Protein help!

DianaM1020
DianaM1020 Posts: 98 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I just realized I have not been getting enough protein! My recommended daily is 81g and I have been getting an average of 40, only getting 81 twice in the last month! I usually don't even look at my protein levels.

What consequences does this have? Hinders my muscle growth?

What are some good, easy ways to get more protein and not just add more meat- I'm not a big meat eater, and I don't like protein shakes....

Any good recipes?

THANKS!

Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    A hard-boiled egg, a slice of cheese, a handful of almonds, a tub of baked beans, some humous or other bean-based dip, ....
  • murf19
    murf19 Posts: 453 Member
    Fish also has alot of Protein. Eggs, Turkey bacon. I average 150 grams a day.
  • nancymmorris
    nancymmorris Posts: 310
    Eggs, beans, lentils, greek yogurt, are all great sources of protein. I eat try 80-100g of protein daily. Good luck!!
  • anitsu
    anitsu Posts: 2
    Proteins are fundamental components of all living cells and include many substances, such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies, that are necessary for the proper functioning of an organism. They are essential in the diet of animals for the growth and repair of tissue and can be obtained from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and legumes, nuts, cottage cheese, soya.
  • Blondie1984
    Blondie1984 Posts: 75 Member
    Protein is essential for sure. There is alot of protein in cottage cheese there are quite a few recipes you can use for cottage cheese - its one of my favorite sources of protein. : )
  • JustBill
    JustBill Posts: 93 Member
    I think MFP is a little low on the protein recommendations to begin with, so yeah, you want to up your protein intake. Protein is essential for maintaining and increasing lean muscle mass.

    Since you're not into meat or shakes, try having some mixed nuts as a snack once in a while. Or try Muscle Milk... it is a protein shake but not the nasty powdery kind. They are quite tasty.

    I do a lot of mixed nuts, one muscle milk a day, and lots of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
  • anitsu
    anitsu Posts: 2
    http://heathereatsalmondbutter.com/recipes/protein-pancakes/
  • DianaM1020
    DianaM1020 Posts: 98 Member
    Oh my gosh! Thank you everyone! I will definitely try to pack some of those things into my diet!

    I've also noticed I'm super low on Iron, Potassium, and Calcium! So, adding in more dairy should help most of those.

    THANKS!
  • kblue2007
    kblue2007 Posts: 2,564 Member
    I tend to go over my protein for the day, but MFP tends to be low so you should really start tracking so you get enough. Protein helps build lean muscle and also helps keep you fuller longer.
    I usually have a breakfast smoothie with greek yogurt, for snacks I have a hard boiled egg, string cheese and/or cottage cheese (with grapes), plus whatever my dinner protein is. I don't eat alot of meat either, so we have lots of beans, sometimes fritattas. Dr. Praegers Veggie burgers are also a great lunch choice (for myself anyway).
    Good luck!
  • flash53
    flash53 Posts: 46 Member
    You need protien to go and repair your body from skin,muscles and tendons. Protien will make you feel satisfied for a longer period of time because it takes a longer time to burn off protien than carbs. If you dont like beef try to consume lean meats such as fish such as tuna which is easy to get, chicken , turky, eggs, pork , Nuts, cheese, beans, yogurt, and even milk. People forget milk has protien and you can get your calcium and vitamin D with that also. good luck.
  • kickboxer74
    kickboxer74 Posts: 31
    Dianna,

    Protein is the basic building block of muscle and mucle development. The branch chain amino acids in protein are vital in post workout out recovery and healthy muscle development. When there is not enough protein for the body to scavange post work out, the body will use it's own lean muscle mass for protein. This is of course only in extreme case. Since you don't like meat and/or protein supplements. Try theses food that very cheap and loaded with protein: solid white tuna, shrimp, peanuts, natural peanut butter, 100% whole grain breads, almonds, whole milk, and honey. I listed some seafood, I don't know if you considered meat as seafood? Always remember to drink and/or eat some form of protein post workout, so your body will have the building blocks to help your muscles repair and increase in strengh. Best wishes!

    David
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    I'll qualify what I'm about to say with "I'm not an expert" but here's my understanding.

    If your goals are weight loss, you want to PRESERVE your lean tissue while losing fat. It's inevitable that you will loose some lean tissue in your weight loss journey. To minimize this lean tissue loss you should take in 1g of protein for every kilo of body weight, this is a minimum. The more lean tissue you have, the more calories your body requires to function or the more you burn...depending how you want to look at it.

    So preserving your lean tissue while you lose weight will assist you in maximizing your losses since you'll be burning more calories throughout the day. Small changes have the largest effect in the long run.

    Way's to get it...not including protein shakes or meat (red meat).

    Chicken
    Tunafish (Starfish Albacore is the best IMO)
    Greek Yogurt - excellent
    Eggs
    Milk
    Quinoa
    Almond Butter
    (Google it - there are millions of lists of protein out there)

    I know you said you don't like protein shakes, but maybe you're just not buying the right brand / flavor or making it the right way. Especially if you've only ever mixed it with water...yuck.
  • DianaM1020
    DianaM1020 Posts: 98 Member
    David- thanks! I do love seafood but I never cook it! I have to make fast lunches and dinners because I work full time and am in graduate school.

    Gpoitras: my goal is really weight maintenance, trying to stay around 135-139 lbs, but I really want to tone up. Those are great suggestions, I need to get back into tuna and eggs for sure.

    I do like protein bars, but they tend to be so high in calorie (which i know is good calories) but I work out right before dinner, so I don't want to add that on top of my dinner, maybe in addition to.


    I LOVE peanut butter, cottage cheese, tuna, and yogurt so I'll try those for now.

    THANKS EVERYONE!
  • mamarundrc
    mamarundrc Posts: 1,577 Member
    Greek yougurt is a good snack and can be used as a replacement for sourcream in almost any recipe. 1 serving (6 oz) Peanut butter and almond butter is a good way to add in a little protein to snacks as well. You can use a little bit on some apples or celery to boost the protein in those snacks, just watch portions because it can be very fatty. Another thing that I sometime eat as a snack is shrimp. You can buy it cooked and frozen and thaw out a few with a litle bit of cocktail sauce for a nice protein rich snack.
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