Favorite Proteins

burrito bowls (chicken, black beans, lettuce, salsa, cheese, guac if enough calories, NO rice)
beef jerky
skim milk in coffee
lettuce wrap with deli meat and cheese
string cheese
pork tenderloin

High fat Greek and Icelandic yogurt.

Eggs/whites

Yogurt (natural, low fat, high protein with protein powder mixed in for sweetness and flavour)

Protein pancakes.

Salmon

Good steak (thick eye fillet please)

After 5 years on MFP, I'm really having a problem with this also. I'm SO SICK OF CHICKEN BREAST, doesn't matter how cooked (ok I do like it breaded and/or stuffed)... and now omelets make me gag (forget egg whites. yuck). Never liked canned tuna (really, I'll only eat tuna raw lol).

I do eat a lot of poultry sausage, ground turkey (tacos, meatballs, meatloaf), some fish (so expensive though), trying to eat more beef because I need the iron too (but I still don't know how to log it after 5 years - what does the USDA consider 'lean' or 'trimmed to 1/4 fat'?). I have chicken thighs occasionally, but I don't like them as leftovers (same for pork chops).

Still love cheese and Greek yogurt (but not the fat free stuff).

Needless to say, my ratio of protein isn't as high as 5 years ago.

(I'm really glad nobody mentioned nuts )

Bone in pork chops, chicken thighs, pork tenderloin, flank steak, cod, shrimp, salmon, tuna, trout, mahi mahi, ground beef, various sausages, eggs, cheese and other dairy.

I don't know why people get so hung up on chicken breast, chicken breast, and more chicken breast. I'd be bored out of my mind.

chickpeas/ garbonzo beans. 1 cup gives 14.5 grams of protein

Favorites?.

A medium rare (more rare tham med) 2" thick NY Strip Steak and Cantonese style beef jerky (juicy and sticky sweet).

YUM!

aokoye wrote: »

If it wasn't clear, I typically shape my meals around protein, not the other way around. For example, tomorrow I'm planning on making thai curry (dinner) and some chicken dish with preserved lemons (lunch). I'll eat the curry, which will also have various vegetables in it, with rice and I'll probably make brussels sprouts which I'll have with the other dish. The only protein that I ever really incorporate into anything is green beans.

Green beans? Hardly a "go to" for increasing protein.

If the op was eating similar meals, they could increase protein by changing rice for quinoa. Adding beans (not the green vegetable variety) and legumes would also bump up protein.

Rib eye steak, ice cream, Greek style and skyr yogurt, protein shakes, grilled mackerel, any seafood except scallops (they taste like a fish and a chicken mated and had a lovechild), black eye beans, chick peas, lentils, cheese, nuts, pork, eggs, sausages, edamame beans. I'm yet to try tofu.

I haven't eaten a single chicken breast (or other body part).

Beans - chili, black bean/sweet potato tacos, refried beans with chopped onions/peppers/cheese/salsa, lupini beans as a snack, 100-calorie broad bean snack packs for salty/crunchy goodness.

Greek yogurt - I prefer nonfat, and use it in my oatmeal, as a sour cream alternative (on chili, omelets or scrambled eggs, tacos/enchiladas), as a salad dressing base (I prefer to make my own), as the glue for things like deviled eggs or egg salad, or on frozen berries as a dessert (chocolate peanut butter powder is a good addition to this).

Skim milk - major hot skimmed milk in my coffee = 12g of my daily protein, most days.

Soy pasta or black bean pasta - this doesn't have a texture like wheat pasta; it's more chewy. I don't like it in place of regular pasta in Italian-esque formulations (though chickpea pasta is pretty good for that IMO). Rather, I prefer the soy or black bean types in Asian-style preparations with veggies. A particular favorite is with peanut sauce made from peanut butter powder, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and any seasonings of choice (chili sauce, chopped green onions, ginger, Szechuan pepper - not all at once - or that sort of thing . . . sesame oil if I have the calories). These pastas have 20-something grams of protein in around 200 calories.

Smoked tofu - Loving it in wraps or pita with mild cheese, raw sauerkraut, mustard, sweet onions.

Tempeh - lightly browned in the frying pan and tossed into stir fries or scrambled eggs.

Eggs - Scrambled, fried, omelets of many sorts, deviled eggs made with Greek yogurt, egg salad ditto.

Nutritional yeast - to give certain foods a tiny protein bump with some flavor and useful micros. Good in bean soups/stews, and I like mixing it in cottage cheese.

Cottage cheese - I like it as a salad topping, or eaten with nutritional yeast/cumin/turmeric/pepper mixed in it.

Nuts, seeds, nut butters - Yes, a better fat source than protein source, but - because I tend to run low on my fat macro - they're a good choice for me when I want to add crunch or richness to food, with a little protein. I put them on salads, in oatmeal, and have even blended them into soups.

Other cheese - This has a rep as super high fat, but some are not as high as others. It adds a lot of nice mouth-feel and richness for manageable calories, for me. Some of the goat cheeses or farmer/paneer-type cheeses are more calorie efficient, for example. A small amount of a hard parmesan-type cheese adds a lot of yum and a few grams of protein, for manageable calories, too.

In terms of all-day protein, you might consider taking a page from the smart-vegetarian playbook: Small amounts of protein through the day add up. One big protein, central to each meal, is a great thing, too . . . but you'd be surprised what you can do if you take a critical look at your food diary, find things that are high in calories but low in protein, and cut back a little on those in favor of other foods you like that have even a bit of protein for that calorie expenditure. Even some fruits, veggies, and mushrooms have some protein - usually incomplete WRT to essential amino acids, but useful if you get a wide variety to balance out the aminos.