Quick easy ways to get protein in?

I bought a thing of unsalted nut mix. Lot's of protein and it helps me get in those extra calories. Also my protein whey powder a drink with some almond milk after exercise

(All prices for my region of U.S.)
These are the cheapest sources of protein I know about, for comparison, when looking at the cost of what seems to be "expensive" protein powder. I consider all of these to be very inexpensive sources of protein.

The cheap Walmart protein powder = $.006 per gram of protein
Tunafish = $0.016
Canned salmon = $0.026
Frozen raw chicken breasts = $0.019
Frozen raw ground turkey = $0.018
Cottage cheese = $0.027
Whole eggs = $0.037
Mozzarella = $0.028
Dry Lentils = $0.013
Dry navy beans = $0.015

Glad to see I'm not the only number lover who's done the math, lol! Every penny counts in my household, and this list is very close to my shopping list (except not canned salmon--I choose sardines--I like the taste better and I need the fish oil/fats).

I get lots of protein (100+ grams/day, more than I "need", but I'm a girl, so there's that) just from food. And...I save money since I don't buy protein powder that the rest of my family won't and don't need to take. But, I do see the very good necessity for protein powders for those who need it. Get what you like, what you want to pay, and what is readily available.


ETA: Oh, and my diary's public, for those who want to get an idea of "how I do it." With 1-2 times a month exceptions (especially this last weekend, lol I regret nothing), I hit my protein needs on food only (90-100g minimum of protein, on a 1500 cal/day average).:flowerforyou:

I don't think I need a huge amount of protein but I get mine from cashew nuts, eating hoummous on bagels and eating yogurt every day . For those drinking protein shakes etc, is that to build muscle mass when weight training?

Protein does not "build muscle." Getting an adequate amount of protein is important in any diet, but especially if you're working out and definitely when you're doing strength training (which everyone should be doing if their goal is to look good). 1 g/lb of lean body mass is pretty standard, and many people that lift heavy will take in 1 g/lb of body weight.

I'm not sure why you don't think you need much protein.

I eat my 20% protein as recommended on the basic MFP guide but I meant I don't need extra as I mainly do cardio.

I grill a lot of chicken breasts with an electric griddle (Cuisnart Griddler). I use different spices to mix it up (e.g. Lemon Pepper, Mrs. Dash, Mojo marinade, BBQ sauce). I cook several breasts at a time and prep veggies or rice to go with them. This way I have several days worth of meals prepared in advance.

I have several flavors of protein powders which I'll mix with either greek yogurt or skim milk. Plus I throw in different fruits to get the added nutritional benefits of those.

This has helped me to boost my protein intake to over 100 grams with little effort.

Good luck!

Hmm protein powder in yogurt.... will try this.

+1 sounds a great idea

I like ARO whey protein isolate powder, I buy it from Vitacost. 1 serving (2 scoops) 30 grams of protein. Last time I bought it, I got 2 5 lb. containers for $50 ($25 per container) because of a BOGO deal, you just have to get it at the right time.

I eat a container of greek yogurt with a scoop of protein powder. That is 45 g of protein alone just for a snack!

I am going to try this, great idea!

egg whites, greek yogurt, string cheese, protein shake (get a nutribullet )

Very true. My current favorite is NOW Whey Protein Isolate, 5 lb. for less than $60 - that's about a month's worth of protein, assuming you take 2 servings per day. You can't beat that by buying meats, fresh or canned.

Protein shakes don't have to be expensive. Shop around and look for whey isolate. You get the most protein for your calories.

I also eat mini babybel cheese. 50 calories and 6g protein. You don't have to be a chef to make chicken ahead of time. I also cook large batches at a time.

Easy recipe: 1 jar salsa (like for chips); 3-4 chicken breasts--Add both to the crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hrs. Once it's done shred the chicken and mix. Save in a tupperware to eat throughout the week. Great over rice or as taco filling. I also eat some over toast and some cheese on top.

For grilled chicken or oven cooked chicken I cut the chicken breast in smaller pieces and season with just garlic salt and a little sprinkle of spanish sazon (red powders) to give it some additional color. Just go easy on how you sprinkle so it's not salty...mix in a shake or two of soy sauce and vinegar....let it sit a few minutes to marinade and cook in the oven or grill.

It really isn't hard to cook chicken...and if you don't have any intolence to eggs...it is one of the best foods to eat too.

Thin sliced turkey or chicken from the deli - 2 oz for a snack gives me 9 gr protein. Real simple, no cooking involved

I struggle getting my protein in and I'm not a good cook. Anyone have some quick, easy ways to get protein in?

Chicken and ground turkey. I use a griddler, like a big George Foreman grill. Place on grill, close lid. Done in a few.

And like I am sure has already been said, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, tuna and protein powder. I buy it by the 5 lb can, ON Whey Isolate for about 50 bucks at the Vitamin Shoppe. I like the cookies ad cream. Mixes great in water or milk.

Best of luck..........

Chicken Breasts are definitely easy to get some good protein. All I do is buy skinless, boneless chicken breast and sprinkle some pepper on it and throw it in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes. Once it's done, I cut it up and save it for lunch/dinner throughout the week.

As for Protein shakes, that's another great idea. I know Walmart has a big tub of Whey protein for around $18 in Vanilla or Chocolate flavors. I haven't gotten as far as making protein shakes yet but I'm going to soon. I plan on freezing some Strawberries and Bananas so I can use them for my shakes.

Good luck!

1. Cottage cheese
2. Greek yogurt
3. Protein shakes (get a blender bottle, easy to use, easy to clean, you don't need a blender)
4. Canned tuna
5. Canned salmon (you can find skinless and boneless)
6. Canned chicken
7. Precooked chickens at the supermarket
8. Boca Burgers (you can nuke them)
9. Sliced turkey at the deli counter

Also try adding some protein boosters to things, like add soy grits to cereal or yogurt or whatever, or peanut butter 2.
http://www.bobsredmill.com/soy-grits-defatted.html

HANDKÄSE!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handkäse

This wonderful German cheese has 1 or 2% fat, and 30 grams of protein and 124 calories per 100 grams!

That's 4.13 calories per gram protein. This ratio beats the following foods:

Raw chicken (4.78)
Cottage Cheese (7.92)
Plain Yoghurt (20.3)
Tuna (4.46)
Quinoa (28.8)

And they come in little 50-gram rolls that are useful for bringing with you and snacking.

Chicken is an easy protein fix. And really, for what you pay for a whole chicken to go home and cook it, you can get the same value with one already rotisseried at the grocery store. Boom. Chicken fix.