Protein

lightdiva1
lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so I am not getting enough protein... I can't gag back fish or red meat yet. I am eating chicken, but I have gotten to the point where I am dreading cooking it. (Several different recipes make it better, but its the same thing everyday, chicken...) I love carbs... Yogurt, whole grain pasta, cheese... I have restricted eating these things but am finding that I am having trouble staying under the amount per day I am allotted and still eating enough.

Yesterday I stood in my kitchen for 5 minutes trying to think of what I could eat that had little carbs in it. I came up with nothing. I wasn't hungry, but still had 700 odd calories to eat for the day. I tried to eat chicken again, but just couldn't get it down. I season it with Rosemary, or organic chili seasoning, mustard, rotisserie spices, you name it I have tried it.

Okay I need ideas on how to get more protein in, and not have to gag it back. This is a life change for me, so I need to be able to eat foods that are not only good for me but that I actually like.

Any ideas? I am in the process of searching for clean foods that are high in protein and so low in carbs I can stay within the goal. So far I got nothing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I tried eggs, but without salt, its just not good. I tried Tofu, but the texture made me gag. I realize this is going to take time to get used to, just like getting rid of the sugar cravings did and kicking the soda habit and kicking the processed foods habit. But I am dying here for something other than chicken to eat...

I dislike veggies. I try to eat a salad everyday, but I still need the 1 calorie per spray of Italian dressing I have, which has carbs!
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Replies

  • Camille0502
    Camille0502 Posts: 311 Member
    What is your carb goal for the day?
  • lightdiva1
    lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
    209 is the goal.
  • deepbreaths_strongmoves
    deepbreaths_strongmoves Posts: 54 Member
    Ok so you don't like fish, red meat, tofu, or veggies.. that's a difficult one! Greek yogurt tends to have more protein.. all of the protein that I eat tends to come from veggies, whole grains, and a vegan protein shake that I take. If you want to add me to look at my food diary feel free!
  • DeLiRi0uS2010
    DeLiRi0uS2010 Posts: 39
    Beans, and things like lentils have lots of protein too.
  • lightdiva1
    lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
    I just made my dairy public, I hope that helps. I know there have been some "not so good choices" on there. I started changing my lifestyle January 6th, and to avoid total and complete failure I have allowed myself to have comfort food when the stress levels explode. (I had two weeks where my children both had the flu and bronchitis, and a week where finals took place...) So lets discount the pizza oopses. I knew better. That is not an everyday choice.

    I am looking to expand my recipes, but am scared to waste the little money I have and make something I am not sure I will like. My tastes are changing, which is good, but certain foods are still really hard to eat, like veggies. Going from frozen food, and eating out, and a bag of chips to what I have managed to change has been hard but well worth it. I want to stick with it.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    do protein shakes, some have upwards of 50 grams of protein in one scoop and 240 calories
  • mjsasha
    mjsasha Posts: 7 Member
    cottage cheese is awsome for protein
  • lightdiva1
    lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
    I really wish I loved veggies. That would make my life so much easier! I have meal replacement shakes that I use for breakfast, but I was hoping to find actual food I could cook as well. Yes, its about weight loss, but tis also about learning to do this for the rest of my life. Eating meal replacement shakes for the rest of my life for every meal is not really a good goal.
  • porkchop_13
    porkchop_13 Posts: 122
    have you looked into protein powders at all? they can be a great protein supplement. For me, I have one for breakfast everyday b/c i cant choke down real food til about mid-morning LOL There are a ton out there with delicious flavors. I would recommend one but I am currently experimenting myself!
  • MellyGibson
    MellyGibson Posts: 297 Member
    Have you tried protein shakes?

    Yes, you do need to have protein in the form of food, but you can add shakes to supplement your protein - and there are many delicious brands and flavors out there!

    I lift weights and supplement my daily intake with at least 2 protein shakes. I really like the Body Logix Strawberry Banana - and it's one of the more inexpensive brands that has no added flavors or colors. I found it at my local Meijer for less than $20 for a big container.

    My goal is about 150 g / day.
  • smartguy05
    smartguy05 Posts: 5 Member
    Cheese is high in protein and low in carbs, not good to eat all the time but a good snack.
  • dlcuthbert
    dlcuthbert Posts: 25 Member
    I also agree you can drink a quality protein shake with water. However some people would rather eat their protein/calories than drink them.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/nutrient-search

    Search protein with low carbs and you will get some great results that you can pick through and find options that you like :)

    It's a pretty good database.
  • wantmytruk
    wantmytruk Posts: 30 Member
    Nature Valley makes great protein bars, I eat them every day!
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,032 Member
    See what you can find in the threads on here under Recipes, there's tons of Chicken Crockpot and other threads with a zillion different ways to fix chicken that taste different each time.

    Lots of us eat chicken so we've learned to get creative... click the Search feature and you'll find Crockpot and Chicken ideas.

    Short on time or I'd dig up the links for you myself!:flowerforyou:
    Just curios. Why no salt on your eggs?
    why salt eggs? :tongue: Peppers, onions, loads of more fun things to put on the... :bigsmile:
  • BlackTimber
    BlackTimber Posts: 230 Member
    Just curios. Why no salt on your eggs?
  • Jovan0609
    Jovan0609 Posts: 233 Member
    I love Muscle Milk. They just revamped the light formula and call it "Evolve" but it comes in chocolate and mixed berry flavors and both are really good! They're only 110 calories and give you about 15g of protein per serving. I think it's sold at Walmart & Target.
  • travel_kat
    travel_kat Posts: 23 Member
    Cottage cheese (low fat), lots of protein
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    Cottage cheese (low fat), lots of protein

    Eggs, other low fat cheeses, milk. For the times I run lower on protein than I care do I drink a berry protein drink that I get from Herbalife. It has 70 calories and 15 grams of whey protein per serving.
  • lightdiva1
    lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
    I am trying to cut back the sodium intake. Being 5'4'' and 291.8 pounds is far from healthy. At my last checkup (where I weighed 307.8) I was told where I needed to cut back significantly. My doc suggested I not add salt to anything. He knows I love pasta and that has sodium in it. (So no need to add it in other places)

    I eat a meal replacement shake for breakfast, and have no issue with it I love it. But it is more expensive to eat shakes and bars for every meal than it is to cook.

    I am struggling with wanting the weight to come off RIGHT NOW, and doing whatever that takes, versus learning to cook healthy meals and eat healthy because this is a forever change.
  • ladybird_502
    ladybird_502 Posts: 58 Member
    I'm on a vegan diet. I get protein from making my own protein shakes in the morning. I use Jay Robb's Whey Protein Powder (we get enough soy as it is here in the uS!). It has 110 calories, 1 carb, and 25g of protein. A great way to kick start your protein for the day!

    I mix mine with some unsweetened choc almond milk, a banana, and some frozen mixed berries. Ugly in color, but it tastes like a treat!

    I also look for things by Kashi that have lots of protein (many of the cereals and oatmeals offer as much protein as an egg!)

    Almonds are another great source of protein, as are legumes.

    You can buy all of it at Whole Foods. The protein will set you back about $25, but it will last for a long time. Good luck!
  • michcor
    michcor Posts: 52 Member
    I know you don't like veggies, but have you tried them in a smoothie? Oh man, I could live on spinach smoothies. I have one most days of the week. Just a couple handfuls of spinach, a frozen banana, some peanut butter, and some milk (I use almond). It's sooo good.

    I'm vegan, so I don't get any protein for animal products. I eat lots of nuts, beans, grains (quinoa is my favorite, and it's so versatile), and veggies.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    protein powder, you can mix it with things or drink it as a shake, and you can get lke 30 grams of protein from it with little fat and few carbs.
    No carbs and no fat annd no sugar in Nectar (chocolate truffle and fuzzy navel (orange) flavors are really good by themselves, or the chocolate with coffee is good too) and only 100 cals and 23 grams of protein
    or protein bars are good too, just watch the sugar and carbs in those.
    you can also have quinoa (it's a grain with lots of protein), nuts, nut butter, eggs (egg whites too)
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 924 Member
    Give tofu another try. Only get extra frim and the trick is to throw the entire package (as is from the grocery store) straight into the freezer overnight. Then, take out and let thaw in your fridge. In my fridge it takes at least two full day to thaw, so plan accordingly. When you ar eready to use cut open package and stand over sink. Gently squeeze the tofu block and tons of water will rush out of it. Turn and squeeze again a couple of times.

    My favorites to do with tofu:

    Tofu Parm
    Cut block into 8 slices. Dip into water and egg mixture and then coat in breadcrumbs lightly. In oiled pan ( I use about 2 tbsp) saute the tofu for about 4-5 min on each side until golden brown. You could use this in a variety of ways but I make into parmesan bake.

    I use a little red sauce and spread in 8X8 casserole. Make one layer of the tofu, squish them into place if need be. Top with some tomato sauce, spread 1/2 cup fat free ricotta, sprinle 1/2 skim mozzerella shredded cheese, sprinkle 1 tbsp grated romano or parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 till melted and bubbly. Makes 4 servings. I put one serving over 2 oz of linguini with a 1/4 cup red sauce and it is about 490 calories for a filling dinner.

    Stirfry:
    Cut into one inch diced pieces, use a little oil, fry in large saute pan on med-high heat for about 10-13 minutes, turning to get each side cooked periodically. You can use whatever seasonings. I have this fast easy tofu lo mein dish from allrecipes.com which uses a bag of frozen asian veggies 1 tbsp lite soy sauce and 1/2 packet ramen noodle oriental mix. I add fresh broccoli and throw in mostly cooked ramen noodles block and then there's a nice tofu dinner too. I think that one is about 400 calories per serving.
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    10 Protein Snacks
    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/slideshow.asp?show=92
  • jnchorn
    jnchorn Posts: 250 Member
    Have you tried pork? Or a well marinated beef like tenderloin? I have heard that quinoa is high in protein but Im not sure about carbs. There are also ground chicken/turkey options that might help. You could make your own taco meat or meatballs? I personally like protein drinks and I do love chicken. My favorite protein drink is Unjury. Its tastey not granually and low in calories.
  • maitaicole
    maitaicole Posts: 6
    What about Egg Whites for snacks, and Dannon has an amazing fat free 130 calorie greek yougurt it's full of protien!
  • krickeyuu
    krickeyuu Posts: 344 Member
    Try turkey as a change from chicken. Also, I monitor my sodium due to HBP and I can still salt my eggs. Go to MyHome, Goals, Change Goals, Custom and set your soduim level to 1500mg. Then change your diary settings to show sodium as one of your "macros." Then you can plan your meals for the day and see what your actual soduim intake is. If you monitor carbs, protein, fat and sodium you can basicaly eat whatever you like within those ranges and your total calorie count--even pizza.
  • Lilyyy7
    Lilyyy7 Posts: 41
    Things I eat often, high in protein....

    Milk
    Scrambled eggs with a little cheese
    Cottage Cheese (this is my go to)
    Greek yogurt (there are so many kinds out there, you're bound to find a good one)
    Chicken breast - I'm getting tired of this too, have you tried marinating it? I defrost mine and quirt some lemons in there. It comes out very soft, and goooood.
    Tuna

    I think the limit for carbs and calories on this website is great, but every body is different. I would try to stay away from the carbs, but do not freak out if you go a little over. Plus, your body needs carbs. Especially when you're working out.

    Good luck!
  • slroggemann
    slroggemann Posts: 168 Member
    I recommend peanut butter or another nut butter - you get healthy fats from the nuts and lots of protein. Also egg whites, turkey, beans, and lentils, as others have said. best of luck to you!

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