Low BUN- increase protein struggle

PAV8888 wrote: »

Hmm. Greek 0% Yogurt with fruit = dessert! I like dessert! I can easily have 600 calories of dessert and call it a meal 😉 I do "cheat" and use liquid sucralose. Cinnamon or pumpkin spice would be more universally non-objectionable. Vanilla varieties add about 20 Cal per 175g which contain about 17.8g of protein. The defatted peanut butter protein is nice. And if you like the taste, awesome. But whey and casein are more complete and i believe bioavailable. So it is taste vs quantity for the calories per preference!

I was hoping Ann would drop in and link the protein spreadsheet!!!🤷‍♂️

Hey, it was a busy day, and I'm not a genie who emerges when someone rubs the protein lantern, y'know?

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

@PAV8888, it's in the Food and Nutrition stickies ("Most Helpful Posts" heading), if you ever need to link it.

@generallyme2, I'm able to hit my 100g daily protein minimum eating entirely vegetarian foods. (I'm ovo-lacto, but don't eat many eggs.) It was slightly less than that when I was eating reduced calories during loss, but still around 80s-90s grams daily. Now, in maintenance, I often get 120g or so without stressing about it.

What helped me was what it sounds like you're doing now: Just working at revising my routine daily habits in positive directions. Eventually, I got my protein where I needed it, and because it was built into my routine, it doesn't require much thought now.

The basic concept, for me, is to plan major protein source in each meal (as omnivores tend to do), but then also get small amounts of protein from many other things I eat: Side dishes, grains, beverages, snacks, veggies, fruits. Some of those sources are not as complete (in essential amino acids) or bioavailable, but varying the sources helps with EAA completeness, and the small amounts add up through the day. I don't personally use protein powder or bars, not because I think they're bad/wrong, but because I don't find them tasty/satisfying. (I prefer to spend my calories on food, glorious food!)

I did find the spreadsheet linked in the thread I mentioned above to be very helpful. Many of the foods at the top of that spreadsheet - the most protein for fewest calories - are meaty/fishy things. Keep scrolling through the spreadsheet, and you'll find plant sources further down (with some codes that help identify protein quality).

Also, read labels at the store. There are foods in many categories that have more protein than others. See if you like those, use them if you do. You might use different values, but my rough rule of thumb is that a simple food with no more than about 10 all-source calories per gram of protein is a pretty good vegetarian protein source, and a pre-made dish (like a frozen meal) with maybe 20-30 all-source calories per gram of protein is OK-ish, too. That's not the only thing I care about when evaluating foods, but it's a quick way for me to see if it's worth trying as a protein improvement, based on a quick label analysis at the store.

I've consistently had enough calories (even when losing) to eat large quantities of yummy carbs (veggies, fruits, etc.), in addition to getting adequate protein and fats. YMMV.

Best wishes!