Not hitting protein goals?

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appalachian_gigi
appalachian_gigi Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I'm trying to lose 100+ pounds and I feel like I've been doing ok-ish... My big problem is hitting protein goals. Are there any suggestions of how to boost up what I'm eating to give me more protein? I'm on the go a lot and need to have fast options but fast options tend to be mostly grains. Thanks!

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Think "pyramid". Try to eat more (more often and/or more of your calories) at home, or just have more protein with your sit down meals: Meat, fish, cheese, milk, yogurt - grains add some protein too, just limit the typical snack foods like cookies, bars, candy, soda. Build your dinners up with protein food (meat, fish, eggs or beans), starch (grains and tubers), vegs, and then add on dairy, fruit, nuts - and the occasional treat.
  • jocelynmoore08
    jocelynmoore08 Posts: 9 Member
    edited March 2018
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    I have a relatively high protein goal and have trouble hitting it as well (160 g). My go-to foods that I eat daily or at least multiple times a week are: chicken breast/pork tenderloin (grill this on Sunday and have it in the fridge all week), eggs/egg whites, protein bars and protein shakes (lower carb options). I do end up eating a LOT of chicken or lean meat. I usually eat a 6 oz serving with my lunches and dinners. Even with that, I have to supplement with protein shakes at least one per day (30 g protein per scoop).
    I have a pretty low fat goal too (36 g) so I have to be very careful about too much fat with my protein sources.
  • RadishEater
    RadishEater Posts: 470 Member
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    If you have a refrigerator to store your food, greek yogurt/cottage cheese/turkey summer sausage are great snacks. I batch prep meals with meat in them on weekends and bring them in tupperware but also they require refrigeration.

    If you need things that don't need refrigeration, I usually go with a dried fruit and nut mix + protein bar, however those can be a bit high in calories. Or you could look into jerky.
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
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    When I need protein quickly I go for.

    Hard boiled eggs
    tuna (the ones that come in pouches are easy to take to work just need a fork)
    cottage cheese
    yogurt
    protein bars
    protein shakes
    chicken (always have some cooked up to throw on salads or a sandwich)
    pork loin
    turkey breast
    string cheese
    jerky
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    What are your protein goals in grams? If you're obese there's a good chance if you follow the .8-1g/lb guidelines you have a ridiculously high number that is overkill
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    nvm, just saw your diary is public. More chicken, greek yogurt, coldcuts, shakes, low fat cheese, milk
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited March 2018
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    PinkPaperHeart3 wrote: »
    Hello! I'm trying to lose 100+ pounds and I feel like I've been doing ok-ish... My big problem is hitting protein goals. Are there any suggestions of how to boost up what I'm eating to give me more protein? I'm on the go a lot and need to have fast options but fast options tend to be mostly grains. Thanks!

    Fast no-prep protein options:
    * Protein bars/protein-added food bars
    * cottage cheese
    * greek yogurt
    * peanut butter (ETA: note: does have more fat than protein)
    * lower fat cheeses
    * lunch meat (potentially more fat than protein)

    Fast-ish minimal prep protein options:
    * hard-boiled eggs (note: whole egg is ~45% fat versus protein )
    * Salmon (wrapped in wax paper first) microwaves fairly decently for me, especially if you add some seasonings/teriyaki sauce. Better if pre-seared for a bit first though (I do a bunch at once when I have time then toss in fridge to microwave later).
    * Frozen shrimp thawed/warmed in microwave.
    * Pre-cooked ham (there are some fairly lean ones) - slice and bag for later. Also better if pre-seared for a bit.

    Less Fast, but quite do-able if done in bulk, then refrigerated for the week:
    * Chicken/pork chops/beef cuts/.. (pre-sear/mostly cook in pan). will need microwave later
    * Chicken/pork - instant pot/slow cooker... make pulled chicken, either with BBQ sauce to microwave later, or plain or with hot sauce to have cold.
  • huskydoo
    huskydoo Posts: 112 Member
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    Everyone has given great suggestions but as the OP has said they need something quick because they are on the go.

    My suggestion is a good quality protein bar or protein powder shake to supplement. There are several out there that are low calorie and high protein. Some good choices for vegans too.

    It’s quick. Don’t need refrigeration or lug a cooler every where you go

  • Jermanator
    Jermanator Posts: 18 Member
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    What I have found is that if I start with some sort of lean protein for a meal, then add on vegetables and go sparing with the starches and high carb stuff, I do pretty well with my protein.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Nut and nut butters are bad sources of protein.

    Think string cheese, Greek yogurt, fish, lean meats. Look for low carb tortillas because they typically have 10g of protein too.
  • goatg
    goatg Posts: 1,399 Member
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    I'm struggling with that too...

    I've started adding a little extra collagen to my shakes and eating lean chicken breast. That really helps.
  • 1houndgal
    1houndgal Posts: 558 Member
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    I like all the protein sources people have shared.

    I just want to add canned wild salmon (bumblebees brand). And turkey breast (Winco store deli has them rotisserie cooked, And affordable). Costco rotissere chicken is good also.
  • goatg
    goatg Posts: 1,399 Member
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    1houndgal wrote: »
    I just want to add canned wild salmon (bumblebees brand).

    I was reading about omegas the other day. Did you know that canned tuna loses most of its omega content? Amazingly, searing salmon has the same effect.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,195 Member
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    This thread is great for calorie-efficient protein sources, too - lots of them:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also
  • appalachian_gigi
    appalachian_gigi Posts: 36 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    This thread is great for calorie-efficient protein sources, too - lots of them:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

    That's awesome! thank you!

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