Need more food ideas

I’ve been using MFP for about two months now and I’ve been really struggling to consistently eat enough because I don’t have a lot of time to prepare food and I also have a couple food allergies so it cuts down on the foods that I can eat which gives me less options. I need more protein in my diet, I’m 5’6.5 and weigh 104lbs, I want to gain weight and muscle but I only get around 80-90g of protein everyday so that makes it hard. So I was wondering if anyone has any tips or simple-ish high calorie/high protein recipes. If they’re easy on your stomach too or that would be great.
Thanks

Replies

  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    It's going to matter a lot what your allergies are, and you don't disclose that.

    If you're just preparing for yourself, have you looked into meal prepping? I use some similar strategies for family cooking - I have some flexibility and cook most things from scratch, but I am not preparing every meal from scratch every time we eat it. I am reusing components, taking one dish out of the freezer, reusing a refrigerator salad several days in a row, etc.

    For easy snacks, depending on allergies, dried fruits and nuts are high calorie and nutritious. Cottage cheese is very high in protein - you can eat it by itself or in recipes (sometimes processing it is worth it to smooth out the texture). If you currently eat low-fat dairy, switch to full-fat or whole milk products.

    If you eat meat, you could just eat more of it, or increase how much you use in a recipe in relation to other ingredients. Hardboiled eggs are also a quick make-ahead snack.

    Many fruits and vegetables need minimal prep, just a quick rinse (or you can buy prewashed and prepped). Either could be served with a yummy dip made ahead to your preferences.

    I know several of the things I mention are common allergens, so if they don't work for you please disregard.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member
    edited February 2023
    Here's a thread with a chart of high protein foods.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also/p1

    Other than that, Google is good. We can't really give you food ideas especially with restrictions you didn't even list. I would say that fats are highest in calories so if you're struggling to eat enough then you've probably been trying to stay away from fats. Fat in your diet isn't a bad thing, it's a necessary nutrient, so try more fats. :)

  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    I agree fat in your diet is good, I'm not suggesting you go overboard all at once take it gently. Fats underpin hormones and other bodily processes so after protein its essential. I would council against heavily processed vegetable based fats they tend to be less healthy because they are overly processed, heat treated and other processes. You know the foods you react to. I'm thinking cocoanut oil and olive oil are not usually highly refined, both can be very helpful in finding micronutrients which are not often listed.

    You may find this useful. Many who react to dairy, commonly its the protein - casein. One hears more about the lactose because lactase the enzyme to digest production can be an issue. If casein is an issue for you, there are four types of casein, t1, t2 t3 and 4. Bovine, milk from cows is dominant type 4, goat and sheep milk is dominant type 3 which is close to breast milk so sometimes, as I can, people find using goat milk helpful, available nutrition without the issues. Sheep milk products are also good but are less often seen. Types 1 and 2 two caseins are less numerous in both branches of dairy and do not tend to be as reactive. If you are affected please verify my information, doing what is right for you.

    Hope this helps.
  • RosyBest
    RosyBest Posts: 303 Member
    I am a meal prepper and this week I am doing jambalaya and salad for dinner.

    I prelog my food before even making it to ensure it has enough calories and nutrients for my diet.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 921 Member
    I'd suggest meal prepping if you can do that as other's have suggested.

    Also, if you can financially buy more prepackaged foods (like par-boiled rice) that can help. When I'm feeling lazy and know I'm not going to want to cook I might buy like a whole rotisserie chicken, and packages of pre-cooked rice (if I had a rice maker I'd just make a bunch of rice) -- protein and carbs taken care of. I usually would add some type of veg and sauce (which would usually be enough fat). There's a meal that's more or less.... built rather than cooked.

    Are you able to do something like a supplement (similar to a protein powder shake) but that has fat/carbs too for added calories? Something like BSN True Mass?
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    If by any chance you are addressing histamine intolerance you might find using b6 and vit C useful, these are needed in combination to make histaminase to naturally reduce histamine levels. Histamine is found in/on pre-prepared foods, fermented foods, meats and everything. Please note histamine can be liberated/released by citrus, there are other things which will liberate histamine. This dietary difficulty can be a real minefield, it all depends on how sensitive one has become.

    Please read for yourself. Take care
  • sjl0210
    sjl0210 Posts: 31 Member
    edited February 2023
    Smoothie / smoothiebowl helps alot, at least for me. You can put in whatever you like, some example for proteins: cottage cheese, protein powder, eggs and milk. Add some oats! :) Remember fiber so your toilet will be happy.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,223 Member
    edited February 2023
    If you want to put on weight and build muscle then it's the energy macro's your going to want which are carbs and fat and there will be some extra protein in this scenario. Personally I consume oatmeal and a banana which have both slower and faster acting sugars to help during this 2 to 3 hour or so endeavor. I would also suggest that half your daily protein happen in this pre and post workout time frame. An extra 200-300 calories is all you need. I suggest eating carbs both pre and post workout but mostly pre workout while keeping fat to a minimum pre workout, and I do mean weight training for maximum protein synthesis and possibly some sugary drink (Gatorade) during weight training as well. imo. Cheers
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I’ve been using MFP for about two months now and I’ve been really struggling to consistently eat enough because I don’t have a lot of time to prepare food and I also have a couple food allergies so it cuts down on the foods that I can eat which gives me less options. I need more protein in my diet, I’m 5’6.5 and weigh 104lbs, I want to gain weight and muscle but I only get around 80-90g of protein everyday so that makes it hard. So I was wondering if anyone has any tips or simple-ish high calorie/high protein recipes. If they’re easy on your stomach too or that would be great.
    Thanks

    Without knowing your exact intolerances, I'm going to focus on protein and calories.

    Protein: since I've been dealing with a shared kitchen I've been buying a lot of rotisserie chicken. It is cheap, convenient, I can do dozens of things with it, and I always have a cooked protein in the frig. As I always have rice and beans on hand, I can make a meal very quickly. I also have ingredients on hand for a sandwich or a wrap. Additionally, I can use cooked chicken in lots of recipes.

    Calories: the simplest way to add calories is to add foods high in fat, as fat has 9 calories per gram as opposed to the 4 c/g in carbs and protein. Oil, butter, nuts, cheese, peanut butter, etc. I realize dairy and peanuts are common allergies, but if all else fails, using more oil is likely an option.