How to eat more protein if you don't like meat or can't afford it very often
jessicadb2
Posts: 57 Member
I would like to eat more protein but am finding it hard to afford meat on a regular basis. I also don't really like chicken breast or other lean meats. I do like ground lean turkey or beef but it is about 4.00 a lb for my family that is quite expensive. Oh, I also love salmon. Any meat substitutes or other animal products that will help with protein needs on a budget? I went to the scooby workshop and put in my nutritional requirements and got a eating plan but 6 oz of chicken 4 times or more a day sounds terrible to me and it would be so expensive! What do you think?
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I eat a lot of dry cottage cheese, the kind that's just curds with no moisture. I don't like it on its own, but it's good mixed into things. My favourite (which I had for dinner tonight) is ground beef tacos with cottage cheese instead of shredded nacho cheese. It's a quarter of the calories compared to the light shredded cheese I used to get, I use about 60 grams of cheese per 100 grams of meat. It helps bulk it out so you need less meat. I also put it in salads.0
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Just google high protein foods on a tight budget.
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Chicken thighs are cheap and fit into any low calorie plan.
Also consider these dishes: lentil & kale soup, black bean chili, omelets, tacos or enchiladas, rice with black beans, chic pea curry, mac and cheese, quinoa burgers, baked potatoes stuffed with turkey and cheddar.0 -
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Buy beans in bulk; organic tofu is $1.99/lb at BJs0
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Eggs eggs and more eggs. Cheap, easy, fast food full of protein. If your worried about the calories then use less yolks, but the yolks are rich in nutrients and I never discard them0
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You can also make your own Greek yogurt...you can google it.0
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Check out the frozen bulk meats. They are generally much cheaper then fresh. Also, keep a close watch on sales and buy large amounts and freeze what you don't use. Get a deep freeze if you can afford it or have a spot for it.0
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I buy 2lb bags of shrimp for $18.00 at Marks and get eight- four ounce servings throw in two cans of tuna and two protein shakes makes for a great protein based diet.0
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Dried beans, lentils, split peas, tofu, dairy, eggs (are eggs still cheap?). Buy some vital wheat gluten and make your own seitan.... google high protein vegan meals.
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Beans are my favorite food. They're a nutrition powerhouse and are delicious and filling. They are carb heavy, but definitely worth it in my opinion. Dried there incredibly cheap but canned they're still pretty cheap and so easy. I add them to salads a lot but they're great on their own too.
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Protein powder is also great. I like Cinnebun flabored Trutein & mix it in my pancakes & also make power smoothies w/kale, Fage 0 yogurt, fruit, banana. As for drinking a straight protein shake you can do that too. And since most kids don't like protein shakes, it will be cheaper on your budget since you don't have to share.
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Eggs eggs and more eggs. Cheap, easy, fast food full of protein. If your worried about the calories then use less yolks, but the yolks are rich in nutrients and I never discard them
I eat alot of eggs. Also u can invest in cheap protein powder and make shakes? I know some protein bars that taste like candy are only 1.00 a bar or less if you buy in bulk and habe lots of protein in them.
greek yogurt is good also
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Sophiasmomma wrote: »Eggs eggs and more eggs. Cheap, easy, fast food full of protein. If your worried about the calories then use less yolks, but the yolks are rich in nutrients and I never discard them
I eat alot of eggs. Also u can invest in cheap protein powder and make shakes? I know some protein bars that taste like candy are only 1.00 a bar or less if you buy in bulk and habe lots of protein in them.
greek yogurt is good also
You can certainly mix protein powder with all sorts. My favourite is with a banana, porridge oats, blueberries, and Greek yogurt.
The protein bars are good but i use them as a ' *kitten* I forgot my Pro Powder' or as a
'NEED SUGAR!! '
Myprotien.com has lots of good protein at good prices0 -
allaboutthecake wrote: »Protein powder is also great. I like Cinnebun flabored Trutein & mix it in my pancakes & also make power smoothies w/kale, Fage 0 yogurt, fruit, banana. As for drinking a straight protein shake you can do that too. And since most kids don't like protein shakes, it will be cheaper on your budget since you don't have to share. lol
Not sure what 'cinnebun flabored trutein ' is but can hazard a guess ha ha, sounds awesome.
I have the exact same power smoothie as you bit also add in some milled linseed0 -
Yes there are many non-animal proteins and they tend to be much cheaper. I like to mix animal proteins with plant (like 3 bean chili) to boost protein. I also use an unflavored whey protein powder which can be used to boost protein in many different dishes since it has no strong flavor on its own.0
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Second the beans and eggs! Cheap, versatile and very healthy! Buy meat on sale and freeze it. if you get a good deal on ground beef or turkey, freeze raw or cook a bunch up and freeze it in individual portions. Then take it out for tacos, casseroles or whatever. There are usually lots of sales on ground meat around the "cookout" holidays- memorial day, July 4th and labor day.0
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quinoa
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250g of low fat fromage frais with 25g of chopped up grapes - 20g protein and tastes good too.0
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What about a savory soya protein. I have 350g bag that will make me 7 meals and.it cost me £2 from holland and Barrett
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If you like ground (minced) meats like turkey or hamburger, you may like the texture of TVP (textured vegetable protein). It's typically made from soy and/or wheat, is sold as dehydrated "crumbles" in a bag or jug, and is very inexpensive.
TVP is usually "plain" (no flavor added), but add in seasonings when cooking (Google will help you with inspiration), and it's "meaty" in texture and gets your family the protein they need on a tight budget.0 -
Eggs, beans and cheese are my go-tos for meals. Also check out the Budget Bytes website--recipes are broken down by cost and are usually pretty cheap. I just made the roasted vegetable burritos from there. No meat, 20g of protein per serving, 10 servings for ~1.50 each depending on local prices and the size of the vegetables. There are plenty of cheap meat dishes on there too.
Also stuff like yogurt could be a decent protein boost for a snack/dessert.0 -
angielisa75 wrote: »quinoa
Similar nutrient profile to beans, but much more expensive. Tasty enough...
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