332 Member
    tuna, egg and egg whites, Greek yogurt, whey protein and peanut butter and almonds. I am always over on protein
  • Katahna
    Katahna Posts: 326 Member
    Start buying things that have boosted protein..

    E.g. Milk that has more protein than normal (yellow top)

    post workout shakes, eat more meat etc.
  • msmileyface
    msmileyface Posts: 76 Member
    I struggle in this area too. A really easy way is to get a container of whey protein at GNC or even Target. Pick a yummy flavor and to make it really yummy I mix it into milk instead of water. It's a great, filling breakfast when you are in a hurry. I also really recommend using a whisk or a hand blender (immersion blenders are great for this), it's worth a little money to have one for this.. because otherwise you have little chunks of powder in your drink.
  • keepitrealceleste
    keepitrealceleste Posts: 2
    HI! have you ever thought of a protein drink? It gives you the extra protein you might need. Also it comes in powder or already bottled. It sounds you have a busy schedule with school, so its very easy to access a protein drink. what do you think?

    oh and almonds! They are high in protein. pls be sure to look at your serving portions but also an easy thing to carry around.

    My favorite protein is edamame. I buy a huge freezer bag and heat em up in microwave.
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    Turkey, chicken, homemade Jamie Eason Protein bars, ON Gold Standard Whey, EGGS, EGGS, 96/4 lean beef, ground turkey for turkey burgers, filet mignon, flank steak, tuna.

    OP--I just want to say that your profile is inspiring to me. I know how hard it is to make a huge change mentally, and I wanted to congratulate you for starting fresh and making the decision to be healthy and surround yourself with healthy friends. You ARE worth it, and you ARE capable of change. Stay strong! :flowerforyou:
  • aweigh2go
    aweigh2go Posts: 164 Member
    Make smoothies!!!

    For your protein, you can use either greek yogurt or protein powder.

    Mix either (or both) with frozen fruit (strawberries, rasperries and/or blueberries) and a banana in blender with some water or milk or magic bullet.

    You can get 20-40 grams of protein per smoothie depending on how much and which protein you use.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Bump
  • healthynotthin
    healthynotthin Posts: 223 Member
    Wow - the thread is alive! I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who helped me out, I've been working for a couple months on eating better and eating more, and I'm making it a point to eat what meat I can when I can. Chicken is my new best friend, as I don't have a blender at school and can't make my own protein shakes. I do mix protein powder and some Libby's pure pumpkin in Greek yogurt, things like that help a lot when I can't find my skinless grilled chicken.

    Definitely still a process and I'm still getting there. But thank you all so much. :)
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
    step one- eat breakfast

    step 2- eat an actual serving of what you are eating instead of a quarter of a serving. Would you expect your car to keep going if you only put a quarter of a tank of gas in it?! Come on now.

    Designer Whey protein powder is pretty awesome too. Troll my diary if you need breakfast help.

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