Protein Struggle

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jhnye85
jhnye85 Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
After a long break from diet and exercise, I am finally back on the wagon! This time around, I am eating a more clean, whole food diet, while eliminating sugar and processed foods. The biggest struggle I am having is meeting my protein goals. I eat lean meats or eggs with almost every meal, but could certainly eat more vegetables.

Wondering what the best options are for meeting a 60g protein goal for the day. Should I look into protein powders even though they are refined? Any quick tips for boosting protein intake without compromising clean eating?

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Replies

  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    Beef Jerky
    Chicken
    Tuna
    Cheese
    nuts
    Peanut butter


    Try to get your protein from food based sources before going for a powder.
  • Jessikat1624
    Jessikat1624 Posts: 6 Member
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    Are you eating enough of the lean meats per meal? How many oz are you eating? I wouldn't think it would be too hard to reach 60g of protein a day if you're eating meats at every meal. Try adding greek yogurt to a fruit smoothie, or if you're really in a pinch, Quest bars have 20g of protein each. String cheese has 8g of protein each, so that's a nice little snack.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    Almost all protein sources can fall into the category of "clean eating" unless you're going with bars and supplements - and a goal of 60g/day should be very easy to meet from "real" food.

    33g - 145g chicken breast (weighed raw)
    33g - 1 can TJ's half-salt tuna

    And like that, you've exceeded your goal.

    Add to that 31g cashew butter (6g), an egg (6g), and a cup of greek yogurt (21-23g depending on brand) and you're well above 60g.

    The winter salad I'm having for lunch today has 46g in one meal! Kale, quinoa, soft-boiled egg, grilled chicken, roasted squash, and tahini dressing. Nothing processed and no added sugar. I supplement with powder only on weight training days when I can't get to 130g.
  • athens1000
    athens1000 Posts: 34 Member
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    I don't eat any red meat or chicken, so my main sources of protein are:

    Fish
    Nuts
    Yogurt
    Rice protein powder (vegan)

    Many vegetables will also add to your protein intake, such as spinach. If you like beans, those are an excellent source also (I can't stand beans so I don't eat them) :smile:

    Doing a search online will give you a lot of info. Good Luck!
  • lisele03
    lisele03 Posts: 133 Member
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    Troutsy wrote: »
    Beef Jerky
    Chicken
    Tuna
    Cheese
    nuts
    Peanut butter


    Try to get your protein from food based sources before going for a powder.

    I agree^^. I like cottage cheese, black beans and sardines - sometimes all together on a spinach salad! I have to watch my sodium with these, but you can find lower sodium versions (or just plan for it) Even on a 1200-1300 cal. plan I can usually meet my protein goals with all of these variations. Good luck!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Vegetables, legumes, nuts, hemp etc. all also have a good bit of protein and are, of course, great for you.
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    cottage cheese, beans, breads/wraps (joseph's brand specifically), and eggs for me.
  • jhnye85
    jhnye85 Posts: 35 Member
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    Thank you everyone for the feedback and tips! I'll definitely be adding jerky, tuna, nuts and such to my meal plans.
  • jenna80302
    jenna80302 Posts: 54 Member
    edited February 2015
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    There are roughly 31 grams of protein in 100 gram boneless skinless chicken breast .. Add an additional (plain) chicken breast as a snack.

    As for protien powder, Lots of people use them, but they are packed with artificial ingredients and are super processed (as you mentioned above).

    If you are trying to cut out all processed food I would recommend steering clear of unnatural supplements and protein powders.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    edited February 2015
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    A pouch of tuna, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, and 2 large hard boiled eggs would get me almost to the 60g of protein.

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