Easy ways to get more protein in your diet

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emilygilman1
emilygilman1 Posts: 17 Member
in Food and Nutrition
hey guys! I was just wondering if you have some creative/ easy ways to implement more protein in your diets besides the usual protein powder and bars. Thanks!
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Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    More meat/animal products. Some dairy.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    Chicken, turkey, red meat, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, fish, seafood.
  • lingo10
    lingo10 Posts: 305 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Any meat, poultry, dairy, beans or fish source. Some green or superfood blends, I know can have high amino and protein.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
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    I don't eat a lot of meat, so I eat greek yogurt and cottage cheese most days (plus a little bit of meat for dinner, sometimes beans). At the recommendation of someone on this site, I do eat a protein bar now as a replacement for my past chocolate dessert. It still has chocolate in it, but pushes me towards my protein goal. It's still a struggle.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    I struggle with this and I do have a protein shake. Problem I'm having is I can't eat any form of dairy. I recommend almond milk though, that's pretty high. Boiled eggs, almonds, and peanut butter are my go-to
  • dbienz
    dbienz Posts: 188 Member
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    I had a similar question and the abstract "meat" answers weren't very helpful for me. I needed concrete ways. This is what my boyfriend and I did together.

    1) We bought unflavored protein powder (I know you said besides protein powder) and add it to a lot of our recipes. He loves waffles so we put it in there, in my gluten free banana bread, in homemade granola bars, etc. Often you have to swap out some of the dry ingredients for the powder or it gets too dry. There are some great recipes I can send you if you are interested.

    2) Snacks were a big time I could have been getting protein but wasn't. I would eat chips, fruit, raw veggies, etc. Now I eat veggies with hummus, a can of tuna with diced onion and a ripe avocado (instead of mayo), 4 oz of oven roasted chicken, etc.

    3) Dinner for us is a big time to get protein into our diets. We usually have protein and a veggie, no starch. If we do have a starch its usually brown rice, quinoa, gluten free pasta, or sweet potato and is the smallest portion of our plate. The protein we eat is usually 6-8 oz and we prefer chicken, ground turkey, fish, and occasionally steak.

    My diet is a little complicated because I'm gluten free (Celiac disease) and allergic to eggs (but not vegan). Its a daily thing I work on and even now I'm looking for ways to increase my protein intake! :smile:
  • edwardetr
    edwardetr Posts: 140 Member
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    dbienz wrote: »
    ...a can of tuna with diced onion and a ripe avocado (instead of mayo)...
    That sounds delicious. What a great idea.

  • dbienz
    dbienz Posts: 188 Member
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    edwardetr wrote: »
    dbienz wrote: »
    ...a can of tuna with diced onion and a ripe avocado (instead of mayo)...
    That sounds delicious. What a great idea.

    Sometimes if the avocado isn't ripe enough, I throw a tiny bit of greek yogurt in to add creaminess.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
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    Lentils! Quinoa is also good. Even better is to mix the two together.

    http://www.food.com/recipe/lentil-quinoa-salad-433808?nl=email_share
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    whmscll wrote: »
    Lentils! Quinoa is also good. Even better is to mix the two together.

    http://www.food.com/recipe/lentil-quinoa-salad-433808?nl=email_share

    That's about the LAST thing I would call a good source of protein. But I guess everyone has different needs/goals/expectations.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Canned tuna
    Packets of tuna
    Chicken
    Deli meat and cheese rollups
    Cheese
    Nuts
    Seeds
    Lentils
    Legumes
    Greek yogurt
    Cottage cheese
    Fish
    Milk
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Meat, fish, dairy, soybeans.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2015
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    My egg (omelet) breakfast doesn't have as much protein as I would like and I'm not wild about egg whites, so I always add some low fat dairy (cottage cheese or greek yogurt) or else some smoked salmon or lean meat (lately I've been adding some leftover chicken).

    I try to do alternatives to sandwiches for lunch a lot of the time, as that tends to increase the protein amount. I bring something from home or get a salad with protein or, on occasion, a wrap or quinoa/rice bowl with a decent amount of protein.

    My dinners usually have plenty, so that's easy.

    If I snack (which I often do not), I try to include some protein--either a Quest bar or some greek yogurt or else sometimes I bring some leftover meat, as well as nuts or fruit.

    Not always, but I usually try to focus on leaner meats for at least most of my meals--for example, bacon is great, but the protein content is pretty low for the calories.
  • kvansteen
    kvansteen Posts: 82 Member
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    lilRicki wrote: »
    I struggle with this and I do have a protein shake. Problem I'm having is I can't eat any form of dairy. I recommend almond milk though, that's pretty high. Boiled eggs, almonds, and peanut butter are my go-to

    I would recommend soy milk over almond. 7 grams of protein versus 1/2 grams in almond. Also try hemp protein powder instead of whey protein.
  • Katzedernacht
    Katzedernacht Posts: 266 Member
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    jacksonpt wrote: »
    whmscll wrote: »
    Lentils! Quinoa is also good. Even better is to mix the two together.

    http://www.food.com/recipe/lentil-quinoa-salad-433808?nl=email_share

    That's about the LAST thing I would call a good source of protein. But I guess everyone has different needs/goals/expectations.

    It is very good in the vegetable realm. O.o
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Katzedernacht wrote: »
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    whmscll wrote: »
    Lentils! Quinoa is also good. Even better is to mix the two together.

    http://www.food.com/recipe/lentil-quinoa-salad-433808?nl=email_share

    That's about the LAST thing I would call a good source of protein. But I guess everyone has different needs/goals/expectations.

    It is very good in the vegetable realm. O.o

    I'm sorry... but even in "the vegetable realm" this isn't a "good source of protein"

    Nutrition info from that dish, from that webpage/link:
    zbew4yl301o1.jpg
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    jacksonpt wrote: »
    Katzedernacht wrote: »
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    whmscll wrote: »
    Lentils! Quinoa is also good. Even better is to mix the two together.

    http://www.food.com/recipe/lentil-quinoa-salad-433808?nl=email_share

    That's about the LAST thing I would call a good source of protein. But I guess everyone has different needs/goals/expectations.

    It is very good in the vegetable realm. O.o

    I'm sorry... but even in "the vegetable realm" this isn't a "good source of protein"

    Nutrition info from that dish, from that webpage/link:
    zbew4yl301o1.jpg

    I can see why you are confused or disagree. The recipe is in the "low protein" category - it says "Recipes/ Low Protein" top left, and the "blurb" says
    I saw this recipe on the Food Network and decided to give it a try. I have been trying to find oher ways to use lentils other than soup and hae been wanting to try quinoa. This recipe is a great addition to any meal, providing extra protein and whole grain!
  • accidentalpancake
    accidentalpancake Posts: 484 Member
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    It's hard to beat fish for protein density.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited July 2015
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    never mind... what's the point.
  • edwardetr
    edwardetr Posts: 140 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    Katzedernacht wrote: »
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    whmscll wrote: »
    Lentils! Quinoa is also good. Even better is to mix the two together.

    http://www.food.com/recipe/lentil-quinoa-salad-433808?nl=email_share

    That's about the LAST thing I would call a good source of protein. But I guess everyone has different needs/goals/expectations.

    It is very good in the vegetable realm. O.o

    I'm sorry... but even in "the vegetable realm" this isn't a "good source of protein"

    Nutrition info from that dish, from that webpage/link:
    zbew4yl301o1.jpg

    I can see why you are confused or disagree. The recipe is in the "low protein" category - it says "Recipes/ Low Protein" top left, and the "blurb" says
    I saw this recipe on the Food Network and decided to give it a try. I have been trying to find oher ways to use lentils other than soup and hae been wanting to try quinoa. This recipe is a great addition to any meal, providing extra protein and whole grain!

    I think the point is that if someone it trying to add more protein, they would do it with a food that has more protein that carbs. Otherwise, they could just eat more of what they are currently eating. They want to add protein more exclusively. Lentils don't fit that.

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