Not eating enough Protein

WillingtoLose1001984
WillingtoLose1001984 Posts: 240 Member
edited November 13 in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I am having some issues learning how to increase my protein intake given my limited budget and distaste for most meat. I really like turkey a lot, ground beef and fish ( dislike tilapia, like salmon). I even have a protein shake and still have problems meeting my protein goals. I guess I could have those every day, maybe make a turkey at the beginning of the week or something and get a large salmon and have a little every day. Any other ideas?

Replies

  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    I use greek yoghurt a lot to meet mine - 15g of protein in a single tub; also egg whites - scrambled with some mrs dash seasoning (5g per 3 TBSP); protein power - 33g per scoop that I mix with fairlife milk (additional protein in milk)
  • callyhockey
    callyhockey Posts: 22 Member
    Idk seems easy to me if you like salmon and turkey. Might be boring but eating two decent serving of those a day should be addequate with a protein shake
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Other than the protein-rich foods you mentioned, you could always try experimenting with some non-meat proteins and see if you like them. Beans, tofu, seitan, tempeh -- these are all plant foods that are higher in protein. If you wanted to add some variety to your diet, they may be worth a try.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    How much protein are you trying to eat?

    I'm a little confused, you said you don't like most meat, but you do like turkey, beef, and fish?

    Anyway, other good sources: eggs, string cheese, Greek yogurt, lentils, milk, soy beans and soy products.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited November 2016
    Where do you have your protein goal set?

    The RDA for adequate protein for most adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of ideal weight. That's about 46 grams of protein per day for non-pregnant, non-lactating women and 56 grams for men.

    Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients

    The recommendation I've seen for optimal protein (especially if body building or losing weight) is 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass or 0.8 grams per pound of your ideal weight (middle of normal BMI).

    Personally, I aim for about 70 grams per day which falls between adequate and optimal but works for me.
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
    Protein comes from a lot of places, not just animal products. Leafy greens, legumes, beans, and the like. Grains like quinoa are also protein rich. Also brown rice. Look outside the "protein comes from meat" box, and you'll add not only some more protein, but some more variety.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
    cottage cheese and cheese in general are great sources of protein.cottage cheese in particular is very low in calories as well.
  • pascalpp
    pascalpp Posts: 3 Member
    edited November 2016
    Try beans (black, white, kidney, etc), lentils, chickpeas, nuts (almond, cashew, etc), tofu (also soy beans, tempeh, etc), brown rice, quinoa, ...

    Proteins are everywhere. And in much less expansive products than meat. The brown rice + red beans combo is very cheap. Add in some spices (thyme, cumin, black pepper are my favorites), maybe also a tomato (or some fresh tomato pulp), sweet pepper, onions, and you are good to go!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    reduced fat dairy, seafood, beans, veg thats higher in protein (broccoli and mushrooms for example)

    pre-log your day and build your meals around the protein sources to ensure you hit your goals.
  • jason10476
    jason10476 Posts: 1 Member
    Boca burgers and vegan burger crumbles are excellent sources of protein
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
    Eat vegetarian sources of protein. Protein doesn't just come from meat, it's in most foods. As long as you get around 50-60g which is recommended for most people then don't worry too much about it. I like beans, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and faux meats which generally don't have the taste and texture of meat if that's what you don't like because neither do I except for faux chorizo. Beans, tofu and tempeh are pretty cheap, it's the faux meats that get pricey. My go-to is a stir fry of either lightly fried or baked tofu or seitan with brown rice and veggies with a homemade peanut sauce. You could use store-bought sauces. I just have a huge thing of pb2 I'm trying to get through.

    For the sauce I use 2tbs pb2, 2tb soy sauce or liquid aminos, 1 tbs oil, 1 tsp rice vinegar, dash of onion and garlic powder and a squeeze of siracha and seseame seeds (optional).
  • sh512266
    sh512266 Posts: 60 Member
    My protein shake has 50g of protein in it per serving. I LOVE it. I mix it with puréed spinach and fruit in the am for breakfast, very filling. Otherwise I eat a lot of boiled eggs, salmon, chicken, shrimp and hummus to get over 100g usually per day.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    What shake has 50g? I was happy to find one at 35g.
  • Mary_Anastasia
    Mary_Anastasia Posts: 267 Member
    Here are some of my sources (I am usually low, too, but with a 1400 calorie intake and being vegetarian, I kind of expect it):

    Hummus, black beans, quinoa, tempeh, veggie sausage, beans (in soups, in salads), and cheeeeeese! I love tempeh and veggie sausage especially.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    grmckenzie wrote: »
    What shake has 50g? I was happy to find one at 35g.

    Just add more :wink: 50g of my protein powder has 42g of protein.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I added hard boiled eggs, peanut butter and greek yogurt to my regular diet and it got my protein up without being too calorie dense.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    I use My Protein shake powder- 2 scoops is around 45 grams of protein,more if you mix with milk. That plus a helping of turkey and fish should do it but other non meat sources include cheese,eggs,nuts...Quinoa is high in protein for a grain
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Don't forget to add beans and rice together...the amino acids pair up to make a more complete protein. They don't have to be in the same meal. But a bean and rice burrito in a high-fiber high protein wrap is great!

    Ironically, I found that while high-protein foods are typically much more expensive than carbs, I'm also spending a bit less because I'm not constantly snacking on carbs all day.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    grmckenzie wrote: »
    What shake has 50g? I was happy to find one at 35g.

    Just add more :wink: 50g of my protein powder has 42g of protein.

    i have always thought about doing that yet somehow i convince myself its "bad" to have more then one serving haha! adding more right
    now!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    fishshark wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    grmckenzie wrote: »
    What shake has 50g? I was happy to find one at 35g.

    Just add more :wink: 50g of my protein powder has 42g of protein.

    i have always thought about doing that yet somehow i convince myself its "bad" to have more then one serving haha! adding more right
    now!

    :lol: Yaaay

    I prelog my day, and if i have enough protein then i stick with the regular serving scoop, but if i'm low i add enough extra protein powder to get me over the line. It could be an extra 10g, sometimes 20-25g.
  • Dano74
    Dano74 Posts: 503 Member
    edited November 2016
    grmckenzie wrote: »
    What shake has 50g? I was happy to find one at 35g.

    The kind that's either:

    1) A 2 scoop serving
    2) Amino spiked and thus less quality protein per weight.

    Rule of thumb- for a 30ishg scoop of protein, you should have about 22-24g protein per scoop.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    I dislike meat so I'm a vegetarian. I have no trouble getting protein. I eat a lot because it makes me feel full.

    My favorite sources are cottage cheese, egg whites (I love to make omelets with low fat cheese and I use a lot of egg whites when I do this, about 350 grams), protein powder, and bean pasta (like Banza, Tolerant, or Explore Cuisine). I eat my protein with a lot of vegetables for very satisfying meals.
  • ToxDocAR
    ToxDocAR Posts: 49 Member
    SHRIMP! Excellent protein:calorie ratio.
  • Bunny19770
    Bunny19770 Posts: 2 Member
    Eat one of the Eat Natural bars a day - the blue one has 10g in
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