Help Finding More Protein

carakit
carakit Posts: 126 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am really struggling with meeting my daily amount of protein. I usually have a protein shake for breakfast, and usually have some kind of protein (meat) for dinner. It seems like during the middle of the day is when I am really struggling with it. Can anyone recommend some good ideas for protein during the day. I do work so it needs to be something I can prep at home and bring with me. Also if you have any recipes that would also be welcome.
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Replies

  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
    Turkey breast, chicken breast, tuna, salmon, halibut, cottage cheese, low-fat mozzarella, pork, veal, tofu, beans, eggs, yogurt, soy milk, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and peanuts.
  • NeedGrace5853
    NeedGrace5853 Posts: 1 Member
    Lentils pack 8 g. of protein to 1/2 c. prepared serving (1/4 c. b4 adding water). You can season them in many ways to go with a meal.

    **Quinoa also has 6 g. in 1/2 c. serving (1/4 c. dry b4 water). The quinoa ,also can go in so many things ... soup, on the salad, with roasted veggies, as a replacement to pasta, it goes on and on. MY fave way to eat quinoa: cooked with fresh cilantro, lime juice, & kosher salt - like Chipotle's rice!!! YUM.

    Chia Seeds (3g) can be added to a smoothie, salad, eating plain (They are tiny), or grind up in coffee grinder and add to your fave dishes, undetected!

    Almonds (6g) in 24 nuts.

    Hope this helps!
  • carakit
    carakit Posts: 126 Member
    I have heard about the chia seeds but can never find them anywhere. What store do you buy them at?
  • frugalafterfifty
    frugalafterfifty Posts: 240 Member
    Chia seeds are becoming more popular. I used to have difficulty finding them and now see them at more stores. Bob's Red Mill also sells them and I see them at the grocery stores. Health food stores should definitely carry them. When I first was looking for them I ended up buying them off of Amazon.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Greek yogurt too!
  • donnacervelli11
    donnacervelli11 Posts: 109 Member
    Bookmarking because I'm struggling with this too!
  • Armyantzzz
    Armyantzzz Posts: 214 Member
    I made my very own "secret" trailmix... peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cheerios, cheezits and unsalted pretzels:bigsmile: :bigsmile: a couple of handfuls does it for me:glasses: Be careful ... don't get carried away...:laugh: It's just a snack:laugh:
  • Eabec
    Eabec Posts: 53 Member
    Greek yogurt, egg whites, legumes.....

    I'm always way over on protein!
  • jangier
    jangier Posts: 109 Member
    I think it was already mentioned, but greek yogurt, tastes so good too, nice and thick like ice cream!~ Also, grilled chicken, I make extra at dinner and pack some on my salad for lunch to get more protein. Also hard boiled eggs are nice and easy too! You could also do sliced lunch meats rolled up during the day for a snack. Oatmeal has some protein as well, so you could even do a big batch of steel cut at night and separate out for quick heat up for breakfast or lunch through the week. I struggled with protein, too, but just tried to make sure I had something with protein in each meal, keeps you fuller longer as well!
  • bearcrusher
    bearcrusher Posts: 90
    I usually have a chicken breast that I cooked the night before. Some people like my wife hate plain chicken and find it boring or dull but I've always loved it. If I am feeling spicy though for flavor I add some Frank's Red Hot to it.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    I get at least 125g of protein in every day (usually more), with no shakes. I like a lot of variety in my foods: feel free to have a look at my diary for some ideas! I
  • k8wizzo
    k8wizzo Posts: 33
    Make an extra (chicken breast, pork chop, steak, whatever) at dinner, then slice it up and put it on salad for lunch.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    Extra Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and egg whites usually get added to the day when I don't get enough protein. Also, I like Quest bars. They have 20g of protein in them and if you are looking for something low calorie they are anywhere from 160-220 calories, depending on the flavor.
  • Frank_Just_Frank
    Frank_Just_Frank Posts: 454 Member
    I guess it depends on how low your protein is, but if you just need an extra boost, what about having some beef jerky?
  • ks4e
    ks4e Posts: 374 Member
    I usually reach for plain greek yogurt with protein powder sprinkled in. Yum!
  • carakit
    carakit Posts: 126 Member
    I hate yogurt (i know im a freak of nature!) so thats out. The hard boiled eggs sound good, and so does the jerky. I found a low sodium turkey jerky at Fresh Market that is delicious but its $5.99 for 3oz. so I dont buy it too often. I will have to check out the Quest bars.
  • mudbugs07
    mudbugs07 Posts: 28 Member
    I do tuna creations for snacks if I'm low on protein. The tuna creation come in packs and have a variety of favors and the single serving size is 80 calories with 18 grams of protein, and the bonus is they are easy to pack and carry plus they are like a $1.50 a pack sometimes cheaper.
  • Eggwhitecrazy
    Eggwhitecrazy Posts: 5
    Try making some protein bars ...easy to do and way cheaper than buying pre-made ones. Plus you can track exactly what goes into them...no artificial nasties that some of them have.

    I love to use oats, egg whites (you can buy it in a pack ready separated quite cheaply and lasts 7 days in the fridge!), peanut butter, cocoa powder and dried fruit. There are tons of recipes on the net!
  • Eggwhitecrazy
    Eggwhitecrazy Posts: 5
    Try making some protein bars ...easy to do and way cheaper than buying pre-made ones. Plus you can track exactly what goes into them...no artificial nasties that some of them have.

    I love to use oats, egg whites (you can buy it in a pack ready separated quite cheaply and lasts 7 days in the fridge!), peanut butter, cocoa powder and dried fruit. There are tons of recipes on the net!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I have heard about the chia seeds but can never find them anywhere. What store do you buy them at?

    Chia seeds are a great source of fiber but they aren't very high in protein.

    Check out Seapoint Farms dry roasted edamame - 14 g protein in 1/4 c and they are delicioius. I keep them in my desk for a high protein afternoon snack.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    you are probably fine:) u are doing great and do not need more protein!
  • hagofnaedre
    hagofnaedre Posts: 30 Member
    I don't have much of a problem meeting my protein either, about 120-170g a day. My diary is open if you need ideas.

    I like to cook up lots of chicken breast and snack on it throughout the day. Pure Protein bars are really good! And they're about 20g each. You should be able to find them at most stores. I know the Wal-Mart next to my gym has them. ON Gold Standard whey protein powders are great too. I add them to oatmeal for sweetness and protein boost. Yummy.
  • daizmaiz
    daizmaiz Posts: 4
    Does anyone know where to get Chia seeds in London?

    Also, this might sound dumb but just wondering why you need more protein? Are you only eating protein or trying to balance everything you eat?
  • LesaLu4
    LesaLu4 Posts: 83
    bump
  • xxnellie146xx
    xxnellie146xx Posts: 996 Member
    This might sound odd, but I started eating it lately and it's actually good...tuna with cottage cheese, red pepper flakes, and a bit of frank's red hot.

    How many grams of protein are you averaging a day?
  • carakit
    carakit Posts: 126 Member
    Im just trying to balance everything out. And Im trying to build lean muscle and I have heard that more protein will help with that. Plus, its suppose to make you feel fuller and more satisfied for a longer time so Im not always craving something bad for me! :smile:
  • chellec23
    chellec23 Posts: 147 Member
    I found Chia seeds at Whole Foods Market. Quinoa has good protein and is a complex carbohydrate.

    If you like yogurt, greek yogurt has good protein... but if you want something cheaper I'm sure you could find cheaper yogurts with good protein. For me, I shop at Kroger and they have a Carb Smart yogurt (kroger brand) that has i think 8 grams of protein, is 60 calories, and only costs 40 cents per cup.

    I like string cheese too. I get the low-fat string cheese and it's like 12 grams of protein per stick and 60 calories.

    I believe beans are a good source as well. I sometimes mix some beans into my salads, and most of the time when I make soups at home I add cannellini beans or lentils to boost the nutrition.

    Best of luck!!
  • chellec23
    chellec23 Posts: 147 Member
    Ah, sorry, Just saw your reply about disliking yogurt!

    If you like chicken here's something I tried last night and it tastes awesome (in my opinion).... I heard about an injectable cajun creole butter marinade and found a jar at the grocery store. It says it's the "original injectable marinade" and the flavor is Creole Butter. It's not too spicy, don't worry! Anyway since I had tenderloins I didn't do the injecting but I poured a little over the raw chicken in the dish, marinated it for about half an hour, then baked it right in the marinade. We thought it tasted great! And it doesn't add any calories. Here is a link I found so you can see what I am talking about:
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/10295371?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227009474801&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=&wl3=18127734310&wl4=&wl5=pla&veh=sem
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    I had the same problem when I started. I was diagnosed with a metabolic disorder that means I need 40g protein every three hours and have to avoid carbs as much as possible. So I drink a lot of protein shakes (my favorite is Syntrax Nectar, it comes in lots of different flavors). My snacks are things like beef jerky, handfuls of nuts, chunks of cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. If you want nutrition and protein for very little money, hard-boiled eggs are the best. You can chop them up and mix them with tuna for a bit more protein. For variety, you can even mix flavored protein powder with your cottage cheese. And tuna can be mixed with different types of cheese for different flavors, too. (Can you tell I have problems with getting bored with my food?)
  • roaringsea
    roaringsea Posts: 7
    If you're on the go, I recommend Luna Protein bars (I like the peanut butter chocolate one) or Myoplex shakes. Both are good and have a decent amount of protein in them. :)

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