How to fit in more protein?
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Replies
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I had this problem too and increasing protein really helped.
I changed up my carb snacks for:
Low fat string cheese
Protein bars
Jerky
Eggs
And in addition:
Carb balanced bread
High protein cereals
More meat in sandwiches and ease up on bread3 -
psychod787 wrote: »I eat 225grams of protein a day and have no trouble getting them in. I am a bit of a meat eater! If you want grain protein, quinoa is one 6 Grams per serving I believe. Most things whole grain are going to have extra protein. Some vegetables do. Spinach, mushrooms etc. There is always Halotop! lol best of luck!
It's pretty marginal, at least for wheat. Although the bran and germ are proportionately higher in protein than the endosperm (which is what goes into white flour), the endosperm makes up most of the kernel to begin with, so including the bran and germ isn't going to make a huge difference in the amount of protein. So if you prefer refined (not whole) grain products, trying to get more protein isn't a really strong reason to opt for whole grain products. And I say this as someone who generally prefers whole grain products for taste as well as for fiber and micronutrients.0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »I eat 225grams of protein a day and have no trouble getting them in. I am a bit of a meat eater! If you want grain protein, quinoa is one 6 Grams per serving I believe. Most things whole grain are going to have extra protein. Some vegetables do. Spinach, mushrooms etc. There is always Halotop! lol best of luck!
It's pretty marginal, at least for wheat. Although the bran and germ are proportionately higher in protein than the endosperm (which is what goes into white flour), the endosperm makes up most of the kernel to begin with, so including the bran and germ isn't going to make a huge difference in the amount of protein. So if you prefer refined (not whole) grain products, trying to get more protein isn't a really strong reason to opt for whole grain products. And I say this as someone who generally prefers whole grain products for taste as well as for fiber and micronutrients.
I understand. I was just making a suggestion for people who care carb lovers to pick who wheat for a slight protein boost. That's all.2 -
psychod787 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »I eat 225grams of protein a day and have no trouble getting them in. I am a bit of a meat eater! If you want grain protein, quinoa is one 6 Grams per serving I believe. Most things whole grain are going to have extra protein. Some vegetables do. Spinach, mushrooms etc. There is always Halotop! lol best of luck!
It's pretty marginal, at least for wheat. Although the bran and germ are proportionately higher in protein than the endosperm (which is what goes into white flour), the endosperm makes up most of the kernel to begin with, so including the bran and germ isn't going to make a huge difference in the amount of protein. So if you prefer refined (not whole) grain products, trying to get more protein isn't a really strong reason to opt for whole grain products. And I say this as someone who generally prefers whole grain products for taste as well as for fiber and micronutrients.
I understand. I was just making a suggestion for people who care carb lovers to pick who wheat for a slight protein boost. That's all.
OK. I agree. I'm not vegetarian, but I have many days without meat (nor fish nor fowl) and little to no dairy or eggs, and I do see that grains make a real contribution to my protein -- probably second only to legumes. Then I get a little help from nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, veggies, cocoa ... It all adds up.0 -
OP - I know you may not want to do a protein shake however I have been very successful with the Costco Muscle Milk Vanilla Whey Protein. 30g protein, 3g carbs, 2g fat. I add a 1/2 or whole banana and it tastes very good. I do this almost once a day, especially on weight days. Just a thought to try it.0
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But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
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kommodevaran wrote: »
But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
Surely the point of getting more/enough protein is to avoid muscle loss?2 -
Most people get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Many people exaggerate the need for protein.kommodevaran wrote: »
But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
Surely the point of getting more/enough protein is to avoid muscle loss?5 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
Most people get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Many people exaggerate the need for protein.kommodevaran wrote: »
But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
Surely the point of getting more/enough protein is to avoid muscle loss?
So as a 215 pound 5' 10 male how much protein should i be targeting?1 -
First of all, you should use your weight at a healthy weight as a base for that calculation - 129-174 pounds. Then you can choose to follow the often recommended 1 gram per pound rule. But you may also want to think about what's realistic, what makes you feel happy, healthy, energized, what makes it easy for you to get in the other nutrition you also need, without sacrificing taste and convenience, and what you can afford. I (woman, BMI 21-22, no fitness goals beside health and wellbeing) personally thrive on around 70-80 grams (I don't track anymore, but I eat similarly to when I did), and that works out to just 0.6-0.65 grams per pound. Your optimal protein level would most likely be between those two extremes.kommodevaran wrote: »
Most people get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Many people exaggerate the need for protein.kommodevaran wrote: »
But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
Surely the point of getting more/enough protein is to avoid muscle loss?
So as a 215 pound 5' 10 male how much protein should i be targeting?1 -
Tuna, chicken, eggs, supplementary protein shakes (whey isolate has the least carbs per serving).0
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kommodevaran wrote: »
First of all, you should use your weight at a healthy weight as a base for that calculation - 129-174 pounds. Then you can choose to follow the often recommended 1 gram per pound rule. But you may also want to think about what's realistic, what makes you feel happy, healthy, energized, what makes it easy for you to get in the other nutrition you also need, without sacrificing taste and convenience, and what you can afford. I (woman, BMI 21-22, no fitness goals beside health and wellbeing) personally thrive on around 70-80 grams (I don't track anymore, but I eat similarly to when I did), and that works out to just 0.6-0.65 grams per pound. Your optimal protein level would most likely be between those two extremes.kommodevaran wrote: »
Most people get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Many people exaggerate the need for protein.kommodevaran wrote: »
But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
Surely the point of getting more/enough protein is to avoid muscle loss?
So as a 215 pound 5' 10 male how much protein should i be targeting?
Yeah I knew the figures........ I struggle to get more than 20% protein which on 1800 calories gives me 90 grams of protein so unless I exercise to gain extra calories I need to be looking at around 30% which with the amount of fruit and veg I eat is a struggle.0 -
I peeked at your diary. You're getting in around 110 grams per day now, is that a struggle, or quite easy? I would say it's sufficient, unless you feel tired or weak or hungry. Because health and strength and weight management is not just about protein, it's about your whole diet, and your mindset. If I were to describe your diet, I would say it looks like the diet of someone who is interested in and educated about nutrition, neither picky nor obsessive, but relaxed and confident, and not very likely to face a situation where cravings lead to "crash and burn".kommodevaran wrote: »
First of all, you should use your weight at a healthy weight as a base for that calculation - 129-174 pounds. Then you can choose to follow the often recommended 1 gram per pound rule. But you may also want to think about what's realistic, what makes you feel happy, healthy, energized, what makes it easy for you to get in the other nutrition you also need, without sacrificing taste and convenience, and what you can afford. I (woman, BMI 21-22, no fitness goals beside health and wellbeing) personally thrive on around 70-80 grams (I don't track anymore, but I eat similarly to when I did), and that works out to just 0.6-0.65 grams per pound. Your optimal protein level would most likely be between those two extremes.kommodevaran wrote: »
Most people get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Many people exaggerate the need for protein.kommodevaran wrote: »
But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
Surely the point of getting more/enough protein is to avoid muscle loss?
So as a 215 pound 5' 10 male how much protein should i be targeting?
Yeah I knew the figures........ I struggle to get more than 20% protein which on 1800 calories gives me 90 grams of protein so unless I exercise to gain extra calories I need to be looking at around 30% which with the amount of fruit and veg I eat is a struggle.3 -
I make hard boiled eggs every week and have one probably every other day. I also like those Weight Watchers or Aldi cheese sticks that are 50 calories each. I love cashews, almonds and peanut butter, although you've got to be careful about quantities.1
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kommodevaran wrote: »
I peeked at your diary. You're getting in around 110 grams per day now, is that a struggle, or quite easy? I would say it's sufficient, unless you feel tired or weak or hungry. Because health and strength and weight management is not just about protein, it's about your whole diet, and your mindset. If I were to describe your diet, I would say it looks like the diet of someone who is interested in and educated about nutrition, neither picky nor obsessive, but relaxed and confident, and not very likely to face a situation where cravings lead to "crash and burn".kommodevaran wrote: »
First of all, you should use your weight at a healthy weight as a base for that calculation - 129-174 pounds. Then you can choose to follow the often recommended 1 gram per pound rule. But you may also want to think about what's realistic, what makes you feel happy, healthy, energized, what makes it easy for you to get in the other nutrition you also need, without sacrificing taste and convenience, and what you can afford. I (woman, BMI 21-22, no fitness goals beside health and wellbeing) personally thrive on around 70-80 grams (I don't track anymore, but I eat similarly to when I did), and that works out to just 0.6-0.65 grams per pound. Your optimal protein level would most likely be between those two extremes.kommodevaran wrote: »
Most people get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Many people exaggerate the need for protein.kommodevaran wrote: »
But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
Surely the point of getting more/enough protein is to avoid muscle loss?
So as a 215 pound 5' 10 male how much protein should i be targeting?
Yeah I knew the figures........ I struggle to get more than 20% protein which on 1800 calories gives me 90 grams of protein so unless I exercise to gain extra calories I need to be looking at around 30% which with the amount of fruit and veg I eat is a struggle.
It's harder than I'd like and I've had to cut back on potato and pasta portions to help make it work. It's also tough on days I stay under my calorie target. I've also made my own protein bars which probably don't add that much in way of protein but better than a couple of pieces of fruit.
I'm happy with that level of protein but using the formulas I could be getting a bit more though.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
I peeked at your diary. You're getting in around 110 grams per day now, is that a struggle, or quite easy? I would say it's sufficient, unless you feel tired or weak or hungry. Because health and strength and weight management is not just about protein, it's about your whole diet, and your mindset. If I were to describe your diet, I would say it looks like the diet of someone who is interested in and educated about nutrition, neither picky nor obsessive, but relaxed and confident, and not very likely to face a situation where cravings lead to "crash and burn".kommodevaran wrote: »
First of all, you should use your weight at a healthy weight as a base for that calculation - 129-174 pounds. Then you can choose to follow the often recommended 1 gram per pound rule. But you may also want to think about what's realistic, what makes you feel happy, healthy, energized, what makes it easy for you to get in the other nutrition you also need, without sacrificing taste and convenience, and what you can afford. I (woman, BMI 21-22, no fitness goals beside health and wellbeing) personally thrive on around 70-80 grams (I don't track anymore, but I eat similarly to when I did), and that works out to just 0.6-0.65 grams per pound. Your optimal protein level would most likely be between those two extremes.kommodevaran wrote: »
Most people get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Many people exaggerate the need for protein.kommodevaran wrote: »
But the whole point of getting in more protein, is satiety, and thus, compliance to calorie deficit! As a general rule of thumb, if it ain't broken, don't fix itI struggle as well but mainly because of the fruit I eat as snacks and because I find carbs much more satisfying. Couscous is something that I find useful to provide a bit of extra protein to a meal and I've been trying to add some protein rich snacks such as eggs and cheese.
Surely the point of getting more/enough protein is to avoid muscle loss?
So as a 215 pound 5' 10 male how much protein should i be targeting?
Yeah I knew the figures........ I struggle to get more than 20% protein which on 1800 calories gives me 90 grams of protein so unless I exercise to gain extra calories I need to be looking at around 30% which with the amount of fruit and veg I eat is a struggle.
And yes you have described me pretty well there with the exception of crash and burn which I am more than capable of when not logging calories.0 -
kenyonhaff wrote: »I had this problem too and increasing protein really helped.
I changed up my carb snacks for:
Low fat string cheese
Protein bars
Jerky
Eggs
And in addition:
Carb balanced bread
High protein cereals
More meat in sandwiches and ease up on bread
Do you have any favs for high protein cereals? I’m trying to find replacements that I can actually stick to, and I have cereal every morning, so it would be great if it was a bit better for me! Thanks!
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musicfan68 wrote: »I have a similar problem, but I always reach my fat goal first, and never hit the carbs or protein. It's almost impossible for me to find foods which are high in protein and carbs but not in fats.
Chicken and fish are low in fat. I am usually under fat and at protein. There are a lot of protein sources that are lower in fat.
Yeah well the problem is that you rarely eat them raw, so you need some oil/fat when preparing them.
You can bake chicken and fish without any oils. I put fancy mustard on my chicken and lemon slices with dill in parchment packets for the salmon.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »Have you changed goals from MFP's default? 20% should be easy to reach. Have some protein rich foods (meat, fish, eggs) as a natural part of each meal. Things like bread, pasta, and milk also provide some protein. Reduce amounts of low-nutrient carby foods like cookies, cake, candy, use less sugar in tea/coffee etc.
Yes. My goal is 148g / 36%. I’m reducing my carb intake to more efficiently reduce my calorie intake. I have a pretty carb heavy diet and rarely meet protein and fat goals. Usually it’s like cereal, sandwich, something with rice, repeat. When I don’t know what to eat, I usually find myself reaching for carby foods. Not necessarily cookies and cakes, but breads, rice, pasta, cereal, and granola. So I’m looking for doable substitutions / easy foods to add that will give me a little protein boost because that is where I struggle the most.
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I never quite understand this question. The answer is eat less carbs and more protein. You may need lean protein to stay within your calorie goal but otherwise....that's the ticket.
I’m looking for meal and snack suggestions that contain protein. Eating protein to increase protein intake is kinda the topic here
My question is more like what do you eat to reach your protein goals. A pound of chicken? Or something a little more doable?
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