Am I the only one that finds it hard to eat enough protein?

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  • Sorashi
    Sorashi Posts: 41
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    I feel the same, my goal is set to around 115 and I rarely reach it. My average is 90-95 grams :/
  • osualex
    osualex Posts: 409 Member
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    My goal is about 100 and I struggle to reach it. As long as I get at least 80g a day, I don't worry too much.
  • kabertrand63
    kabertrand63 Posts: 111 Member
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    You don't need the 30% they've drilled into our heads all our lives! you really only need 5-10% protein and you can easily get that from the foods you eat now.

    Actually that's not true - it depends on what your goals are. I've just started lifting weights and need more protein to help repair and build new muscle.

    AND that's not what the op asked.

    I get mine in my eating lots of tuna/mackerel/sardines, cottage cheese, pulses and turkey/chicken/beef. I also use whey powder, I normally mix this in with my milk if I have cereal for breakfast. or have it just as a shake after exercising. If you do want to eat around 30% protein after only having 15% it can take a bit of getting use to. Slowing increase it each day and soon it will be second nature.

    I love mixing tuna with red onion and cottage cheese - it sounds weird but tastes delicious and is fab for hitting your protein goals

    PS I'm a protein loving brit :drinker:

    Thanks, those are some good ideas. Where do you get your whey powder from? I might try it.

    I get this one from amazon:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Chocolate-Protein/dp/B002DYIZH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360500421&sr=8-1

    Changed link as it seemed to take you to my account! they do various flavours and sizes.

    I prefer the vanilla one - its tastes great (imho) and I have it with cereal or on it's one. I also have chocolate mint for a chocolate hit and I tried the strawberry - which I hated. :sad:

    If you have any health food places near you you might be able to get a smaller sample to try. as it is I'm mixing half strawberry with vanilla in smoothies to use it up. It can be an expensive mistake when you hate the flavour :grumble:

    I buy that one from Amazon and love it. I add greek yogurt and almond butter to it YUM. It's a good brand too...
  • kabertrand63
    kabertrand63 Posts: 111 Member
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    You don't need the 30% they've drilled into our heads all our lives! you really only need 5-10% protein and you can easily get that from the foods you eat now.

    Actually that's not true - it depends on what your goals are. I've just started lifting weights and need more protein to help repair and build new muscle.

    AND that's not what the op asked.

    I get mine in my eating lots of tuna/mackerel/sardines, cottage cheese, pulses and turkey/chicken/beef. I also use whey powder, I normally mix this in with my milk if I have cereal for breakfast. or have it just as a shake after exercising. If you do want to eat around 30% protein after only having 15% it can take a bit of getting use to. Slowing increase it each day and soon it will be second nature.

    I love mixing tuna with red onion and cottage cheese - it sounds weird but tastes delicious and is fab for hitting your protein goals

    PS I'm a protein loving brit :drinker:

    Thanks, those are some good ideas. Where do you get your whey powder from? I might try it.

    I KNEW this would get someone's attention! It's not clear the OP's goals so for most that are not bulking up, don't need as much! That's all I really meant. Didn't mean to offend anyone.
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
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    pretty easy if you eat chicken, beef, fish, eggs and dairy. if you don't consume any of that, you can still get there with nuts/legumes, though i don't think those are complete proteins so you'd have to mix them with other incomplete proteins to hit your goals.

    you could also look into buying protein powder and mixing that in with water or milk.
  • rachelsiobhan04
    rachelsiobhan04 Posts: 5
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    Hi I find that I eat too much protein! My advice is chicken (without skin) or any fresh fish. I recommend marks and spencers - just add range of flavoured chicken. Tasty and full of nutrients. I wouldn't worry about going over on protein as it helps build muscle. Its the carbs you have to watch out for - your body saves carbs and will burn them stores before burning fat! You've heard of no carbs before marbs, how about no carbs before summer? :-)
  • Cjoseph03
    Cjoseph03 Posts: 107 Member
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    bump to read later.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    I'm in the UK, so no excuses for you! :P

    I have my protein target to be something like 175-180g for every day.
    On rest days my calories are around 1450 (workout days it's 2450 - for leangains style regime.)

    As above - chicken breast is good. it would seem one breast should give you around 38g of protein for 193 calories - not bad.
    I cut in to strips, add a good bit of garlic graunales, a little salt and pepper then 'fry' without oil in a non-stick pan. Usually just eat out of the pan.

    Of course you can eat 'normally' too and it to dishes - can always cook a batch and reheat to add to a vegetarian dish.

    On the whole need for protein thing - most things I've read suggest that it's certainly useful to have plenty of protein when losing weight as it helps stop you losing muscle.
    I'm doing weights now, so try and get lots in, but still did before to try and keep the muscle I had.
    Of course, it does help to be using that muscle too, if you want to keep it!
  • GoTeamMeaghan
    GoTeamMeaghan Posts: 347 Member
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    Thanks guys. I think meat might be the way to go...partner is a vegetarian so that means I don't eat as much as I used to.

    My daily protein goal is 112 and my calorie goal is 1490 - I think these are the goals that MFP set me.

    I'm amazed that other people don't find it as hard as me!! Maybe I can blame the food we have in the UK :p (that was a joke btw, don't want to offend any protein-loving Brits!)

    I've been vegetarian for over 2 years & easilly eat between 120-160g of protein a day. Feel free to check out my diary for ideas.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    I'm not generally one for sweet-style cereals, but I would sometimes use a chocolate protein powder mix with cereal.

    Also, much to the disgust of friends - was adding protein powder to instant mashed potato (disgust possibly because it was 'caramelised onion' mash and chocolate protein powder).
  • kabertrand63
    kabertrand63 Posts: 111 Member
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    I'm also vegetarian, well, pescatarian, as I do eat fish. But, I have added protein powder to oatmeal too. I too have no problem getting the amount of protein I target to get for myself (not MFP settings).
  • goody2shews
    goody2shews Posts: 129 Member
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    I hated meat. I had to eat protein bars and shakes at first. I was born a carbivore. I could eat pancakes three times a day.

    After exercising consistently for a few months.....I rip into chicken like a piranah, I can eat 4 pieces of fishe without even realizing the veggies are still in the microwave....I still am disgusted by beef though.

    Now one piece of bread make me feel tired. I am a changed woman.
  • Persephone7676
    Persephone7676 Posts: 91 Member
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    I'm not a huge fan of beef but since I discovered ground buffalo I am in heaven :-) It doesn't bloat my stomach like beef and the flavor is simply amazing. It's packs 24 g of protein per 4 oz and it very high in iron which is good for us girls.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Cheese!

    Nuts!

    Eggs!

    Yogurt!

    Edamame!

    But then, I just finished a Fiber One brownie with a Tbsp. of peanut butter, so, no, getting enough protein is never a problem for me. I never have a meal, and very rarely even a snack, without protein.

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