Protein minus carbs, please!

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I *love* black beans on my salad. Unfortunately, 1/2 cup is 23 carbs! I also eat egg whites, but fear I will get sick of them fast if I have to keep eating them to get more protein without the carbs. I am fond of chicken, but again- need variety. Love nuts, but they have a lot of fat. It seems like I am filling gaps with egg whites because everything else has something or other in it that I am capping out on every day. (How is it that I go over on carbs every day even when I don't touch bread? Grr.)

What are some other *cheap* options for protein? I am SO NOT into shakes, and can't really afford much steak or fish. Are those my only remaining options?

Replies

  • tomrichards8464
    tomrichards8464 Posts: 1 Member
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    Black pudding's a decent option - not zero carb, but not too high and pretty damn low fat as well. Cheap, too.

    Don't know about where you are, but for me mussels don't cost a lot, and they're pretty much protein and nothing else. Be a bit careful, though - lots of purines, and if you're losing weight fast at the same time (ie metabolising a lot of body fat) you could be running the risk of giving yourself gout. I did. Not fun. Make sure you stay hydrated.
  • MiknevV
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    I love snaking on reduced fat cottage cheese.
    Low in carbs, high in protein - perfect..
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I'm not really sure what you're looking for here, but I'll just say how I do it--I eat low carb but don't restrict healthy fats, so most of my protein has fat along with it, or if it doesn't, I usually add some sort of healthy fat. I eat lots whole eggs, tuna, grass fed beef, grass fed pork, venison, duck, wild salmon, sausage, bacon, ...chicken is pretty low on my list of stuff I like/eat often.

    I think the cheapest proteins I eat are probably whole eggs and canned tuna. I don't regularly eat dairy products, but if you do, that could be another option for you. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, etc.

    Carbs are everywhere--I mostly get mine through non-starchy veggies. I eat lots of spinach, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, onions, and some squash and/or sweet potato here and there. If you eat fruit, you may find they add up quickly there, same goes for stuff like yogurt...any sort of processed foods also seem to ingredients that add to the carb total. Often times, "low fat" or "lite" or "reduced fat" products will be higher in carbs than the full fat versions. If you eat any sort of grains--rice, couscous, cereals, oatmeal, pastas, etc. check those for carbs, too. Sugars, stuff made from white potatoes, etc.
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
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    White fish or whiting.
  • nosillanosilla
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    Shrimp!
  • Ascolti_la_musica
    Ascolti_la_musica Posts: 676 Member
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    I picked up some swai and mahi mahi for pretty cheap at Walmart, and ordered a food scale from Amazon. The sizes of the fish in the bag vary pretty drastically, so I want to know exactly how much I am eating.

    I also (blonde moment) realized that I didn't have to just eat egg whites. I devilled them this morning, and planned the rest of my food diary as scheduled- MUCH better counts at the end of the day!