What is your go to source for protein?

abhishek19912017
abhishek19912017 Posts: 2 Member
edited June 2023 in Getting Started
Included whey supplement intake, chicken and eggs in my daily diet. Still fall short of hitting the protein requirement daily. Any other foods that you recommend which is packed with high amt of proteins that could help my journey with lean muscle building?(PS - i love fruits)
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Replies

  • Cyclinggirl33
    Cyclinggirl33 Posts: 4 Member
    Fish, canned tuna
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    I love my Elevation Chocolate Mint protein bars. I have no shame in saying that I'll eat 2 a day - they're 270 calories a pop, so not negligible -- but they are a total treat (to me) and provide 40g protein. Another favorite snack is 1 ounce Bel Gioioso Parmesan cheese and 21g walnuts, which comes in at 247 calories and 13g protein. If I make tiny slices of the cheese and break the walnuts in half, it feels like a lot.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,365 Member
    How much protein are you trying to get in a day? Where did you get those numbers from?
  • Sylebration
    Sylebration Posts: 22 Member
    Cottage cheese! It's my fav lol. Also peanut butter. I'm a fan of the white chocolate flavor 😋 but any kind you like is great. Nuts are also a good one. Beans are another easy protein source you can add to just about any meal.
  • Pdc654
    Pdc654 Posts: 317 Member
    In addition to all the above....Greek Yogurt
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,265 Member
    edited June 2023
    Well, it's hard to beat lean animal protein and you get the best bioavailability as well. Seafood is very good with around 20-25g's of protein per 100g's and most around 100-125 calories. Building lean muscle is more about exercise and consuming a few hundred extra calories. Cheers
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    yogurt, cottage cheese, dairy milk or soy milk, legumes, shrimp, lean pork, lean beef, smaller boosts from grains, veggies, nuts, and seeds.
  • SafariGalNYC
    SafariGalNYC Posts: 1,583 Member
    edited June 2023
    Seafood and poultry are my main protein sources. I sip on bone broth here and there for some extra during the day and to personally limit my coffee.

    Since you said you love fruit.. avocados have protein..

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  • serpentegena
    serpentegena Posts: 43 Member
    Sylebration wrote: »
    Cottage cheese! It's my fav lol. Also peanut butter. I'm a fan of the white chocolate flavor 😋 but any kind you like is great. Nuts are also a good one. Beans are another easy protein source you can add to just about any meal.

    Peanut butter and nuts are not good protein sources. They have a very high fat content for the amount of protein they provide, and tip the macro proportions away from a balanced diet. Beans are a good vegetarian suggestion, though!
  • serpentegena
    serpentegena Posts: 43 Member

    There are online lists of foods ordered by the protein content per mass or per calorie. The most protein-dense foods are typically seafood, then meat, then the other stuff. But knowing shrimp is full of protein and incorporating it into your regular menu and kitchen routine are two different things.

    My best suggestion, if you want a quick fix, is nutritional yeast. A whopping 18g of protein in a quarter cup. It's ridiculous. I will typically make a dish such as aloo gobie, dal, ratatouille, or just any kind of stew or soup, then slam 1/4 cup of this bad boy in my plate on top of it. Texture is weird, and it has a vaguely cheesy flavor that takes getting used to. But the protein content makes it all worth it!

    Second best, putting protein powder in other dishes like pudding or oatmeal. A cool 27g of protein for breakfast, let's gooo 💪

    Third best, replacing the starchy side-dish to a steak with one of my three secret weapons: black beans(18g protein/cup, cooked), lentils(18g /cup, cooked) or buckwheat(~6g/cup, still better than rice or potatoes).

    For better results, combine several or all of these to inch closer to your protein goal. I know that struggle🙏
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    Check this thread:

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

    It links to a spreadsheet that lists many, many foods in order by protein/calorie efficiency, i.e., most protein for fewest calories. Find foods you like on that list, eat more of those, less of something else.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 12,073 Member
    Sylebration wrote: »
    I'm also not sure why you felt the need to call out my comment. Just make your own and continue the day. I'm just going to agree to disagree here.

    Preach it, sister! Was going to post something similar, but you beat me to it, lol.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 12,073 Member
    Each week, my average dinner menu includes:

    2 chicken meals
    1 pork meal
    2 hamburger meals
    1 other-meat type (fish, sausage, etc)
    1 non-meat meal (lasagna, pizza, French toast with scrambled eggs, etc)

    Almost all my meals are served with milk to drink, and the leftovers become lunch on a future day. Throw in protein shakes on days I lift, and I rarely have to sweat reaching my protein goals.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,206 Member
    i love johnsonville sausage with zucchini noodles. higher in calories but get we gotta eat!
  • serpentegena
    serpentegena Posts: 43 Member
    Sylebration wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    Sylebration wrote: »
    Cottage cheese! It's my fav lol. Also peanut butter. I'm a fan of the white chocolate flavor 😋 but any kind you like is great. Nuts are also a good one. Beans are another easy protein source you can add to just about any meal.

    Peanut butter and nuts are not good protein sources. They have a very high fat content for the amount of protein they provide, and tip the macro proportions away from a balanced diet. Beans are a good vegetarian suggestion, though!

    So, I completely disagree with your assessment and so do many medical professionals.

    I never made any statements of value about fat. I specifically said that the protein sources you cited aren't good sources of protein, meaning they are not adapted to the goal of increasing overall protein because they also increase fat a great deal.
    You can disagree all day, that doesn't make you correct. But I'm not going to hold it against you if you enjoy peanut butter, that's your business.
    Sylebration wrote: »
    I'm also not sure why you felt the need to call out my comment. Just make your own and continue the day. I'm just going to agree to disagree here.

    I called you out because you are propagating the common misconception that to increase protein, it is a good idea to supplement with fat-rich foods like nuts and peanuts.
  • serpentegena
    serpentegena Posts: 43 Member
    edited July 2023
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    Sylebration wrote: »
    Cottage cheese! It's my fav lol. Also peanut butter. I'm a fan of the white chocolate flavor 😋 but any kind you like is great. Nuts are also a good one. Beans are another easy protein source you can add to just about any meal.

    Peanut butter and nuts are not good protein sources. They have a very high fat content for the amount of protein they provide, and tip the macro proportions away from a balanced diet. Beans are a good vegetarian suggestion, though!

    While I would agree that nuts and nut butters are more of a fat source than a protein source, I disagree that they tip proportions away from a balanced diet. Healthy fats should absolutely be part of a balanced diet.

    As to the OP, I eat a lot of chicken and fish. I also eat eggs everyday. Those would be my primary sources and then of course I have smaller amounts coming in from other sources like vegetables and grains, etc. Without supplementing I can pretty easily hit around 120 grams per day...150ish with supplements...I'm usually somewhere between those numbers and that's fine. Contrary to popular belief you don't need a gazillion grams of protein daily.

    Is it false to assume that OP is already having a healthy amount of fats in his diet? He also mentions wanting to build lean muscle and encouraging him to supplement his fat intake seems counterintuitive to his goals.

    Actually, several medical studies have shown (and you can check the notes of Jeff Nippard, Dr. Mike Israetel and Jeremy Ethier on this) that for people doing resistance training, abundantly supplementing protein above the 1g/lb. of bodyweight/day was almost always correlated with superior muscle hypertrophy and better training performance among other things. And this, with virtually no negative effects, digestive or otherwise. So the science suggests supplementing protein intake while training is, indeed, recommendable and the way to go. And most people barely hit a normal protein intake of like 0.7g/lb. bodyweight/day in their regular diets.
  • BriansTrident
    BriansTrident Posts: 483 Member
    For me I’ve been taking in a lot of grilled chicken, egg whites, whey protein and and the occasional spoon of peanut butter
  • MovinNow
    MovinNow Posts: 133 Member
    Grilled chicken, beef, Grilled fresh salmon or Atlantic cod (expensive but in season now, try to have once a week), Whey Protein powder (no soy), lowfat Greek yogurt, Cottage cheese, sardines, cheese
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,788 Member
    serpentegena wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    Sylebration wrote: »
    Cottage cheese! It's my fav lol. Also peanut butter. I'm a fan of the white chocolate flavor 😋 but any kind you like is great. Nuts are also a good one. Beans are another easy protein source you can add to just about any meal.

    Peanut butter and nuts are not good protein sources. They have a very high fat content for the amount of protein they provide, and tip the macro proportions away from a balanced diet. Beans are a good vegetarian suggestion, though!

    While I would agree that nuts and nut butters are more of a fat source than a protein source, I disagree that they tip proportions away from a balanced diet. Healthy fats should absolutely be part of a balanced diet.

    As to the OP, I eat a lot of chicken and fish. I also eat eggs everyday. Those would be my primary sources and then of course I have smaller amounts coming in from other sources like vegetables and grains, etc. Without supplementing I can pretty easily hit around 120 grams per day...150ish with supplements...I'm usually somewhere between those numbers and that's fine. Contrary to popular belief you don't need a gazillion grams of protein daily.

    Is it false to assume that OP is already having a healthy amount of fats in his diet? He also mentions wanting to build lean muscle and encouraging him to supplement his fat intake seems counterintuitive to his goals.

    Actually, several medical studies have shown (and you can check the notes of Jeff Nippard, Dr. Mike Israetel and Jeremy Ethier on this) that for people doing resistance training, abundantly supplementing protein above the 1g/lb. of bodyweight/day was almost always correlated with superior muscle hypertrophy and better training performance among other things. And this, with virtually no negative effects, digestive or otherwise. So the science suggests supplementing protein intake while training is, indeed, recommendable and the way to go. And most people barely hit a normal protein intake of like 0.7g/lb. bodyweight/day in their regular diets.

    .7 g/lb is plenty of protein. Sure, if you're an intense weightlifter trying to make gains, it could make sense to go up to 1 g/lb. Your body can only process a certain amount of protein at one time (about 20-25 grams), and the rest gets stored as fat, so eating considerably more than needed is counterproductive.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,265 Member
    edited July 2023
    sollyn23l2 wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    Sylebration wrote: »
    Cottage cheese! It's my fav lol. Also peanut butter. I'm a fan of the white chocolate flavor 😋 but any kind you like is great. Nuts are also a good one. Beans are another easy protein source you can add to just about any meal.

    Peanut butter and nuts are not good protein sources. They have a very high fat content for the amount of protein they provide, and tip the macro proportions away from a balanced diet. Beans are a good vegetarian suggestion, though!

    While I would agree that nuts and nut butters are more of a fat source than a protein source, I disagree that they tip proportions away from a balanced diet. Healthy fats should absolutely be part of a balanced diet.

    As to the OP, I eat a lot of chicken and fish. I also eat eggs everyday. Those would be my primary sources and then of course I have smaller amounts coming in from other sources like vegetables and grains, etc. Without supplementing I can pretty easily hit around 120 grams per day...150ish with supplements...I'm usually somewhere between those numbers and that's fine. Contrary to popular belief you don't need a gazillion grams of protein daily.

    Is it false to assume that OP is already having a healthy amount of fats in his diet? He also mentions wanting to build lean muscle and encouraging him to supplement his fat intake seems counterintuitive to his goals.

    Actually, several medical studies have shown (and you can check the notes of Jeff Nippard, Dr. Mike Israetel and Jeremy Ethier on this) that for people doing resistance training, abundantly supplementing protein above the 1g/lb. of bodyweight/day was almost always correlated with superior muscle hypertrophy and better training performance among other things. And this, with virtually no negative effects, digestive or otherwise. So the science suggests supplementing protein intake while training is, indeed, recommendable and the way to go. And most people barely hit a normal protein intake of like 0.7g/lb. bodyweight/day in their regular diets.

    .7 g/lb is plenty of protein. Sure, if you're an intense weightlifter trying to make gains, it could make sense to go up to 1 g/lb. Your body can only process a certain amount of protein at one time (about 20-25 grams), and the rest gets stored as fat, so eating considerably more than needed is counterproductive.

    Yeah, that 25g max absorption is a myth.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,788 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    sollyn23l2 wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    Sylebration wrote: »
    Cottage cheese! It's my fav lol. Also peanut butter. I'm a fan of the white chocolate flavor 😋 but any kind you like is great. Nuts are also a good one. Beans are another easy protein source you can add to just about any meal.

    Peanut butter and nuts are not good protein sources. They have a very high fat content for the amount of protein they provide, and tip the macro proportions away from a balanced diet. Beans are a good vegetarian suggestion, though!

    While I would agree that nuts and nut butters are more of a fat source than a protein source, I disagree that they tip proportions away from a balanced diet. Healthy fats should absolutely be part of a balanced diet.

    As to the OP, I eat a lot of chicken and fish. I also eat eggs everyday. Those would be my primary sources and then of course I have smaller amounts coming in from other sources like vegetables and grains, etc. Without supplementing I can pretty easily hit around 120 grams per day...150ish with supplements...I'm usually somewhere between those numbers and that's fine. Contrary to popular belief you don't need a gazillion grams of protein daily.

    Is it false to assume that OP is already having a healthy amount of fats in his diet? He also mentions wanting to build lean muscle and encouraging him to supplement his fat intake seems counterintuitive to his goals.

    Actually, several medical studies have shown (and you can check the notes of Jeff Nippard, Dr. Mike Israetel and Jeremy Ethier on this) that for people doing resistance training, abundantly supplementing protein above the 1g/lb. of bodyweight/day was almost always correlated with superior muscle hypertrophy and better training performance among other things. And this, with virtually no negative effects, digestive or otherwise. So the science suggests supplementing protein intake while training is, indeed, recommendable and the way to go. And most people barely hit a normal protein intake of like 0.7g/lb. bodyweight/day in their regular diets.

    .7 g/lb is plenty of protein. Sure, if you're an intense weightlifter trying to make gains, it could make sense to go up to 1 g/lb. Your body can only process a certain amount of protein at one time (about 20-25 grams), and the rest gets stored as fat, so eating considerably more than needed is counterproductive.

    Yeah, that 25g max absorption is a myth and it's almost impossible that excess protein gets stored as fat.

    Ok. You're allowed to disagree.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,265 Member
    sollyn23l2 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    sollyn23l2 wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    serpentegena wrote: »
    Sylebration wrote: »
    Cottage cheese! It's my fav lol. Also peanut butter. I'm a fan of the white chocolate flavor 😋 but any kind you like is great. Nuts are also a good one. Beans are another easy protein source you can add to just about any meal.

    Peanut butter and nuts are not good protein sources. They have a very high fat content for the amount of protein they provide, and tip the macro proportions away from a balanced diet. Beans are a good vegetarian suggestion, though!

    While I would agree that nuts and nut butters are more of a fat source than a protein source, I disagree that they tip proportions away from a balanced diet. Healthy fats should absolutely be part of a balanced diet.

    As to the OP, I eat a lot of chicken and fish. I also eat eggs everyday. Those would be my primary sources and then of course I have smaller amounts coming in from other sources like vegetables and grains, etc. Without supplementing I can pretty easily hit around 120 grams per day...150ish with supplements...I'm usually somewhere between those numbers and that's fine. Contrary to popular belief you don't need a gazillion grams of protein daily.

    Is it false to assume that OP is already having a healthy amount of fats in his diet? He also mentions wanting to build lean muscle and encouraging him to supplement his fat intake seems counterintuitive to his goals.

    Actually, several medical studies have shown (and you can check the notes of Jeff Nippard, Dr. Mike Israetel and Jeremy Ethier on this) that for people doing resistance training, abundantly supplementing protein above the 1g/lb. of bodyweight/day was almost always correlated with superior muscle hypertrophy and better training performance among other things. And this, with virtually no negative effects, digestive or otherwise. So the science suggests supplementing protein intake while training is, indeed, recommendable and the way to go. And most people barely hit a normal protein intake of like 0.7g/lb. bodyweight/day in their regular diets.

    .7 g/lb is plenty of protein. Sure, if you're an intense weightlifter trying to make gains, it could make sense to go up to 1 g/lb. Your body can only process a certain amount of protein at one time (about 20-25 grams), and the rest gets stored as fat, so eating considerably more than needed is counterproductive.

    Yeah, that 25g max absorption is a myth and it's almost impossible that excess protein gets stored as fat.

    Ok. You're allowed to disagree.

    If I eat 6oz of salmon that has about 35g's of protein I'm only going to absorb 25 and the rest is going to converted to fat, that's what your saying. Ever thought of actually researching stuff. Cheers
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,265 Member
    Here's Layne Norton talking about this.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=KgzovPmiP0A&t=160s
  • Pixiepaws
    Pixiepaws Posts: 1 Member
    As a vegetarian, I'm finding it hard to hit my protein targets. Upping dairy usually ends up with increasing fats and going over my daily quotient. Upping beans tends to up my carbs intake. Any suggestions? (I'm in the UK)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    Pixiepaws wrote: »
    As a vegetarian, I'm finding it hard to hit my protein targets. Upping dairy usually ends up with increasing fats and going over my daily quotient. Upping beans tends to up my carbs intake. Any suggestions? (I'm in the UK)

    @Pixiepaws -

    Consider low fat or no fat dairy.

    More generally: Estimate your minimum protein needs and fat needs in grams. Hit your protein minimum (in grams, not percents), ditto for fats, just manage carbs to hit calories but don't worry about how many there are.

    Use protein dense plant foods like tofu, tempeh, seitan, etc. Use higher-protein fake meats if you like them. Use a protein powder or protein bars if you need to. Choose sides that have some protein (red lentil or soy pasta, quinoa instead of rice, etc.). Choose snacks with some protein (crispy chickpeas or broad beans, lowfat string cheese, dry roasted soybeans). Use flavorings with some protein (miso, nutritional yeast, almond or peanut butter powder, etc.).

    To estimate protein needs in grams:

    https://examine.com/protein-intake-calculator/
    https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

    If you're significantly overweight, use your healthy goal weight (or the middle of the BMI range for your height) to estimate protein. A rough rule of thumb is a minimum of 0.6-0.8 grams daily per pound of goal weight, which should overlap with what the calculator above tells most people.

    For fats, maybe something in the range of 0.35-0.45 grams per pound of weight. Could be a little less for a male, maybe.

    Once you have the grams estimates, multiply the protein one by 4, and the fat one by 9 (because those are the approximate numbers of calories per gram of those things), and add the results together. Subtract that total from your calorie goal. That's how many calories you have left for carbs. Carb intake is flexible, nutritionally speaking.

    If that's not achievable, consider whether your weight loss rate target is too aggressive.

    You can go over on fats or protein, and that's fine. (But it would mean needing to eat fewer carbs if you want to hit calorie goal). You don't have to be exact every day on any of these: Close, on average over a few days to a week - that should be fine.

    Best wishes!

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