Suggestions on high protein, low carb (not no carb) meals...

I was diagnosed as insulin resistant and need to adjust my way of eating (of course).... I love breads, pastas, sweets, but this has gotten me into trouble with my weight and health. I am trying to add more protein to my diet, but I'm having a hard time of this without adding more fat or more carbs... Any meal suggestions (easy/cheap for one person) would be appreciated! :bigsmile:

Replies

  • vegetable lasagna, don't use pasta
  • Arexxx
    Arexxx Posts: 486 Member
    Steak and veggies. My favorite meal haha. Or if you like pastas, zucchini peeled very thinly is an alright sub.

    And Cauliflower mash is good for substituting mashed potatoes :)
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Aside from food, what are you doing to break insulin resistance?
    Figure that out and youll probably not have to give up the food you love.
  • dmoberg11
    dmoberg11 Posts: 39 Member
    Canned tuna w mayo, put over a diced tomato with slices of avocado. Very tasty
    Grilled salmon with steamed broccoli
    Chicken breast baked with tomato sauce and little cheese on top

    just a few ideas. :smile:
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    Try Soya chunks..they are pretty cheap and 100 gms of them contain 55 g of Protein,0 g of fat and 33 g of Carbs
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    look into the primal/paleo lifestyle, both are high protein and tend to be lower carb b/c you cut out processed foods.
  • beef and turkey jerky, string cheese, nuts and seeds, cherry tomatoes with mozzarella balls and olive oil/fresh basil, berries with plain yogurt, lowfat milk with ovaltine (yes, they still make ovaltine and it's awesome!) make for great snacks. you can trade pasta for shredded spaghetti squash and tomato sauce, eggs with black beans, avocado and salsa, proteins with sweet potatoes and veggies, there are recipes out there for flourless quiche and frittatas. you may also want to ask your doctor about metformin and if that drug may help you gain some balance. hope this helps!
  • I am pre-diabetic, and I found my sugars have gone done quite a bit (under 100) since I started exercising and watching my food. I did lose about 20 lbs when I did low carb but couldn't keep it up and gained most of it back.

    Since I started tracking everything and exercising at least 3x a week, my sugars have been great!!
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
    One of my favorite replacements for restuarant style potato skins is to cook unbreaded chicken tenders, then top with a little cheese and broil just long enough to melt the cheese, then top with crumbled bacon, sour cream, and chives. YUMMY! Add a good green veggie or veggie mix, and you've got a meal.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Eggs are your friend.

    Meat is your friend.

    Check out the Paleo recipes.

    Why are you avoiding dietary fat? Natural fats are good for you.

    Eat fat.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    You can check my diary...I eat fruit carb, but only bread, pasta, and potatoes once in a while. I like to keep my blood sugar from spiking and gaining weight.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Bump
  • donna_glasgow
    donna_glasgow Posts: 869 Member
    cottage cheese ..
  • ferb55
    ferb55 Posts: 45 Member
    Fat doesnt make you fat, carbs do!
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    Try overnight oats for breakfast. I substitute oat bran for rolled oats and fat free greek yogurt for milk or yogurt. 26 G protein, 260 calories:

    1/4 cup rolled oats
    1/4 cup oat bran
    1/2 cup berries of your choice (I typically use frozen blueberries)
    1/2 cup milk
    1/2 cup plain fat free greek yogurt
    1 tbsp stevia

    you can also add ground flax seed meal 1-2 tbsp.

    Also, try anything on www.scoobysworkshop.com nutrition section for high protein one person meals. He has 4 or 5 meals on there. Quick, easy, and cheap.
  • Eggs are your friend.

    Meat is your friend.

    Check out the Paleo recipes.

    Why are you avoiding dietary fat? Natural fats are good for you.

    Eat fat.

    Agree that 'good' fats from things like avocados, nuts, fish, coconut oil should be kept in your meals. Your brain is mostly made of fat and your body needs it to be healthy!

    I have cut down immensely on refined carbs. It was really tough as I usually ate cereal for breakfast and love baked goods, but I have now switched over to something like this:

    -2 baked eggs for breakfast with salsa and greek yogurt topping, plus a slice of whole grain bread - super filling and mega tasty! (and only 300 calories!). Or a cup of 2% cottage cheese with fruit and nut toppings, plus cinnamon for some sweetness.
    -Raw veggie sticks with hummus in the morning and afternoon for snacks
    -small amounts (like 10 grams) of nuts for snacks or a small piece of cheese with a piece of fruit
    -4 oz. lean protein (chicken, turkey, pork tenderloin) for meals with the rest of my plate filled with salad and plain steamed vegetables for sides. i will eat 1/2 a cup of plain brown rice with dinner sometimes. fruit for dessert if i am craving something sweet.
    -Things like herbs and spices are really great at adding flavour to meals. They will become your best friends.

    I will obviously eat other foods for variety and include things like cookies and chocolate if it fits into my calorie goals, but that is the general idea. I learned what kept me full after a LOT of experimenting. I found that carbs just don't fill me up and I would rather eat something else for the same number of calories (e.g. 120 calories of chicken is much more filling than 120 calories of white pasta)

    Hope that helps and good luck!
  • Indygirl_81
    Indygirl_81 Posts: 142 Member
    Aside from food, what are you doing to break insulin resistance?
    Figure that out and youll probably not have to give up the food you love.

    Doc said to lower my weight and adjust my eating habits (less carbs and eating them with proteins) and placed me on a medication to help even it out.

    Thanks all- I will check out the Paleo diet/recipes.

    My proteins have been consisting of cottage cheese, processed meat, yogurt, eggs, vegetarian meat, and nuts.
  • Reducing your carb intake is one of the best decisions you can make to manage your insulin resistance.
    The paleo/primal approach is a good one because its not as strict as Atkins and a good plan to start on if you are new to low carb.

    I love eating Paleo and so do some of my MFP's but I only keep my diary open to friends so add me if you'd like some meal ideas!

    Welcome to MFP and All the best :)
  • nixerific
    nixerific Posts: 76 Member
    It doesn't have a lot of protein, but you can look at incorporating spaghetti squash over noodles. It does have carbs, just not as many.
  • spirit80
    spirit80 Posts: 327 Member
    I would suggest you get this book from amazon " It Starts with Food" It will help you understand what you are going through! It is $9.99 kindle version. Also check the primal/paleo group because others are going through the same thing. You can reverse this with your diet. Get the knowledge you need. Good luck.
  • KRaemondH
    KRaemondH Posts: 120 Member
    I am about to make my muscled MMA fightin hubby a protein filled breakfast for his birthday today.
    Take black forest ham slices and layer one or two (or even three if they are thin) inside the holes of a cupcake pan. Now for filling you can do many things, you can add scrambled tofu, egg sub, egg whites, scrambled eggs (still liquid) with half the yolks or just whole eggs. Whatever you like. Place the egg choice inside the ham crusted pan holes and top with some low fat cottage cheese or shredded cheese. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes on 350 or until middle is done. Eat with a side of steel cut oats made with almond milk.
    Total protein estimate for meal with two egg ham cups and half cup of oats
    25-30 grams depending on how much of everything you use.
    The recipe part of the food section will count it all out for you to make sure.
    I hope you try and like it! Super easy and full of protein.
  • Fit4LifeNow65
    Fit4LifeNow65 Posts: 14 Member
    Quality whey protein shakes are an easy way to get protein without a lot of fat and carbs...if you watch the brand to make sure it isn't full of sugar. They are my go-to for breakfast and lunch especially during the week. Quick and easy and you can add lower carb fruits likes berries or even peanut or almond butter (good with chocolate). You can change your health!
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    Diet is crucial for controlling weight, but don't overlook exercise. Exercise is important if your trying to improve your metabolism. A combination of both cardio and strength training works well for most.

    http://diabetes.webmd.com/strength-training-diabetes
  • Try eating more beans and lentils. Yes, they do have carbs, but not nearly as much as grains, and they have proteins. And one can use them for such a lot of stuff - lentil stew with smoked salmon is delish, for example, but one can even bake cakes with beans instead of flour (yes, that works, and it doesn't taste like "weird cake something was substituted in" at all. It just tastes cake.) Okay, it's mostly people who have to avoid gluten who do that, but if you got a low-carb sweetener you like, a cake like that actually gets kinda healthy. :wink:
  • CWatermelon
    CWatermelon Posts: 146 Member
    I would suggest you get this book from amazon " It Starts with Food" It will help you understand what you are going through! It is $9.99 kindle version. Also check the primal/paleo group because others are going through the same thing. You can reverse this with your diet. Get the knowledge you need. Good luck.

    This and you probably won't have to take the medicine for the rest of your life.

    "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but instead will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." Thomas Edison