Struggling to reach my protein goals
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Cheesy567
Posts: 1,186 Member
Due to low appetite and trouble with weakness of my chewing/ swallowing muscles, I'm struggling to reach my protein goals. Some days I barely make it, and other days I'm under by up to 30-40 grams. My weekly average is quite poor.
I'm doing the best I can in terms of mitigating the swallowing issues-- puréeing meats, etc. It's a medical issue, and I'm managing the underlying cause as much as I can at the moment. The meats need a fair amount of fat and broth to reach the right consistency for me, so even when I focus on protein I still get a decent amount of fat. I don't tolerate soy, nuts, or whey, so most protein powders are not an option. Rice protein is too grainy for me to manage at the moment-- makes swallowing difficult.
I'm 5'10", about 300 lb, and I try to reach 110-120gm protein/ day. I'm sedentary, but try to hit the middle of my recommended protein level from the Ankrel (sp?) site because of the underlying muscle disease-- I can't afford to lose more muscle!
Any suggestions for boosting appetite? Any ideas on "sneaking in" more protein?
I'm doing the best I can in terms of mitigating the swallowing issues-- puréeing meats, etc. It's a medical issue, and I'm managing the underlying cause as much as I can at the moment. The meats need a fair amount of fat and broth to reach the right consistency for me, so even when I focus on protein I still get a decent amount of fat. I don't tolerate soy, nuts, or whey, so most protein powders are not an option. Rice protein is too grainy for me to manage at the moment-- makes swallowing difficult.
I'm 5'10", about 300 lb, and I try to reach 110-120gm protein/ day. I'm sedentary, but try to hit the middle of my recommended protein level from the Ankrel (sp?) site because of the underlying muscle disease-- I can't afford to lose more muscle!
Any suggestions for boosting appetite? Any ideas on "sneaking in" more protein?
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Replies
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Are you able to do bite size meat like shrimp? Also, bacon and pepperoni have a good amount of protein (still higher fat though). And maybe try recipes where the meat "crumbles" like low carb crab cakes or meat loaf.0
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Full fat plain Greek yogurt has a decent amount of protein and relatively few carbs.1
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Are you able to do bite size meat like shrimp? Also, bacon and pepperoni have a good amount of protein (still higher fat though). And maybe try recipes where the meat "crumbles" like low carb crab cakes or meat loaf.
I rarely can manage shrimp lately (the odd texture makes it harder to swallow, it breaks apart as it goes down and causes me to choke. I've aspirated shrimp more often than anything else) but, I have puréed it, and it makes a nice base for soups, especially with an Asian flavor. That's a good reminder-- I can pick up some more soon. It's a good option for just protein, one that I use to fill the protein void when swallowing isn't a problem!
Do you have a recipe for the crab cakes? I probably can't eat the cakes but I can purée it, and it's a flavor I haven't had in awhile!0 -
Are you able to do bite size meat like shrimp? Also, bacon and pepperoni have a good amount of protein (still higher fat though). And maybe try recipes where the meat "crumbles" like low carb crab cakes or meat loaf.
I rarely can manage shrimp lately (the odd texture makes it harder to swallow, it breaks apart as it goes down and causes me to choke. I've aspirated shrimp more often than anything else) but, I have puréed it, and it makes a nice base for soups, especially with an Asian flavor. That's a good reminder-- I can pick up some more soon. It's a good option for just protein, one that I use to fill the protein void when swallowing isn't a problem!
Do you have a recipe for the crab cakes? I probably can't eat the cakes but I can purée it, and it's a flavor I haven't had in awhile!
Sorry no do not have a good recipe to recommend it was just the first thing I thought of then I remembered that crab cakes have breading so I Googled "low carb crab cakes" and there are recipes out there. I will have to try soon.0 -
Have you tried pea protein powder or hemp powder?1
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The only truly tasteless protein I have found is hydrolyzed collagen protein. It's not whey or dairy so hopefully you can take.I buy a canister on Amazon and add a scoop to my coffee. It's about 10 g of protein per scoop. It's amazing how tasteless it really is. It can be blended in many drinks but i found its best in a warm drinks, by the way.
I also use Vega One (or Essential is lower carb) with almond milk, very yummy.1 -
KarlynKeto wrote: »The only truly tasteless protein I have found is hydrolyzed collagen protein. It's not whey or dairy so hopefully you can take.I buy a canister on Amazon and add a scoop to my coffee. It's about 10 g of protein per scoop. It's amazing how tasteless it really is. It can be blended in many drinks but i found its best in a warm drinks, by the way.
I also use Vega One (or Essential is lower carb) with almond milk, very yummy.
I use that too but I thought it was an incomplete protein so not fully beneficial as a protein source.
Not sure about that at all. Just something I thought I saw mentioned before. I don't use it for that reason so I never bothered to look into it.1 -
KarlynKeto wrote: »The only truly tasteless protein I have found is hydrolyzed collagen protein. It's not whey or dairy so hopefully you can take.I buy a canister on Amazon and add a scoop to my coffee. It's about 10 g of protein per scoop. It's amazing how tasteless it really is. It can be blended in many drinks but i found its best in a warm drinks, by the way.
That one I know I can take! I'll dig it out of my cupboard today. I'm not too worried about it being an incomplete protein, since I eat mainly complete proteins. I doubt that having 20% intake being incomplete would make much difference, right?
I appreciate everyone's comments-- it's funny how easily I forget these things!1 -
KarlynKeto wrote: »The only truly tasteless protein I have found is hydrolyzed collagen protein. It's not whey or dairy so hopefully you can take.I buy a canister on Amazon and add a scoop to my coffee. It's about 10 g of protein per scoop. It's amazing how tasteless it really is. It can be blended in many drinks but i found its best in a warm drinks, by the way.
That one I know I can take! I'll dig it out of my cupboard today. I'm not too worried about it being an incomplete protein, since I eat mainly complete proteins. I doubt that having 20% intake being incomplete would make much difference, right?
I appreciate everyone's comments-- it's funny how easily I forget these things!
I look at protein the same way - I don't care if one serving is not complete, it's about what I consume over the course of the day. I try to mix up plant, dairy and animal protein as they all vary in the amount of amino acids too. Collagen has a very different amino acid profile as say dairy, so i think it really does balance well if we mix it up.
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »KarlynKeto wrote: »The only truly tasteless protein I have found is hydrolyzed collagen protein. It's not whey or dairy so hopefully you can take.I buy a canister on Amazon and add a scoop to my coffee. It's about 10 g of protein per scoop. It's amazing how tasteless it really is. It can be blended in many drinks but i found its best in a warm drinks, by the way.
I also use Vega One (or Essential is lower carb) with almond milk, very yummy.
I use that too but I thought it was an incomplete protein so not fully beneficial as a protein source.
Not sure about that at all. Just something I thought I saw mentioned before. I don't use it for that reason so I never bothered to look into it.
I honestly don't know, I have actual read both - that it is and it isn't. I guess I could dig deeper, but it's not why I take it anyway. This type of protein is high in certain amino acids that other proteins are not, which have been linked to improving joint and skin health which is important to me since I am facing saggy skin issues.
I figure it evens out by the end of the day. 0 -
KarlynKeto wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »KarlynKeto wrote: »The only truly tasteless protein I have found is hydrolyzed collagen protein. It's not whey or dairy so hopefully you can take.I buy a canister on Amazon and add a scoop to my coffee. It's about 10 g of protein per scoop. It's amazing how tasteless it really is. It can be blended in many drinks but i found its best in a warm drinks, by the way.
I also use Vega One (or Essential is lower carb) with almond milk, very yummy.
I use that too but I thought it was an incomplete protein so not fully beneficial as a protein source.
Not sure about that at all. Just something I thought I saw mentioned before. I don't use it for that reason so I never bothered to look into it.
I honestly don't know, I have actual read both - that it is and it isn't. I guess I could dig deeper, but it's not why I take it anyway. This type of protein is high in certain amino acids that other proteins are not, which have been linked to improving joint and skin health which is important to me since I am facing saggy skin issues. I figure it evens out by the end of the day.
I use it for the same reasons that you do.
I just seem to remember other opinions that left that thought in my mind to not bother counting it toward your protein needs. ???
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »KarlynKeto wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »KarlynKeto wrote: »The only truly tasteless protein I have found is hydrolyzed collagen protein. It's not whey or dairy so hopefully you can take.I buy a canister on Amazon and add a scoop to my coffee. It's about 10 g of protein per scoop. It's amazing how tasteless it really is. It can be blended in many drinks but i found its best in a warm drinks, by the way.
I also use Vega One (or Essential is lower carb) with almond milk, very yummy.
I use that too but I thought it was an incomplete protein so not fully beneficial as a protein source.
Not sure about that at all. Just something I thought I saw mentioned before. I don't use it for that reason so I never bothered to look into it.
I honestly don't know, I have actual read both - that it is and it isn't. I guess I could dig deeper, but it's not why I take it anyway. This type of protein is high in certain amino acids that other proteins are not, which have been linked to improving joint and skin health which is important to me since I am facing saggy skin issues. I figure it evens out by the end of the day.
I use it for the same reasons that you do.
I just seem to remember other opinions that left that thought in my mind to not bother counting it toward your protein needs. ???
I have seen that argument many times too, most as an argument as to why whey protein is the best/better choice among the vast array of options. And while it's a great consideration, it really is just one aspect to consider. That claim confused me too, and I remember thinking "oh no, my vegan protein powder must therefor be bad!" Glad I snapped out of it and realized I consume many sources of proteins, not just one.
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Have you tried pates? If you don't like organ meat, there are pate recipes with more traditional cuts of meat. I think you mentioned that you purée your meats, try Googling recipes for pate, potted meats or even terrine for some new ways to prepare soft meat dishes.2
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Cottage cheese is another high protein, low carb option.1
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HA! @Cheesy567 - did you know that Bragg's Nutritional Yeast is considered to be a complete protein, is called "nature's cheeto dust," is a go-to treatment for neuropathy (B1 & B12, per Dr. Berg), and has about a million recipes/ways you can use it??? Just in case you needed more sources.
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/11-ways-use-nutritional-yeast-and-why-you-should
http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/nutritional-yeast-2
http://bragg.com/products/bragg-premium-nutritional-yeast-seasoning-salt-free.html1 -
What about gelatine? I believe that's mainly protein.... And would be easy to swallow?0
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »HA! @Cheesy567 - did you know that Bragg's Nutritional Yeast is considered to be a complete protein, is called "nature's cheeto dust," is a go-to treatment for neuropathy (B1 & B12, per Dr. Berg), and has about a million recipes/ways you can use it??? Just in case you needed more sources.
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/11-ways-use-nutritional-yeast-and-why-you-should
http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/nutritional-yeast-2
http://bragg.com/products/bragg-premium-nutritional-yeast-seasoning-salt-free.html
I LOVE nutritional yeast!! I started eating it during a vegetarian / vegan-ish phase years ago and kept it in rotation even when I added meat back in. I just sprinkle it on my eggs, avocados and steamed buttered veg for a cheese taste without the dairy.1
